Press Releases Archive

Government silence on land and liquor policies A matter of concern: Lok Satta Party

Lok Satta Party President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan today expressed his dismay over the State Government’s studied silence on policies relating to allotment of lands and mines and liquor auctions in the State budget for 2012-12.

Commenting on the budget introduced in the Legislative Assembly on February 17, Dr.JP recalled that the Supreme Court , in a petition filed by the Lok Satta and others on the 2G spectrum scam, had directed that all natural resources like land and mines, not merely 2G spectrum, be allocated on competitive bidding. Andhra Pradesh which has become the epicenter of corruption in allocation of lands and mines ought to have indicated compliance with the Supreme Court directive. Similarly, the Government did not utter a word on reviewing the present liquor policy which has been ruining poor people’s health and finances, besides spawning monumental corruption enveloping elected people’s representatives and bureaucrats.

Dr. JP, who is launching a farmers’ satyagraha march from Andhra Pradesh to Karnataka in defiance of the ban on sale of paddy and rice outside the State on February 18 and 19, said there seems to be an inverse relationship between Government’s words and deeds. The budget devoted long passages to the farm sector even as the Government offered little to rescue agriculture from the present crisis. Andhra Pradesh has the dubious distinction of realizing Rs.2600 crore as revenue, the highest for any State, by way of taxes and cess on agriculture but doing little to promote warehouse construction, or rejuvenating extension services. The Government claims to have spent Rs.74000 crore on jalayagnam so far and brought 16.9 lakh acres under irrigation, a figure much less than claimed in the last budget. There is no attempt at making a cost-benefit analysis.

Dr. JP pointed out that the allocation for school education is much less than the national average. Andhra Pradesh has the lowest literacy rate in southern India. The educational standards are abysmally poor. Although the Government spends thousands of crores of rupees on higher education, only 20 percent of graduates are employable. Healthcare continues to be in a parlous state with even teaching hospitals going without essentials like intravenous fluids.

Dr. JP faulted the Government for not attempting to plug leakages in welfare schemes. He pointed out that the State and Central Governments spend almost Rs.10000 crore a year as subsidy on the public distribution system. The sad fact, however, is that up to 60 percent of food grains meant for distribution to the poor are recycled and flow back to Government warehouses by way of procurement. The National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, on which the State Government spends Rs.7000 crore a year, is not resulting in the creation of any durable assets.

There is large scale siphoning of funds both under the PDS and the NREGS. Even Central grants are not being utilized properly by the State in crucial sectors. The Gram Nyayalayas Act was enacted in 2009 by Parliament after years of advocacy and struggle by the Lok Satta. Even three years later the State is not utilizing Central funds to start a court in every mandal to ensure speedy justice to the poor. The State is not utilizing Sarva Siksha Abhiyan and Madhyamika Siksha Abhiyan funds in education because it does not release its share in full. The Janani Suraksha Bima Yojana, the health insurance scheme for the poor, is not utilized by AP. We are losing hundreds of crores of rupees annually because of sheer neglect and callousness.

Dr. JP said the allocation to local governments in the Rs.1.46 lakh crore budget is a mere Rs.675. The Government claims to have spent Rs.20000 crore on power subsidy in the last four years. Yet villages and small industries continue to go without power even to this day.

Dr. JP said that budgetary figures have lost their sanctity as there is a gap of 10 to 17 percent between budget estimates and actuals. For instance, the 2011-12 budget claimed a revenue surplus of Rs.2800 crore whereas the actual figure turns out to be Rs.700 crore.

Dr. JP welcomed the Government’s move to computerize all land records and extend e-seva services all over the entire State. The scheme should be fully implemented in 2012 all over the State to end petty corruption and harassment of students, youth and the poor.

Friday, February 17, 2012 - 18:41

Farmers have no alternative to defying Illegal AP Government acts: Dr. JP

The Federation of Independent Farmers' Associations today charged the Andhra Pradesh Government with contravening Government of India directives under the Essential Commodities Act by banning inter-State movement of fine varieties of paddy and rice.

Addressing a media conference, Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan, President of FIFA and the Lok Satta Party, pointed out that although the Government of India unambiguously stipulated that there shall be no curbs on inter-State movement, the Andhra Pradesh Government has taken law into its own hands by banning sale of paddy and rice outside the State by farmers and tenants. "It is behaving like a street rowdy," fulminated Dr. JP.

"The farmer in India is facing ruin not because of the vagaries of nature but because of the cruel and unjust policies of State and Central Governments. It is the Government that has become an albatross round the farmer's neck," charged Dr. JP.

The State Government itself had removed the barriers on movement of rice and paddy outside the State a couple of years ago citing heavy losses to farmers because of the steep decline in local prices.

Although prices have once again crashed this year against the backdrop of a steep increase in the cost of production, the Andhra Pradesh Government would not permit movement of rice and paddy outside the State.

