Press Releases Archive

Lok Satta Party President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan today appealed to all political parties and civic organizations to join hands and save the State from the impending liquor catastrophe.

Successive Governments have already succeeded in devastating the health and finances of 75 lakh families or nearly 3.5 crore people. The Excise Year which began on July 1, 2010 threatens to unveil a still darker chapter in the State’s history, he warned quoting facts and figures.

Dr. JP was flagging off Lok Satta Party’s 16-day campaign in as many districts (barring those where Assembly by-elections are due) against the liquor menace. “This is not an issue concerning this party or that party or a problem that can be resolved overnight. It concerns the future of the people. The struggle is going to be long and arduous and warrants supreme sacrifice.

The State Government will be earning up to Rs. 18000 crore as revenue during the new Excise year against Rs.13000 crore in the previous year by way of license fees, excise, sales tax/VAT, and privilege fee. According to a conservative estimate, liquor shop licensees who incur an expenditure of Rs.10 crore a day on license fee alone, have to sell liquor worth Rs.80 crore a day to stay afloat. In other words, people will be spending more than Rs.30000 crore on liquor consumption in the current Excise year, without taking into account their spends on illicit arrack, ‘gudumba’ and adulterated toddy.

Dr. JP said that promotion of unbridled liquor consumption by successive Governments has impoverished millions, aggravated domestic violence and left thousands of families orphaned. It has, however, served the diabolical game of Governments in keeping people in stupor and preventing them from questioning abdication of is basic responsibilities like providing quality education and healthcare. People have not realized that the crumbs that Governments threw at them in the name of welfare schemes cost a mere one-third of the revenue the liquor generated.

Dr. JP regretted that traditional political parties (sampradaya rajakeeya parteelu) have become ‘sara’ parties in that they inculcated liquor consumption among the young through free distribution during elections. If the traditional parties are sincere, they should pledge themselves against free liquor distribution. “I humbly appeal to all political parties and civic organizations to join hands with the Lok Satta and save the State from the impending catastrophe. If you do not wake up now, you may have to rule only over the vast graveyard that Andhra Pradesh seems destined to become.”

Party General Secretary Katari Srinivasa Rao said the campaign would start from Dubagunta village in Potti Sriramulu Nellore district. Dubagunta women electrified the entire State in the 1990’s by launching a movement against liquor. Closure of belt hops and sitting rooms attached to liquor outlets and rallies by families ruined by liquor will form part of the campaign.

Mrs. N. Saroja Devi, President of the State Mahila Satta, pointed out that there are hundreds of villages without safe drinking water but not a single habitation without a liquor outlet in Andhra Pradesh.

Lok Satta Party President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan today called upon all the educated and the youth to seize the golden opportunity to transform politics in Andhra Pradesh and open a new chapter in people’s lives.

“The Congress Party in the State is steeped in a deep leadership crisis even as the Telugu Desam Party has lost all credibility. Successive traditional party Governments have abdicated their basic responsibilities of ensuring quality education, healthcare, employment and livelihood opportunities through skills enhancement, optimum utilization of natural resources and rule of law. Traditional party politicians have turned politics into a means for personal aggrandizement at the cost of the people who elect them. Against such a dismal backdrop, the Lok Satta with a credible, specific and practical agenda and committed and dedicated leadership comes as a fresh breath of air.”

Addressing the media on the two-day deliberations of the State Working Committee, Dr. JP said the Lok Satta had realized that pursuing a transformational political agenda was an uphill task. Traditional parties over the years had kept people in a state of stupor and managed to win in election after election by buying their votes with money or liquor or raining short-term sops.

Dr. JP said that it is never too late to transform the political scene since there are legions of honest people in society who are thirsting for change. As of now they feel they are helpless.

The Lok Satta has therefore decided to launch a phase-wise, intense campaign in 39 chosen municipalities and 20 rural Assembly constituencies to educate the public on what can and should be done to better their lives. It will pick up competent youth with leadership qualities, train and field them in municipal elections.

Elections should not be viewed as a means to come to power and make personal money but as an opportunity to improve people’s lives. Committed and dedicated youth have developed Alandur in Tamil Nadu as a model municipality and attempts are under way to replicate the experiment in 54 more towns.

Dr. JP said that traditional parties lacked sincerity and seriousness in addressing people’s basic issues and instanced how a couple of hours of rain in Hyderabad city the other day resulted in power cuts, and unending traffic jams.

Dr. JP said he had appointed Mr. D. V. V. S. Varma party’s Working President so that he could focus on national issues like empowerment of local bodies and plugging loopholes in anti corruption laws, and undertake an extensive tour of the State to promote awareness among the public on their rights and responsibilities.

Mr. Varma demanded that the Government hold elections to municipalities as scheduled without looking for excuses for postponing them. He hoped that the Government would not violate the Constitutional mandate of holding elections on time.

Mr. Katari Srinivasa Rao, General Secretary, said the party had adopted a resolution demanding that the Government review its policy of promoting liquor consumption which has ruined the lives of lakhs of families in the State. He pointed out that traditional parties are shedding crocodile tears over liquor addicts’ plight after having allowed their workers to corner liquor licenses. The resolution demanded immediate closure of belt shops and sitting rooms attached to liquor outlets and suggested that village panchayats be empowered to reject location of wine shops. The party expressed its readiness to work with all parties and NGOs committed to restricting liquor consumption.