Press Releases Archive

The Lok Satta Party today commented that the proposed alliance or merger between the Praja Rajyam and the Congress was an internal matter of those parties.

Talking to media personnel who met them, party leaders G. Raja Reddy and V. Vijayender Reddy said that political realignments revolving round power and not policies, however, would not serve the public. It was tragic that traditional political parties did not focus on fulfilling their election-eve pledges or addressing people’s pressing problems, Instead, they reveled in the old political game of enthroning or dethroning somebody.

The Lok Satta leaders appealed to all parties to adopt amendments to the Prevention of Corruption Act proposed by their party President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan in the Budget session of the Legislature. The amendment assumes importance in the context of elected representatives hurling charges of corruption against each other and against top officials. The Bill provides for swift inquiry into corruption cases and exemplary punishment, including forfeiture of ill-gotten wealth, of the guilty.

Expressing its solidarity with the agitating sugarcane growers of Medak and Nizamabad districts, the Lok Satta Party today demanded that factories pay a minimum price of Rs.2500 a ton of sugarcane and clear outstanding dues.

Lok Satta Party leaders took part in a sugarcane growers’ rally at Zaheerabad today.

In a media statement, party leaders Bandaru Ramamohan Rao and V. Vijayender Reddy faulted the State Government for not announcing the State Advisory Price even months after the start of the crushing season. They pointed out that farmers incurred an expenditure of Rs.1200-Rs.1300 a ton on cutting and transporting cane to factories, apart from the cost of cultivation. Although sugar factories minted money on sale of sugar as also byproducts, they did not pay a remunerative price to growers. The State Government’s studied silence is encouraging sugar factories to pay different rates and taking the farmers for a ride.

The Lok Satta Party leaders demanded that the Government ensure payment of a remunerative price and encourage sugarcane cultivation in the interests of both farmers and consumers, instead of importing sugar at prohibitively costly rates.