Press Releases Archive

Lok Satta demands ACB inquiry Into Jindal land scam

The Lok Satta Party today demanded an ACB inquiry into the Rs.10-crore scam in the acquisition of land for the Jindal Aluminum factory in Vizianagaram district.

Addressing a media meet, party President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan regretted that although the party submitted a report on the irregularities in land acquisition to the Chief Minister on September 8, 2008, no action had been taken.

The party today released a detailed report on its field-level findings.

Dr. JP and Mr. Bhisetty Babjee, Vizianagaram district party President of the party, said that politicians and officials colluded and siphoned off at least Rs.10 crore of the Rs.22.44 crore payments by creating bogus farmers. Some genuine farmers had been paid nominal compensation while some others had not been paid at all.

The Lok Satta inquiry had revealed that the officials tampered with revenue records and indulged in forgery. The Lok Satta leaders demanded that justice be rendered to displaced farmers and the guilty punished.

Monday, June 29, 2009 - 21:03

Punish the guilty in white card scam: Lok Satta

The Lok Satta Party today welcomed the Government’s determination and drive to weed out bogus white ration cards but wanted it to issue white cards to all the eligible.

Talking to the media, party spokesmen Dr. P. Bhaskara Rao and G. Raja Reddy said it was good the Government had woken up to the need to correct its mistakes. It should also own the responsibility for the injustice caused to the deserving poor and the loss to the exchequer.

The spokesmen pointed out that the Government which took up many schemes on a saturation basis like issue of white ration cards, grant of INDIRAMMA houses, sanction of pensions and treatment under ‘Arogyasree’ allowed them to be abused by ruling party leaders and workers with an eye on elections. Even according to the Chief Minister himself, there are 30 lakh bogus ration cards while unofficial estimates put them at 80 lakh. All these have involved an avoidable loss of a few thousands of crores to the exchequer.

Dr. Bhaskara Rao and Mr. Raja Reddy said such a huge scam cannot be swept under the carpet by terming it as an administrative lapse. They demanded that an inquiry be conducted into the scam and action taken against the guilty. After all a scam of such a magnitude would not have taken place without the support and encouragement of top politicians and officials.

The Lok Satta leaders also demanded that the Government recover the money siphoned by ineligible beneficiaries and local leaders in the implementation of the INDIRAMMA housing scheme, instead of merely punishing employees.

Friday, June 26, 2009 - 19:21

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