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Thursday, January 27, 2011
IMPORTANT NOTICE
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Friday, December 3, 2010
15 days of parliament logjam cost nation over Rs 95 crore
The Opposition and government may be slugging it out over the losses caused to the national exchequer due to the 2G spectrum allocation but their stand-off has resulted in wastage of over Rs 95 crore on account of Parliament not functioning for the last 15 days.
The Winter Session began on November 9 and since a day after it, the Opposition has been hellbent on their demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into 2G spectrum allocation, which is believed to have resulted in losses to the tune of Rs 1.74 lakh crore.
The government has, however, refused to yield to the demand, leading to a deadlock because of which Parliament has been unable to function for more than 10 minutes per day on an average.
According to official figures, the total budget for Lok Sabha for the current fiscal year is Rs 347.65 crore while it is Rs 172.33 crore for Rajya Sabha.
The Ministry for Parliamentary Affairs, responsible for the functioning of Parliament, also has a separate budget of Rs 7.47 crore, taking the combined allocation to Rs 527.45 crore.
This includes salaries and other allowances of MPs, Speaker and Deputy Speaker of both the Houses, the expenditure incurred for the member''s foreign visits and meeting the expenses for foreign delegations visiting India.
In a year, Parliament meets thrice - for the Budget, Monsoon and Winter session. As per the business schedule of both the Houses, there should be a total of 83 sittings this financial year - 35 sittings during the Budget session and 24 each in the other two sessions.
This means, on average the government is spending Rs 6.35 crore per day to run the institution.
Today is the 15th consecutive day of the Winter session that ended without doing any business, which means that Rs 95.25 crore were spent without Parliament transacting any substantive business.
The Winter Session began on November 9 and since a day after it, the Opposition has been hellbent on their demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into 2G spectrum allocation, which is believed to have resulted in losses to the tune of Rs 1.74 lakh crore.
The government has, however, refused to yield to the demand, leading to a deadlock because of which Parliament has been unable to function for more than 10 minutes per day on an average.
According to official figures, the total budget for Lok Sabha for the current fiscal year is Rs 347.65 crore while it is Rs 172.33 crore for Rajya Sabha.
The Ministry for Parliamentary Affairs, responsible for the functioning of Parliament, also has a separate budget of Rs 7.47 crore, taking the combined allocation to Rs 527.45 crore.
This includes salaries and other allowances of MPs, Speaker and Deputy Speaker of both the Houses, the expenditure incurred for the member''s foreign visits and meeting the expenses for foreign delegations visiting India.
In a year, Parliament meets thrice - for the Budget, Monsoon and Winter session. As per the business schedule of both the Houses, there should be a total of 83 sittings this financial year - 35 sittings during the Budget session and 24 each in the other two sessions.
This means, on average the government is spending Rs 6.35 crore per day to run the institution.
Today is the 15th consecutive day of the Winter session that ended without doing any business, which means that Rs 95.25 crore were spent without Parliament transacting any substantive business.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
PMO returning money orders on 2-G spectrum licenses
The Prime Minister’s Office has been returning the one rupee money orders sent by Lok Satta Party and other activists with the message that the Government of India cancel all 2-G spectrum licenses, recoup the loss to the exchequer and institute an anti corruption commission.
Disclosing this here today in a media statement, Lok Satta Party Working President D. V. V. S. Varma said students and youth would continue to bombard the PMO with money orders, faxes, emails and post cards reiterating the demands until December 9, World Anti Corruption Day.
He extended greetings to the Ministers who took office today and wanted them to focus on people’s burning problems and fight corruption. The Ministry should strive to ensure remunerative prices to agricultural produce, and resolve demands raised by beedi workers, auto rickshaw drivers, contract lecturers and others.
Disclosing this here today in a media statement, Lok Satta Party Working President D. V. V. S. Varma said students and youth would continue to bombard the PMO with money orders, faxes, emails and post cards reiterating the demands until December 9, World Anti Corruption Day.
He extended greetings to the Ministers who took office today and wanted them to focus on people’s burning problems and fight corruption. The Ministry should strive to ensure remunerative prices to agricultural produce, and resolve demands raised by beedi workers, auto rickshaw drivers, contract lecturers and others.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Farmer in distress makes children give up education and work as coolies
The desperate farmer of Medak district who burnt away the paddy crop in his three-acre farm because of his inability to get the crop harvested has made his children drop out from educational institutions and work as daily wage earners.
