Press Releases Archive

Political Parties have to help Resolve the problem - Lok Satta on SriKrishna Committee terms

The terms of reference of the Srikrishna Committee on the political situation in Andhra Pradesh are on expected lines, commented the Lok Satta Party here today.

Political parties, civil society organizations, students and all other sections on either side of the great divide in Andhra Pradesh should create a conducive and harmonious atmosphere and help the committee study the problems and bridge the divide, the party said.

The committee based on its expertise will study and determine the facts in respect of development in all the regions of the State, ascertain the views of all sections of people and make its recommendations on resolving the conflicting demands for the formation of a separate Telangana State and preserving Andhra Pradesh as intact and united.

Talking to the media, party spokespersons Mr.Katari Srinivasa Rao, Mr. V.Laxman Balaji, Mr. V.Vijayender Reddy underlined that the committee is not a constitutional body or the creature of any law passed by Parliament. It can only make recommendations. The power to take any decision, however, vests with the Union and State Governments and Parliament and the State Legislature.

The spokespersons recalled that the Lok Satta Party has all along maintained that there is no alternative to a dignified dialogue for arriving at a permanent and just settlement to the problem, since the Government of India cannot concede the two demands simultaneously.

Friday, February 12, 2010 - 16:54

Lok Satta demands amendment of Anti-corruption laws

Against the backdrop of the Congress and the Telugu Desam parties hurling corruption charges against each other once again, the Lok Satta Party today demanded that the Government introduce a Bill in the budget session of the Assembly to amend the Prevention of Corruption Act to bring the guilty to book.

Talking to the media, party spokespersons Mr.Katari Srinivasa Rao, Mr. V.Laxman Balaji accused the mainstream political parties of indulging in hypocrisy in that they revel in exchanging charges of massive corruption against each other but collude with each other in preventing the creation of an effective mechanism to tackle the menace.

They recalled that the Lok Satta Party President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan had circulated a Bill to amend the Prevention of Corruption Act in June 2009 with stringent provisions but both the mainstream parties cold-shouldered it for obvious reasons.

Dr. JP’s Bill proposes that all members of Parliament and the State Legislature, and elected members of panchayats, municipalities, and municipal corporations be deemed as public servants and brought under the ambit of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The need to amend the Act has become more imperative now with the TDP and the Congress leveling charges against each other once again, sections of the media reporting that the Anti Corruption Bureau has been hamstrung in raiding some highly corrupt top officials, that politicians have grabbed vast tracts of Wakf land, and that a large number of top officials are guilty of irregularities in irrigation projects’ construction.

The Lok Satta leaders wanted the anti corruption laws to provide for:

  • Seizure and forfeiture of property of corrupt public servants
  • Establishment of special anti-corruption courts in each district
  • Appointment of independent prosecutors drawn from judiciary
  • Constitution of an independent anti-corruption agency functioning under the overall supervision of the Lok Ayukta and
  • Integration of the working of the myriad agencies and mechanisms like departmental enquiry, Tribunal for Disciplinary Proceedings, Public Servants’ Inquiry Act, Commissionerate of Enquiries, Vigilance Commission and Lok Ayukta.
Thursday, February 11, 2010 - 17:09

Dr. JP to address IIT students

Lok Satta Party President will be addressing the students and faculty of the Kanpur and Chennai Indian Institutes of Technology on February 12 and 13.

He will be delivering a talk on the ‘Role of youth in contemporary Indian politics’ at Kanpur on February 12 and on ‘How educational institutions can contribute to societal change’ at Chennai on February 13.

Thursday, February 11, 2010 - 16:22

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