Press Releases Archive

District governments a panacea to Regional disparities: Dr. JP

Formation of district governments will be a potent antidote to regional disparities and animosities, declared Lok Satta Party President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan here today.

Just as the Congress Party declared ‘purna swaraj’ on January 26, 1930, the Lok Satta today declared the formation of district governments all over the State and pledged itself not to rest until the goal is realized. Today happens to be the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhashchandra Bose, who had served as Calcutta Commissioner – the first to be chosen from among citizens -- and as an elected Mayor.

Addressing a meeting held at Kukatpally to mark the Ranga Reddy district government formation and declaration, Dr. JP said entrusting the administration of a district to an official like the collector is nothing but a travesty of democracy because many districts in Andhra Pradesh are bigger than half the countries in the world. Mr. BPR Vithal, Prof. K. Nageswar, Mr. Solitipeta Ramachandra Reddy, Mr. Uppala Gopala Rao, Ms. Maligireddy Sudha and Party leaders Mr. DVVS Varma, C. Narasimha Rao, B. Rammohana Rao, B. Krishna Reddy, Srinivasan, N. Ravinder also participated in the function.

Dr. JP recalled that the 73rd and 74th amendments were enacted to strengthen the third tier of government in the belief that citizens’ affairs should be handled from a local government closest to them. Matters calling for economies of scale and managerial expertise are to be left to be handled by State and Central governments.

“Unfortunately we have inverted the logic behind this philosophy and turned local governments impotent and State and Central governments all powerful. Once people have no control over their destiny, the link between their vote and public good snaps and the vote becomes a purchasable commodity.

“The system resulted in a centralized bureaucracy which remains unresponsive and unaccountable, and lead to collapse of public services, neglect of vital sectors like education, health, agricultural extension and social welfare, and accentuation of regional disparities and animosities. A solution lies in unveiling fully empowered and adequately funded elected local governments driven by purposive and competent leaders.”

The Lok Satta President said the concept of district governments comprises five elements.

  • A directly elected premier for a district with full and effective control over bureaucracy
  • Adequate devolution of resources and powers to legislate, regulate and execute in all matters under their charge. District governments will have jurisdiction over all other local governments both in rural and urban areas. The primary tier of government – the panchayat/municipality – will be entrusted with the provision of all basic services and amenities. Panchayat will have direct power and responsibility to provide quality drinking water, eradicate public defecation and eliminate belt shops and illicit distillation.
  • Apart from normal funding, wards and divisions in panchayats and municipalities will get a per capita grant of Rs.1000 to address local needs (A village with a population of say 5,000 will get an annual grant of Rs.50 lakh). People will be guaranteed safe drinking water, a toilet for every household, all-weather roads and public transport, and 24-hour quality power supply in every village.
  • There will be decentralization and convergence of all services and agencies. Local mobile courts in each mandal, access to land records and birth certificates in each panchayats, voter registration through post offices, integration of revenue and development functions, farmers’ control of local markets, agri-clinics in each village – all these and other measures will be integral to district governments.
  • 1000 small towns will be built at a cost of Rs 40,000 crores to provide urban amenities close to village, and create employment to 50 lakh youth.

The districts are cabinets being formed in each district with experts and prominent citizens and activities in each district. These district cabinets would function as shadow cabinets and promote public awareness, study local problems, identify solutions and work with local public agencies to implement them.

Friday, January 23, 2009 - 20:39

Varma elected Secretary of Greater Hyderabad Lok Satta

Mr. D. V. S. Varma was elected Secretary of the Greater Hyderabad Lok Satta unit here today. The following are the other office-bearers: Vice-Presidents: Akula Maharani and M. Jaswant Reddy, and Joint Secretaries: J. Krishna Rao, P. Venkat Reddy and B. Alla Bakshi.

The elections, by secret ballot, were keenly contested. The general council of the party comprising presidents and secretaries of divisional units and members of constituency committees elected the office-bearers.

Mr. P. S. Bhagavanlu and Mr. Krishna Reddy conducted the election.

Thursday, January 22, 2009 - 18:32

Government to blame for High School drop-outs

The Lok Satta Party said today that the number of school dropouts in Andhra Pradesh has gone up because of Government’s attempts to withdraw from the field and encourage the private sector.

“The Government is guilty of criminal negligence”, charged Lok Satta Party’s Organizational Affairs Convener B. Ramamohana Rao and Working Committee member Laxman Balaji referring to the increase in the percentage of dropouts from 5.42 to 6.88. Pointing out that education played a key role in eradicating poverty and discrimination based on caste and religion, they demanded that education be made the center point of politics.

The Lok Satta leaders recalled that the Government had been engaged in shutting down schools in the public sector and encouraged private schools and turned education into a lucrative business proposition. Even common and middle class people are forced to send their children to private schools as the state of affairs in Government schools is miserable. Accentuating the problem, the Government was watered down the midday meal scheme which acted as a magnate for children from poor and downtrodden classes. The Comptroller and Auditor General pointed out that Andhra Pradesh failed to utilize the funds allocated for the scheme.

The Lok Satta leaders wanted the Government to ensure classes took place in one campus and the midday meal scheme is effectively implemented.

Thursday, January 22, 2009 - 18:23

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