Press Releases Archive

Lok Satta to fight postponement of municipal elections

The Lok Satta Party will wage a legal battle against deferment of elections to local bodies, said party leaders Katari Srinivasa Rao and P.Bhaskara Rao today.

The Lok Satta leaders were commenting on Government plans to postpone municipal elections for the third time.

In a media statement, they pointed out that barring a few exceptions, officials are today running municipalities, zilla parishads and mandal parishads, instead of elected people’s representatives. This is contrary to the letter and spirit of the 73rd and 74th amendments to the Constitution. Even the Supreme Court in a 2002 verdict had faulted special officers’ rule in zilla and mandal parshads.

Fearing a rout, the Government trotted out technical excuses to defer local body elections, said the Lok Satta leaders.

Wednesday, August 24, 2011 - 16:47

Dr. JP to address IAS officials on ways to fight corruption

Lok Satta Party President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan will be addressing top civil servants in the country on ‘Corruption in public services – the way forward’ at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, Mussorie, Uttarakhand, on August 25.

The national academy is the apex training institution for senior members of the Civil Services in India.

The academy has invited Dr. JP to address mid-career IAS officers with 15-16 years of experience to equip them with the necessary knowledge and skills to take on higher responsibilities.

In its invitation, the academy referred to Dr. JP’s vast experience and expertise in fighting corruption and requested him to address the senior civil servants on what needs to be done to eliminate/reduce corruption in higher Government echelons.

Wednesday, August 24, 2011 - 16:46

Dr.JP’s six-point agenda to root out casteism

Lok Satta Party President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan today spelt out a six-point agenda to eradicate the scourge of casteism in India.

Taking part in the 156th birth anniversary celebrations of social and educational reformer Narayan Guru, organized by Sarvajana Satta, Dr. JP said the first prerequisite is quality education to every child irrespective of its accident of its birth in a certain caste or religion. Unfortunately no political leader from the Prime Minister downwards since the dawn of Independence has talked of this.

Secondly, we have to promote the dignity of labor and impart job-oriented skills. We have been merely producing unemployable graduates. Caste barriers will crumble if people are enabled to earn Rs.500 to Rs.1000 a day with skill enhancement.

Thirdly, the Government has to help raise agricultural incomes. In the last two generations, people belonging to Dalit and backward castes have become the real land tillers with upper caste people migrating to urban areas in search of greener pastures.

Fourthly, considering that the private sector and not the public sector is the generator of employment, the Government should promote equal employment opportunities to the deprived sections by providing training and ensuring there is no discrimination.

Fifthly, the society must promote clean and corruption-free politics. Society can witness transformation only if it ensures election of representatives based on their personal credibility and agenda.

Sixthly, proportional system of representation in place of the present first-past-the-post system will ensure justice to all sections in society.

Mrs. Satyabai Sivadas of Narayana Guru educational group, Mr. Kaki Madhava Rao, former Chief Secretary, AP Government, Prof. Vinod Kumar of PG College of Law, Osmania University, Mr. J. B. Raju, President, Dalit Sena and Mr. Syed Khurshid Ahmed, Chairman, Medak Engineering College recalled that Narayana Guru transformed society in his lifetime.

Monday, August 22, 2011 - 18:26

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