The heart-rending story of the marginal farmer Kankara Mallesam of Nawabpet village in Hutnur mandal of Medak district came to light following a visit to the village by State Lok Satta Party leaders Bandaru Rammohana Rao and G. Raja Reddy today.
Mallesam had spent Rs.60000 on raising paddy in his three-acre farm. When it was ripe for harvest, he could not access agricultural workers to reap it. Farmers in the village import agricultural workers from the neighboring Nalgonda district and Karnataka State. AS of today, there are 300 agricultural workers drawn from outside the village with a population of 2000. Implementation of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme has witnessed the number of workers opting for agricultural work dwindling all over rural Andhra Pradesh.
The migrant laborers were not prepared to work on his farm located about three km from the village, although he offered to share 50 percent of the produce with them. Even if he wanted to, he could not hire a harvester, as it cannot negotiate the slushy track to the farm.
Neither the sarpanch of the village nor the local legislator visited the farmer in distress. The sarpanch, a Dalit, had migrated to another village to work as a mason. The local legislator and former Minister was engrossed in Ministry-making politics in Hyderabad. Agriculture Department officials, who had failed to get the crop insured, now tell the farmer they can do little since he has burnt away his crop.
The Lok Satta Party leaders accompanied by Tummanapalli Srinivas and Sudheer Reddy, who visited the farm after trekking two km and called on the farmer tried to console him.Mallesam, aged about 55, is a widower. Having married off a son and a daughter, he is taking care of the other two children – a 17-year-old boy doing Intermediate and a 13-year-old girl in her eighth class. Now he has made them give up education and work as daily coolies to help him make both ends meet.
The heart-rending story of the marginal farmer Kankara Mallesam of Nawabpet village in Hutnur mandal of Medak district came to light following a visit to the village by State Lok Satta Party leaders Bandaru Rammohana Rao and G. Raja Reddy today.
Mallesam had spent Rs.60000 on raising paddy in his three-acre farm. When it was ripe for harvest, he could not access agricultural workers to reap it. Farmers in the village import agricultural workers from the neighboring Nalgonda district and Karnataka State. AS of today, there are 300 agricultural workers drawn from outside the village with a population of 2000. Implementation of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme has witnessed the number of workers opting for agricultural work dwindling all over rural Andhra Pradesh.
The migrant laborers were not prepared to work on his farm located about three km from the village, although he offered to share 50 percent of the produce with them. Even if he wanted to, he could not hire a harvester, as it cannot negotiate the slushy track to the farm.
Neither the sarpanch of the village nor the local legislator visited the farmer in distress. The sarpanch, a Dalit, had migrated to another village to work as a mason. The local legislator and former Minister was engrossed in Ministry-making politics in Hyderabad. Agriculture Department officials, who had failed to get the crop insured, now tell the farmer they can do little since he has burnt away his crop.
The Lok Satta Party leaders accompanied by Tummanapalli Srinivas and Sudheer Reddy, who visited the farm after trekking two km and called on the farmer tried to console him.Mallesam, aged about 55, is a widower. Having married off a son and a daughter, he is taking care of the other two children – a 17-year-old boy doing Intermediate and a 13-year-old girl in her eighth class. Now he has made them give up education and work as daily coolies to help him make both ends meet.
Monday, November 22, 2010
State on verge of anarchy, Charges Dr. JP
Andhra Pradesh is fast hurtling into anarchy because of the acts of commission and omission by a pusillanimous Government and interested pressure groups, charged Lok Satta Party President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan here today.
Addressing a media meet on the agitations and counter-agitations on the sub-inspector recruitment written examination, Dr. JP said the Government could have pre-empted law and order problems had it persuaded the Union Government to delete the controversial Clause 14 F from the Presidential Order. The agitated people should have explored ways and means of getting their grievances redressed through legitimate and legal channels instead of enforcing shutdowns and threatening self-immolation.
Dr. JP recalled that the Lok Satta Party was the first to suggest deletion of the clause 14 F of the Presidential Order relating to recruitment of police in Hyderabad city. The State legislature unanimously adopted a resolution seeking deletion as early as in March 2010.
