Press Releases Archive

Lok Satta to fight against exempting political parties from RTI Act

The attempt of political parties to deny people knowledge about their working is nothing but a conspiracy against democracy and voters, commented Lok Satta Party national President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan today.

In a media statement, Dr. JP said that the Lok Satta Party will join others in challenging the Government's bid to exempt political parties from the ambit of the Right to Information (RTI) Act and added that he has no doubt the judiciary will uphold the Central Information Commission order.

Dr. JP pointed out that political parties are not private estates but merely vehicles for political participation of citizens. A political party is no different from any other voluntary organization or civil society group. It is a free association of citizens for a collective purpose. The RTI Act covers all voluntary organizations that receive substantial assistance from the Government. The Administrative Reforms Commission, of which he was a member, defined what constitutes substantial assistance. The assistance is substantial if it is Rs.1 crore or more or constitutes 50 percent of the operational budget of the organization.

Dr. JP underlined that a political party is more than a voluntary organization in that it seeks people's votes, aspires for power, wants to influence how the Government spends public money and takes part in law making. Outside the legislature and electoral politics also, even small parties have enormous power over people's lives. They can paralyze life and disrupt economic activity by organizing bandhs and other agitations. It will be the height of absurdity if political parties claim immunity from public scrutiny under the RTI Act.

Dr. JP added that bringing political parties under the RTI Act does not mean that their internal deliberations or strategies must be made public. But the people have a right to know their norms for party membership, election of leaders, choice of candidates in elections and collection of funds. They have an obligation to disclose the basis for articulating certain policies and how they propose to raise funds for implementing them.

Saturday, June 29, 2013 - 15:47

Opposition parties to smash belt shops if Govt. does not revoke policy

The Opposition parties in the State today demanded that the Government take over retail liquor trade to end the menace of unauthorized liquor outlets and facilitate restriction of liquor consumption.

If the Government does not revoke the continuation of last year's policy of allotting liquor shops for a fixed license fee through draw of lots, the Opposition parties will observe dharna at Excise Department's district offices on July 1 and smash belt shops from July 2.

The Opposition parties took the decisions at an all-party meeting on 'Belt shops – liquor policy-united action' held under the auspices of the Lok Satta Party. Representatives of the Congress, CPI, CPI (M), RSP and Welfare Party took part in the meeting presided over State Lok Satta Party President Katari Srinivasa Rao.

Initiating the discussion, Mr. Srinivasa Rao pointed out that belt shops continue to flourish a month and half after Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy announced in the presence of Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh that belt shops would be shut down in a month. He underlined that the emergence of belt shops is a direct fallout of the State Government's liquor policy of keeping liquor trade in private hands many of them belonging to 'sara' (traditional political) parties.

Mr. Srinivasa Rao said that the Government has not taken up any meaningful campaign to restrict liquor consumption although it publicizes vote catching schemes on a large scale.

CPI leader K. Ramakrishna said that the Government has consistently been ignoring practical suggestions made by Opposition parties. CPI (M) representative T. Sagar suggested that the Government spend 15 percent of Excise income on a campaign against liquor consumption.

Congress leader N. Tulasi Reddy said that although his party is committed to Prohibition in principle, it has not been to implement it as it had given rise to anti-social forces in the past. He said that the Government has so far shut down 12373 belt shops and conceded that many thousands more might exist. The Government is drawing up a plan to tackle belt shops more stringently this year.

Mr. Janakiram of RSP, Mr. Sadiq of Welfare Party, Mr. Narendra of Forward Bloc, Mrs. D. Lakshmi and Mrs. N. Saroja Devi of Lok Satta Party pledged their support for radical changes in the liquor policy.

Lok Satta Party Vice President D. V. V. S. Varma took part in the meeting.

Monday, June 24, 2013 - 19:43

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