Press Releases Archive

Lok Satta names district in-charges for local body elections

State Lok Satta Party President Katari Srinivasa Rao has appointed the following as district in-charges for the ensuing local body elections:

Srikakulam – Prof. D. Vishnu Murthy
Vizianagaram – Bhisetty Babji
Visakhapatnam & Khammam – P. Ravi Maruth
East Godavari – Sagi Janakirama Raju
West Godavari – Y. D. Rama Rao
Krishna – Dr. K. Pattabhi Ramaaiah
Kurnool & Guntur – J. Irama Murthy
Prakasam –. Allu Siva Ramesh Reddy
Nellore & Chittoor – Narra Sridhar
Anantapuram – K. Omkar
Kadapa – T. Jagannatha Reddy
Ranga Reddy – D. Lakshmi
Nalgonda – P. Bhaskara Rao
Mahabubnagar – Nandipet Ravinder
Warangal, Karimnagar & Medak – Bandaru Ramamohan Rao
Nizamabad – Eeda Chennaiah
Adilabad – M. Satyanarayana.

In a media statement, Mr. Srinivasa Rao charged both the Government and the Opposition with misleading people by portraying local elections as State or national elections in violation of the federal spirit. It amounts to questioning people’s right to self-governance. Local elections should be fought on local issues that affect people’s day-to-day lives since they have little to do with State or national politics.

Party’s agenda

The Lok Satta will fight the local elections with the following agenda:

Devolution of powers and resources on local bodies, provision of safe drinking water and total sanitation for all, management of schools by parents’ committees to ensure quality education, strengthening of health centers, restriction of liquor consumption by women self-help groups, per capita grant of Rs.1500 to enable local bodies to address people’s pressing needs and service guarantee to people.

ST wing President

Mr. Srinivasa Rao also announced the appointment of Dr. Mogili Ravi Babu as President of the party’s ST wing. The 36-year-old dermatologist-cum-cosmetic surgeon, with a track record of service to tribals and other weaker sections, had quit Government service and joined the Lok Satta Party.

Thursday, June 6, 2013 - 18:12

Lok Satta welcomes bringing political parties under RTI

The Lok Satta Party today welcomed in principle the verdict of the Central Information Commission (CIC) bringing political parties under the purview of the Right to Information (RTI) Act.

The verdict may not be palatable to those who have converted political parties, which should strive for social good, into private estates. It will, however, make parties transparent and accountable and share details of their income and expenditure with people.

Lok Satta Party Vice President D. V. V. S. Varma said in a media statement that the people have a right to know about the functioning of parties which seek their votes.

Mr. Varma recalled that the Lok Satta has been in the forefront in seeking a law to regulate the functioning of political parties. Political parties should be transparent in raising and spending funds, choose office-bearers through democratic elections, and allocate party tickets by sticking to certain standards. The Lok Satta Party is the first in the country to place its audited income and expenditure statements on its website, he said

Mr. Varma said that the CIC recommendation is a small but significant step in electoral reforms. But to eradicate the influence of black money and the culture of vote buying, the present first-past-the-post system should be replaced by a proportional system of representation with adequate safeguards in Indian conditions.

Mr. Varma wanted political parties not to circumvent the CIC verdict under some pretext or the other but respond favorably by sharing information as stipulated by it.

Tuesday, June 4, 2013 - 18:20

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