Press Releases Archive

Lok Satta produces its Kadapa candidate

The Lok Satta Party today produced Mr. Gudipati Prasanna Kumar, who contested from the Kadapa Lok Sabha constituency on behalf of the Lok Satta Party to refute the TDP’s Goebbels’ propaganda that the party did not field a candidate against the Chief Minister’s son as part of a tacit understanding with the Congress Party.

Mr. Prasanna Kumar himself told the media it was strange that the TDP did not notice him even as he went round the constituency from the day he filed the nomination and received daily coverage in the media.

Talking to the media, party spokesmen Katari Srinivasa Rao and V. Laxman Balaji pointed out that the party could not field candidates in 45 Assembly and 10 Lok Sabha seats despite its best efforts. The TDP which blames the Lok Satta for its debacle in the 2009 elections conveniently ignores the fact that it lost even in constituencies in which the Lok Satta did not field its candidates.

The Lok Satta leaders took exception to TDP leader Yerrannaidu questioning why the Lok Satta Party had been formed and the threat of certain TDP leaders not to allow Lok Satta President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan go round the State. They asked whether the Lok Satta needed clearance from the TDP to either form a party or for its leaders to go round the State.

In reply to TDP leader Nagam Janardhan Reddy’s charge, they explained that since the Lok Satta did not believe in collecting black money like the TDP, it introduced four types of membership to raise finances. Associated members pay Rs.10 and primary members Rs.100 for three years. Those who pay Rs.100 per month or Rs.1000 a year become executive members. To become a lifetime executive member, one has to pay Rs.10,000. Those who pay more according to their capacity will be recognized as silver, gold, platinum and diamond members but they do not enjoy any extra privileges.

Monday, July 6, 2009 - 17:58

Lack-luster budget: Dr. JP

The Lok Satta Party today described the Union budget as lack luster. There is little to write home about it barring the Government’s outlay crossing the Rs.10 lakh crore mark.

Talking to the media, Lok Satta Party President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan said that Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee had formulated the budget with an eye on the elections in a few States in the next few months. He allowed the golden opportunity to craft a historic budget in the context of a global recession and a stable government and steady growth in the Indian economy in the country to slip through his fingers.

Dr. JP pointed out that no bold attempt had been made to create either employment opportunities or boost agricultural growth since the focus was on winning the upcoming elections in States. Since 70 percent of farmers are outside the institutional fold, they are not going to benefit from the increase in agricultural loans.

Dr. JP said: “Even now, the allocation for healthcare in the country remained where it was for decades – only one percent of the GDP. Educational allocations still remain at 3.5 percent of the GDP. There is no concerted attempt to eliminate poverty. Instead, there is a conscious attempt to give short-term sops to the poor to use them as vote banks, while perpetuating poverty.

“The revenue deficit also has reached 4.8 percent of the GDP or about Rs.215,000 crore. That means, the Government is spending only for day-to-day expenditure about Rs.600 crore more than its income every single day. The interest burden has exceeded Rs.300,000 crore, and this year’s additional debt alone is Rs.400,000 crore. If the States’ deficits are added, the combined fiscal deficit will probably reach 12 pre percent of the GDP. There is no road map to reduce the fiscal deficit. As a result, the younger generation is going to inherit a crushing burden of debt on account of the Governments’ profligacy.”

Monday, July 6, 2009 - 17:24

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