Press Releases Archive

As many as 5774 primary schools in Andhra Pradesh do not have even a single teacher and there are as many as 3193 schools with less than ten students in each.

Disclosing this here today, Lok Satta Party President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan today said that the data eloquently testified to the incompetent and irrational administration of education in the State.

What is more shocking is that that as many as 399 schools with not a single teacher have more than 100 students each and 1562 schools have less than five students each.

Talking to the media on the Legislative Assembly premises, Dr. JP pointed out successive Governments’ callous attitude towards primary education in the public sector has been forcing the poor like daily wage earners and vegetable vendors to send their wards to private schools. They shell out a huge portion of their hard earned income on private school education in the belief they will get better education.

Dr. JP charged that successive Governments have chosen to keep the poor children illiterate or semi literate or poorly educated to serve their narrow interests. After all education empowers people and enables them to conquer poverty and fight corrupt governments.

As of now, tens of thousands of children are condemned to a life of poverty and drudgery for no fault of theirs except the accident of the womb. As there are too many schools with too few children, the schools and the teachers get away without any monitoring worth the name.

Dr. JP demanded that the Government shed its apathy and negligence at least now and restructure primary education ensuring that there are at least 20000 well-equipped schools with 100 children and five teachers each. As of now there are 56963 schools with 27 lakh students on rolls and 111000 teachers.

Dr. JP said that the State Government had displayed its ineptness even in utilizing funds granted by the Government of India. The State could spend only Rs.400 crore of the Rs.1100 crore earmarked for Sarva Siksha Abhiyan last year as it could not contribute its share for the Centrally-sponsored scheme. The State will in all probability utilize only Rs.600 crore of the Rs.1800 crore available under the Sarva Siksha and Madhyamik Siksha Abhiyans this year.

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.