Press Releases Archive

Lok Satta looks beyond Lokpal to eradicate corruption

As many as 1500 leaders of the Lok Satta Party from around the State will be congregating at Ongole on October 8 to discuss ways and means of taking the fight against corruption to a higher plane.

The party is organizing the leadership summit to mark its fifth anniversary.

Addressing a media conference here today, Lok Satta Party Working President D. V. V. S. Varma said that the leadership summit would outline the way forward for the Lok Satta Party when most of the traditional parties, steeped in corruption, had lost their credibility. The Lok Satta Party has almost successfully fought for the creation of Lokayuktas in States along with the Lokpal at the national level. It is a matter of time before these institutions come into existence. Creation of a strong anti corruption mechanism alone will not do.

Mr. Varma said that the electoral system, which is largely responsible for corruption taking deep roots, needs to be overhauled. A solution lies in replacement of the first-past-the post system by proportional representation. There is also the need for regulating the functioning of political parties. Political parties have become dynastic or despotic since there are no laws to ensure they are transparent and democratic in their day-to-day activities including selection of candidates for contesting elections and collection of funds.

Mr. Varma said that an extended meeting of the party’s Working Committee on Otober 9 would lay down a road map for the party. It will spell out the programs the party will take up and finalize steps to strengthen the party at all levels.

Mr. Varma said that the Government of India should take steps immediately to resolve the political uncertainty in the State. The Center cannot abdicate its responsibility and blame others for the crisis caused by its complacency. He appealed to all political parties to observe restraint in the present surcharged atmosphere and not fuel regional animosities.

Mr. Katari Srinivasa Rao, party General Secretary, denied reports in a section of the media that Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan would step down as President and that new leaders would head the party. Dr. JP would continue to head the party and be its friend, philosopher and guide, he added.

Mr. P. Bhaskara Rao, Secretary, released a poster for the party’s Ongole conference.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011 - 18:48

Lok Satta to contest municipal elections in Tamil Nadu

The Lok Satta Party will be fielding candidates in Tamil Nadu municipal elections scheduled for October 17 and 19, party spokesman Katari Srinivasa Rao announced here today.

Its candidates will contest for the positions of corporators as also Mayors for which direct elections are taking place. It has set its eyes on contesting from cities like Chennai, Coimbatore and Erode.

The party is fielding Mr. S. Suresh Kumar as its candidate in the October 13by-election to the Assembly from Tiruchi West constituency.

Mr. Juvvigunta Venkateswarlu, party in-charge inTamil Nadu and Mr. Narra Sridhar, Working Committee member of the Andhra Pradesh unit, are screening prospective candidates.

Mr. Srinivasa Rao recalled that the Lok Satta Party polled thousands of votes although it contested only 36 seats in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections in April 2011.

The party will contest on the plank of providing good governance and ushering in new political culture.

Monday, September 26, 2011 - 16:16

Dr. JP sees bid to divide civil society on campaign against corruption

Lok Satta Party President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan today termed the remarks attributed to him, during deposition before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Lokpal Bill, as a tissue of lies. The baseless and unfounded reports in a section of the media are nothing but a concerted attempt to sow seeds of division among civil society activists, Dr. JP said.

(The reports said that Dr. JP in his deposition to the committee on September 23 and 24 feared that the Lokpal as envisaged by the Anna Hazare team would result in the creation of an extra constitutional authority).

Dr. JP said in a media statement today that during his interaction with the committee that lasted two hours and forty-five minutes, there was no occasion for him to either refer to the Jan Lokpal Bill or criticize it. The discussion centered round incorporating strong provisions in the Bill before Parliament for combating corruption.

Dr. JP recalled that the Lok Satta for the last 15 years has been advocating creation of a strong and independent anti corruption commission, strong, independent, and accountable crime investigation, independent prosecution, swift and sure punishment, including confiscation of properties, of those guilty of corruption.

The Administrative Reforms Commission of which he was a member had emphatically recommended creation of a Lokpal/Rashtriya Lokayukta at the national level, Lokayuktas in States, and ombudsmen in districts and local governments. It had suggested expansion of the definition of corruption, independent crime investigation, independent prosecution, and removal from service of public servants found guilty of corruption by the Lokpal/Lokayukta.

Dr. JP said that he on behalf of the Lok Satta and the Foundation for Democratic Reforms advanced the same points as the ARC.

He told the Standing Committee that the CBI and ACBs needed to be strengthened going by the fact that the only about 800 people are convicted in a year in corruption cases instituted by the CBI and ACBs, the lowest rate in the world. The total number of trial cases pending in the entire country is only 16,000.

Dr. JP argued that once an official is found guilty of either omission or commission in a corruption case by the Lokapl/Lokayukta, he or she should be removed from service forthwith without further inquiry under Article 311 of the Constitution.

To clear all doubts and dispel all misconceptions, Dr. JP said, he has decided to place his written representation to the Standing Committee in public domain. (See http://www.loksatta.org/cms/documents/lokpal/SuggestedAmendmentsToLokpal2011-09-01.pdf)

Sunday, September 25, 2011 - 12:45

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