Press Releases Archive

The Lok Satta Party demanded that the Government publish a white paper on the promises it had made and fulfilled in the last five years since the Chief Minister’s claim of having spent Rs.5551 crore on development works in Hyderabad city seemed incredible.

Talking to the media, party spokespersons Katari Srinivasa Rao and Mrs. K. Geetha Murthy recalled that in October 2006 the Chief Minister had promised to totally transform the old city at a cost of Rs.2500 crore but never bothered to fulfill it. His claim of having taken up development works worth Rs.1200 crore was not correct. Against such a backdrop, the people would not be carried away by his offer to develop Greater Hyderabad at a cost of Rs.10,000 crore.

The Lok Satta today exhibited photographs of foundation stones laid by State Government functionaries in the last 10 years to drive home its message that traditional party leaders hoodwinked people by not executing works for which they had laid

The Lok Satta leaders pointed out that Dr. Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, who virtually functioned as the city Mayor, allowed builders and officials guilty of building rules violations go scot-free but punish poor house owners for no fault of theirs. He winked at grabbing of Government land by political elements and did not bother to improve either drinking water or transport facilities.

The Government’s reservation of wards for the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation elections is both unscientific and irrational, charged the Lok Satta Party today.

The Government undertook the exercise with an eye on benefiting the ruling party, party spokesmen Katari Srinivasa Rao and V. Laxman Balaji told the media. They took exception to the Government going ahead with reservations without publishing the number of voters belonging to SC, ST and BC communities and women division-wise.

The Lok Satta spokesmen recalled that 12 municipalities in Ranga Reddy and Medak districts had been merged with the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation to form the GHMC. The 50 divisions that came into existence in the erstwhile 12 municipalities account for 26 lakh voters, almost 50 percent of the voters in the GHMC. Because of the large number of voters in these areas, many of the divisions in these areas have been reserved for BCs, SCs and STs. Many seats in the erstwhile Hyderabad Municipal Corporation including the old city have become general.

The Lok Satta leaders faulted the Chief Minister for converting the regular Cabinet meeting into a Congress election strategy meeting. The Chief Minister’s call to Ministers to focus on winning the elections by mobilizing support of caste-based associations was reprehensible.

They questioned the Government’s claim it had spent Rs.5500 crore on developing Hyderabad since roads and the sewerage system continued to be awful. Announcing a Rs.10000-crore plan for revamping the drainage system was nothing but a great election gimmick on the eve of the Greater Hyderabad elections, said the leaders.