Press Releases Archive

Lok Satta welcomes Delhi move to Restrict liquor consumption

The Lok Satta Party today wholeheartedly welcomed the Union Health Ministry’s advice that State Health Departments be empowered to develop and implement an alcohol consumption control policy since Excise Departments focused more on revenue generation than on restricting consumption.

Talking to the media, party spokespersons Mr.Katari Srinivasa Rao, Mrs.K.Geeta Murthy, Mrs. N.Saroja Devi said the Union Government’s move was long overdue.

Irrespective of the party in power, the Governments in Andhra Pradesh have, far from restricting liquor consumption excelled in promoting it with a view to maximizing revenues. Andhra Pradesh earned about Rs.12000 crore during 2009-10 by way of excise, sales tax, license fee etc. on liquor.The revenue would shoot up to at least Rs.15000 crore during 2010-11.

The Lok Satta leaders pointed out that the State Government would not take any step which might dent its liquor revenue. “It offers incentives to Excise officials for maximizing sales, encourages unauthorized liquor outlets known as belt shops and would not close liquor outlets along highways and near educational institutions and places of worship.”

The Lok Satta leaders said, “the Andhra Pradesh Government earns national kudos for its welfare activities concealing the fact that it implements most of them with sin money. The State Government refuses to acknowledge that addiction to liquor has already ruined the lives of nearly 70 lakh families. It seems to believe that those who ruin their health with liquor could always fall back on its flagship health scheme, ‘Arogyasree’ to regain their health.

The Lok Satta leaders welcomed the Union Health Ministry’s plan to compensate the States for loss of revenue due to restriction on alcohol consumption. They hoped the Government of India would unveil a compensation scheme in the Union budget on February 26.

The Lok Satta leaders said that political parties are equally to blame for promoting liquor addiction. A survey by the party has revealed that most of the young voters tasted liquor for the first time in their lives during elections when rival parties plied them with free liquor.

If the political parties were genuinely interested in the health and welfare of voters, they should refrain from distributing liquor to induce voters.

They recalled that it was only the the Lok Satta Party which had taken an undertaking from its contestants in all elections that they would not induce voters with money or liquor.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010 - 16:38

Give priority to fertilizer plants in gas Allocation: Lok Satta

By supplying natural gas that is now abundantly available along the Andhra Pradesh coast to fertilizer plants on a priority basis and on subsidy, urea can be supplied to farmers at a reasonable price, said the Lok Satta Party here today.

Talking to media representatives who called on him, Lok Satta Party President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan said there was no alternative to supplying fertilizers on subsidy if farming were to be made remunerative.

Dr. JP suggested that the Government should give urea subsidy directly to farmers instead of fertilizer plants and help them buy other imported nutrients like phosphate and potassium. Farmers should also be encouraged to go in for micro nutrients like zinc and magnesium.

Farmers could be educated in modern agricultural practices if agri-clinics staffed by qualified personnel are set up at the rate of one for every 3000 acres.

Dr. JP demanded that the Government formulate a comprehensive fertilizer policy to promote balanced fertilizer use, since a 10 percent increase in urea price would not solve the problem.

Monday, February 22, 2010 - 15:58

Statusquoist budget highlights Prudent fiscal management: Lok Satta

The Lok Satta Party today characterized the Andhra Pradesh Government’s budget for 2010-11 as status quoist even as it commended the State’s prudent fiscal management.

Talking to the media, party President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan pointed out that despite the economic slowdown all over the country, the State Government has succeeded in reining in fiscal deficit to less than three percent of the gross State domestic product from the earlier 3.6 percent. The State, which recorded a revenue surplus of Rs.2900 crore in 2009-10, anticipates a revenue surplus of Rs. 3500 crore in 2010-11.

The decline in capital expenditure from about Rs.17000 crore in 2009-10 to Rs.14000 crore in 2010-11 is, however, a matter of serious concern, he said.

Dr. JP also praised the State Government for attracting a huge chunk of funds from the Government of India under schemes like the NREGS. During 2010-11, the State has budgeted for a receipt of Rs.28,000 crore of Government of India funds, besides a Plan assistance of Rs.3700 crore.

Paradoxically, the State Government, which is a beneficiary of Government of India largesse, would not devolve its resources on local governments. Centralization of power and spending continues unabated.

Dr. JP said that in its bid to placate MLAs the State Government planned to allocate Rs.1 crore to each MLA for taking up constituency developmental schemes. The Lok Satta would oppose the scheme and demand allocation of the fund to local bodies.

The State Government should have shown budgetary allocations region and district wise, in the context of the regional agitations sweeping the State.

Dr. JP welcomed the belated focus of the State Government on improving road infrastructure, undertaking gas exploration, and developing a petrochemical region along the coast. Sadly, there is no reference to development of an industrial gas grid in the State as in Gujarat. Andhra Pradesh attracted private investments worth only Rs.8400 crore outside the SEZs during 2009-10 because of poor infrastructure and perpetual power shortages.

The Government continued to lay emphasis on power generation and ignore power distribution. For instance, only 500,000 of the nearly three million pump-sets are supplied high-tension power.

Dr. JP regretted the State Government did not display any original thinking in addressing the twin issues of poverty elimination and provision of livelihood opportunities. Ensuring delivery of quality education and health care, enhancement of livelihood skills and development of small towns would go a long way in solving both the problems.

Saturday, February 20, 2010 - 16:48

Pages