FIFA is launching a Dandi-like farmers' satyagraha March on February 18 and 19 to defy the unjust laws and regulations that are dealing a body blow to farmers. Farmers and tenants starting from Yemmiganur in Kurnool district in Andhra Pradesh will march to Gilkasugur in Raichur district of Karnataka and effect token sale of paddy in defiance of the Andhra Pradesh Government ban. "Let the Government arrest and prosecute farmers and me," said Dr. JP who had given notice of FIFA's action program to the Chief Minister on February 2 itself.

The State Government is blind and dumb in that refuses to see the farmers' plight or listen to wise counsels, said Dr. JP.

FIFA would repeat its defiance of unjust laws and regulations by organizing a similar march from Nizamabad in Andhra Pradesh to Nanded in Maharashtra.

It is time farmers all over the country transcending parties and crops they grow joined hands and demanded dismantling of the present license-permit raj. They should fight Governments but not end their lives in despair, he said pointing out that over 2.3 lakh farmers had committed suicide in the last 15 years.

Dr. JP said that farmers do not get even the minimum support price for any produce, leave alone a fair and remunerative price. The Government, which cannot ensure payment of even the MSP, denies the farmer the freedom to market his produce outside the State. In contrast, an industrialist can sell his manufactured products anywhere he wants. On top of it, he gets a subsidy if he chooses to export it outside the country.

The Government harms the farmers' interest by allowing duty-free import of edible oil even as it regulates farm produce exports. The country witnesses a lot of breast-beating whenever prices of onions and tomatoes go up but not a tear is shed when their prices plummet. The State Government which collects hundreds of crores of rupees on marketing of agricultural produce would not utilize the amount to provide warehouses for farmers to store their produce and get pledge loans.

Referring to the grouse in certain circles over his inclusion in a House committee to go into Government land deals, Dr. JP disclosed he had told the Speaker that he would step down to make way for those who feel they are under-represented. He said he had rejected both the ruling Congress and the Opposition TDP during the no-confidence vote because he regarded both parties as wolves fighting for the right to devour innocent lambs. "They represent the corrupt and failed politics of the past. The Lok Satta represents politics of the future and gives hope and leadership to youth," Dr. JP said.

Lok Satta Party Working President Mr. D. V. V. S. Varma and Secretary P. Bhaskara Rao took part in the media conference.

Thursday, February 16, 2012 - 18:59

No introspection or direction in Governor’s address: Dr. JP

Governor E. S. L. Narasimhan’s address to the joint session of the State Legislature is deeply disappointing in that it reflected neither introspection nor direction, commented Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan, Lok Satta Party President and MLA from Kukatpally.

The Governor went through the Constitutional ritual and indulged in sheer escapism by not touching upon many grave issues confronting the State, added Dr. JP.

The Lok Satta leader pointed out that although Andhra Pradesh has emerged as the epicenter of corruption going by the number of CBI and ACB raids in the recent past, the Governor does not even acknowledge it as a problem, leave alone indicate what his Government plans to do about it. There is not even a cursory acknowledgment of the liquor mafia bribing Ministers, legislators, bureaucrats and media as revealed by ACB raids. The Governor is silent on the Telangana problem which has been agitating all the regions of the State. Although passions might have subsided, concerns remain very much. Yet, the Governor does not talk of empowering people and engendering confidence among them.

Dr. JP faulted the Governor for maintaining eloquent silence on the recent Supreme Court judgment on allocation of 2G spectrum and all other natural resources in a petition filed by the Lok Satta and others. The Lok Satta Party, he recalled, had exposed the State Government’s capricious allotment of vast tracts of coastal areas to private parties to such an extent that it could not provide a suitable site for a shipbuilding proposed by the Union Government.

Dr. JP said the Governor does not acknowledge the crisis in the agriculture sector. The State Government has not been able to ensure the minimum support price for a number of crops and does not bother even to announce the State advised price (SAP) for sugarcane. The Federation of Independent Farmers’ Associations (FIF) is organizing a Dandi-like march from Andhra Pradesh to Karnatka to defy the law which prevents farmers from marketing paddy/rice outside the State.

Referring to the parlous state of the healthcare sector, Dr. JP said that even teaching hospitals are going without intravenous fluids like dextrose and saline and material for carrying out urine sugar tests. Educational standards in schools have plummeted going by annual surveys. Many parts of the State capital are reeling under severe water shortage even as the entire countryside is going without power. Yet, the Governor would not say what the Government proposes to do.

Dr. JP said the State’s claim of being fiscally responsible is hollow going by the Principal Accountant General’s report. The Union Government withdrew the Rs.703 crore it falsely claimed as incentive under the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act in 2008-09. During 2009-10, the State once again claimed to have conformed to Central fiscal guidelines by halting all deposit transactions.

The Governor’s address comes as a deep disappointment, said Dr. JP.

Monday, February 13, 2012 - 14:50

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