Press Releases Archive

Lok Satta faults parties for opposing restrictions on offer of freebies

The Lok Satta Party described the opposition of almost all national and regional recognized political parties to imposition of restrictions on offer of freebies in election manifestos as not only improper but also undemocratic.

Apparently, the traditional parties, which have turned people into voting machines by implementing populist schemes in the name of welfare, are keen on persisting with their vote bank politics, said Lok Satta Party State Vice President D. V. V. S. Varma in a media statement.

At a meeting convened by the Election Commission of India in New Delhi on Monday, the parties contended that restrictions on offer of freebies will amount to an abridgement of their rights. The Election Commission convened the meeting in the wake of the Supreme Court directive that it initiate steps to restrict offer of freebies since the present Representation of People’s Act did not provide for it.

Mr. Varma pointed out that political parties in the past lured voters by distributing money and liquor. In the recent past, they are trying to garner votes by also promising individual benefits, No one need take exception to parties promising free education, health care and skill enhancement and free food and shelter to people like the aged and the physically challenged. But what is the point in offering free TVs, mixies, cell phones and thalis in election manifestos? The Government cannot abuse the exchequer to further its vote bank politics, said Mr. Varma.

Mr. Varma demanded that a law be enacted on the lines of the fiscal responsibility management Act to limit the money spent on welfare schemes to 15 percent of the budget. In the absence of any such limit, Governments are opting for populist schemes like food security and extending them to even the ineligible. The Union Government can offer additional incentives to States which adhere to the 15 percent budgetary ceiling on welfare schemes.

Mr. Varma also underlined the need to replace the present first-past-the-post electoral system by proportional representation. Under the present system, political parties spend crores of rupees on election campaigns and try to lure voters additionally by offering freebies at the cost of the public exchequer. People too should demand that the Government create opportunities for growth to all instead of offering freebies, he added.

Tuesday, August 13, 2013 - 18:17

Surajya debate on future of youth at Narsapur on August 12

The Surajya Movement is organizing debates in select colleges all over the State on ‘Country’s problems and future of youth’ from August 12 to September 15.

The movement aims at motivating youth to work for social welfare and good governance.

The first event is being organized at B. V. Raju Institute of Technology at Narsapur in Medak district on August 12, International Youth Day.

Lok Satta Party national President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan and Surajya Movement Advisor and HMTV CEO K. Ramachandra Murthy will interact with students on the occasion.

The Surajya Movement believes that the youth, numbering 56 crore, can transform the country if they have a better understanding of social, political and economic trends. The movement is launching ‘Surajya Sankharavam’ in colleges to achieve the objective.

The movement plans to honor students and educational institutions which are in the forefront of ushering in healthy changes in society.

Sunday, August 11, 2013 - 15:42

Spare students from agitation: Round Table on new State

A Round Table of civil society leaders, retired administrators, former judges and media luminaries today unanimously appealed to all sections in Seemandhra region to ensure that students do not lose an academic year because of the ongoing agitation against bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh. It also asked Government employees not to go on strike as proposed and inconvenience the very people whom they are supposed to serve.

People are free to express their opinions freely and fearlessly without resorting to violence, disrupting lives and fuelling hatred and animosities.

The Round Table wanted the Government of India to appoint an official committee in place of the ruling party panel to address grievances of all sections of people in the wake of the decision to split the State. Since wisdom is not the monopoly of only legislators or officials, the Government should associate the civil society in arriving at decisions and implementing them.

The Foundation for Democratic Reforms and the Lok Satta movement convened the non-partisan Round Table to discuss what needs to be done to facilitate a bright future for people of all the regions in the wake of the Delhi decision to carve out a separate Telangana State.

Lok Satta Party national President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan set the tone for the four-hour-long discussions by asking participants not to indulge in a post-mortem on the decision to divide the State but focus on offering constructive suggestions. “The future is what matters and the past is inconsequential in the present context,” he underlined. He said that formation of a new State is neither a panacea nor a catastrophe since it is merely an administrative and political arrangement. But the move presented a golden opportunity for unveiling policies that transform people’s lives.

There was broad consensus among participants on the need to ensure the safety and security of people living in Hyderabad city irrespective of their origin through appropriate legal and administrative arrangements. Although the Constitution guarantees citizens the freedom to live and work anywhere in the country, there are apprehensions among large sections of people in the city on their future with which they have developed an attachment. The arrangements are necessary against the backdrop of harassment of people belonging to Kerala and Bihar in Maharashtra and those of Hindi-speaking States in Assam in the past.

The participants pointed out that Rayalaseema needs special attention because of the special problems it faces. It is deficient in rainfall, landlocked and economically backward. It now feels orphaned in the wake of the loss of a metropolis like Hyderabad. Permanent, credible and effective arrangements should be made to resolve its problems here and now so that bigger problems do not crop up in future.

Some of them felt that nothing short of formation of a separate Rayalaseema State along with Telangana answers their needs.

The participants agreed that mere formation of a State or two will not bring about a change in people’s lives unless power is decentralized, corruption mitigated if not eradicated and services extended as a matter of right.

Some participants pointed out that there is no provision in the Constitution for making one city as the capital of two States and it therefore warrants a Constitutional amendment. They also called for some sort of Constitutional arrangement for the sharing of the revenue from Hyderabad city between the two States for some period.

Some of the participants suggested formation of an independent water authority as envisaged in the Constitution to ensure fair distribution of river waters among States.

Those who took part in the marathon discussion included freedom fighter Chennamaneni Rajeswara Rao, former Justice Lakshmana Rao, K. Nageshwar, MLC, retired top officials K. Padmanabhaiah, K. Sujatha Rao, K. Aravind Rao, T. Hanuman Chowdary, K. Satyanarayana Murthy, M. Padmanabha Reddy, S.R Vijayakar, Venkata Rao, Professors Kancha Ilaiah, Madabhushi Sridhar, Sasidhar, Visweswara Rao, journalists Pothuri Venkateswara Rao, K. Srinivasa Reddy, K. Ramachandra Murthy, Kandula Ramesh, Telakapalli Ravi, N. Seetharama Raju, Devi Priya, NGO leaders and social activists J. Lakshmana Reddy, Mazar Hussain, Chalasani Srinivas, Dr. V.B.J Chelikani Rao, S. Ramachandra Reddy, Katragadda Prasuna, Putta Surender Babu, K. Chiranjeevi and P. Chengal Reddy, Lakshminarayana, Dasaradhasrami Reddy, Devi, Rev. Dr. J. Charles, K.Pratapa Reddy and Anwar Khan.

Saturday, August 10, 2013 - 17:50

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