Press Releases Archive

Lok Satta demands action against liquor scam accused

The Lok Satta Party today demanded that Excise Minister Mopidevi Venkata Ramana, facing charges of accepting a bribe from a liquor syndicate, resign immediately accepting moral responsibility and face the ACB inquiry. It also wanted the Government to suspend all officials figuring in the ACB report as bribe takers. Similarly, media managements should act against their employees found guilty in the liquor scandal. Legislators facing charges should cooperate with the inquiry without distracting it.

The Lok Satta Party spelt out its stand on the liquor scam unearthed by the Anti Corruption Bureau at a media conference. Mr. D. V. V. S. Varma, Lok Satta Party Working President, and party leaders Katari Srinivasa Rao, P. Ravi Maruth, K. Gita Murthy, and M. Mahalakshmi addressed the media.

The ACB raids have revealed, said the Lok Satta leaders, that all 'sampradaya rajakiya' (sara) (traditional political) parties including the Congress and the Telugu Desam have been guilty of turning Andhra Pradesh into a 'Madyandhrapradesh' by being partners in liquor trade and in forming liquor syndicates despite their protestations against the liquor menace. Although the players in the liquor trade belong to different parties, they are hand in glove with each other. The traditional political parties have been fielding liquor traders as their candidates in elections.

The Lok Satta leaders demanded that Left parties, which call for curbs on liquor consumption, should explain how they could accept donations from liquor syndicates which have been fleecing people by opening illegal outlets and selling liquor above the maximum retail price. Political parties which have colluded with liquor syndicates should openly apologize to the public.

The Lok Satta leaders said the Government has spawned and nurtured corruption by auctioning liquor outlets to highest bidders. The licensees in turn promoted belt shops and sold liquor over and above the maximum retail price. They demanded that the Government take over retail liquor trade, limit the number of shops and sales timings, make the ACB autonomous and bring it under the Lokayukta purview,

In reply to a question, Mr. Varma asserted that the party would expel anyone found guilty of accepting donations from the liquor lobby.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012 - 18:57

Parliamentary panel to hear Lok Satta on citizens' charters

The Lok Satta Party will be offering its views and suggestions on the Right of Citizens for Time-bound Delivery of Goods and Services and Redressal of their Grievances Bill, 2011 now before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law & Justice in New Delhi on February 8.

The Lok Satta team, being led by party President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan and General Secretary Surendra Srivatsava, includes party leaders Mr. Ashwin Mahesh from Karnataka, and Mr. Sandeep Varma and Mr. Milan Gupta from Delhi.

It may be recalled that the Lok Satta drafted a citizen's charter as early as in 2000 and worked for municipalities in Andhra Pradesh adopting it in 2001.

Tuesday, February 7, 2012 - 17:08

Lok Satta demands routing of funds to panchayats

The Lok Satta Party today demanded that the Union Government route not merely Backward Regions Grant Fund (BRGF) but all funds directly to panchayats.

Union Minister for Panchayat Raj Kishore Chandra Dev had suggested to the Planning Commission that allocations under the BRGF should be made directly to village panchayats since allocation to districts resulted in their diversion to developed areas and defeated the very purpose of the scheme.

Commenting on the Union Minister's statement, Lok Satta Party Working President D. V. V. S. Varma said in a media statement that funds meant for local governments should be given to them directly without any intermediaries.

He pointed out that although the 73rd and 74th Constitutional amendments stipulated that State Governments devolve powers, responsibilities and funds on local governments, States like Andhra Pradesh have failed to implement them utilizing their discretionary powers. The States should be denied such discretionary powers by enacting the Constitutional amendment pending since 2010, Mr. Varma said.

Mr. Varma recalled that the Lok Satta had launched a movement as early as in 2003 by submitting a memorandum signed by more than one crore people for genuine devolution of powers on local bodies through decentralization. The Second Administrative Reforms Commission of which Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan, Lok Satta Party President, was a member recommended such devolution.

Mr. Varma demanded that funds be allocated to local bodies on a proportionate basis. Local bodies should be empowered to ensure proper utilization of funds meant for education and healthcare and reining in liquor consumption. Effective rural development will prevent migration of people to urban areas and influx into extremist ranks.

Monday, February 6, 2012 - 17:50

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