Press Releases Archive

Supply safe drinking water first in Problematic villages: Lok Satta

The Lok Satta Party today wanted the Government to install reverse osmosis (RO) plants only in problematic villages and not randomly at the rate of one in every mandal of the State.

Talking to the media, party spokespersons Katari Srinivasa Rao, V. Laxman Balaji, Technical Advisor K. Sivarama Krishna welcomed the Government decision to go in for RO water purification plants, originally proposed by the Lok Satta in its 50 irrevocable guarantees to the electorate.

But they pointed out that the Lok Satta envisaged such plants only in habitations where the water is not potable because of salinity or excess of fluoride content, or contamination by industrial effluents. “The Government proposal to install at least one plant in every mandal of the State is ad hoc and unscientific.” They recalled that a committee appointed by the Government had suggested that a comprehensive survey on the quality of drinking water should precede installation of RO plants.

The Lok Satta leaders said that installation of the plants could be done without waiting for a comprehensive survey if the Lok Satta guidelines were followed.

Safe drinking water constituted only about ten percent of people’s water requirements. But they needed water for other purposes too. Such water too should be clean. The Government should focus on supplying filtered water for such purposes.

On the Government move to collect one or two rupees for a 20 liter can of protected water, the spokespersons said an ideal solution to the installation and maintenance of RO plants lay in making a per capita of grant of Rs.1000 to every village/municipal ward/division. A village with a population of say 5000 will receive a grant of Rs.50 lakh. “Let the villagers decide how they should utilize the amount. They may install an RO plant and supply water at rates decided by them or build a school or hospital or road.”

Saturday, August 1, 2009 - 16:25

Private engineering and medical colleges Making a killing: Dr. JP

“Managements of private engineering and medical colleges are getting richer by a minimum of Rs.1000 crore and a maximum of Rs.2000 crore during this academic year by illegally and unabashedly selling management quota seats for a hefty premium.”

Disclosing this today, Lok Satta Party President said that according to information which is public knowledge, managements of reputed private engineering colleges are offering management quota seats for a capitation fee of Rs.12 lakh, and medical colleges for a capitation fee of Rs.40 lakh for MB&BS seats and Rs.1 core for post-graduation seats.

Talking to media representatives who met him, Dr. JP said that nowhere in the world such huge capitation fee is collected for admission to professional colleges.

Dr. JP made it plain that the Lok Satta is not opposed to professional colleges in the private sector. But it expected them to adhere to Supreme Court guidelines and transparent norms in admissions. The Supreme Court, he recalled had fixed a fee of Rs.91,700 for a paid engineering seat and Rs.2 lakh for a paid MBBS seat. The fee for a seat under the management quota for engineering is Rs.91,7000 and Rs.4 lakh for a medical seat. Managements are allowed to fill 30 percent of engineering and 40 percent of medical seats.

Dr. JP said that if the fee fixed by the Supreme Court is inadequate, the managements could legitimately seek an increase but should not indulge in sale of seats for the highest bidders.

In Andhra Pradesh, the managements of medical colleges will be making Rs.300 crore by selling 30 percent of the 2050 seats. Assuming that engineering colleges will sell only 15000 of the 200000 seats (notwithstanding the fact they can fill 30 percent of the seats under their quota), they will make not less than Rs.750 crore. “These are minimum estimates since the going rates for both medical and engineering college management quota seats is very, very high.”

In contrast, Dr. JP said, engineering colleges in Tamil Nadu which have formed into a consortium have fixed the rates for management quota seats.

Dr. JP wanted the Government to immediately intervene and halt blatant exploitation of students and parents and flagrant violation of laws and regulations by private college managements. He added that he was hopeful of Government intervention.

Friday, July 31, 2009 - 20:39

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