Without following up the Assembly resolution, the Government decided to recruit police personnel. As trouble erupted over treating Hyderabad as a ‘free zone’, the Government initially decided to put on hold the examination in Hyderabad but go ahead with it in other parts of the State. As the Telangana agitators would not relent, the Government has now deferred the examination all over the State and triggered a counter agitation in the rest of Andhra Pradesh.
Dr. JP said that the alien, undemocratic British rulers were much more balanced, mature, reliable, and consistent than the present Andhra Pradesh rulers. State Government actions have become irrational and unpredictable.
Dr. JP said that sections of people and political parties were equally to blame for the present chaotic conditions. They seem to forget that rights and responsibilities are two sides of the same coin. One could legitimately agitate for a cause but one should not inconvenience others in the process. Rasta rokos, hartals, and bandhs would hurt millions of people who lead a hand-to-mouth existence and deprive critical patients of prompt medical assistance.
He told sub-inspector aspirants in the Andhra region they need not fear any disqualification because of deferment of the examination by a few months. They will all be eligible for selection irrespective of some delay, as long as they were eligible at the time of application. Lok Satta party urges Government of India and Andhra Pradesh government to shed the passive, somnolent approach, and take energic steps to repeal Section 14 F of the Presidential Order, and conduct examinations for the police recruitment within two months. Meanwhile, Lok Satta Party appeals to unemployed youth of all regions not to resort to rasta rokos and bandhs, and not to hurt themselves. ‘They have to act with restraint and dignity, and they must not become victims of hatred and parochialism”, appealed Dr JP.
Addressing a media meet on the agitations and counter-agitations on the sub-inspector recruitment written examination, Dr. JP said the Government could have pre-empted law and order problems had it persuaded the Union Government to delete the controversial Clause 14 F from the Presidential Order. The agitated people should have explored ways and means of getting their grievances redressed through legitimate and legal channels instead of enforcing shutdowns and threatening self-immolation.
Dr. JP recalled that the Lok Satta Party was the first to suggest deletion of the clause 14 F of the Presidential Order relating to recruitment of police in Hyderabad city. The State legislature unanimously adopted a resolution seeking deletion as early as in March 2010.
Without following up the Assembly resolution, the Government decided to recruit police personnel. As trouble erupted over treating Hyderabad as a ‘free zone’, the Government initially decided to put on hold the examination in Hyderabad but go ahead with it in other parts of the State. As the Telangana agitators would not relent, the Government has now deferred the examination all over the State and triggered a counter agitation in the rest of Andhra Pradesh.
Dr. JP said that the alien, undemocratic British rulers were much more balanced, mature, reliable, and consistent than the present Andhra Pradesh rulers. State Government actions have become irrational and unpredictable.
Dr. JP said that sections of people and political parties were equally to blame for the present chaotic conditions. They seem to forget that rights and responsibilities are two sides of the same coin. One could legitimately agitate for a cause but one should not inconvenience others in the process. Rasta rokos, hartals, and bandhs would hurt millions of people who lead a hand-to-mouth existence and deprive critical patients of prompt medical assistance.
He told sub-inspector aspirants in the Andhra region they need not fear any disqualification because of deferment of the examination by a few months. They will all be eligible for selection irrespective of some delay, as long as they were eligible at the time of application. Lok Satta party urges Government of India and Andhra Pradesh government to shed the passive, somnolent approach, and take energic steps to repeal Section 14 F of the Presidential Order, and conduct examinations for the police recruitment within two months. Meanwhile, Lok Satta Party appeals to unemployed youth of all regions not to resort to rasta rokos and bandhs, and not to hurt themselves. ‘They have to act with restraint and dignity, and they must not become victims of hatred and parochialism”, appealed Dr JP.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Dr. JP urges PM to emulate Hong Kong in fighting corruption
Lok Satta Party President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan today urged Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh to enact a comprehensive anti-corruption law and create an independent anti-corruption commission (IACC) as in Hong Kong. The IACC, formed in in Hong Kong in 1974, reduced corruption within a few years.
In a letter to the Prime Minister which he shared with members of Parliament, Dr. JP pointed that since there is palpable support among the public and political parties for rooting out corruption, he should create mechanisms to enforce public integrity and end corruption.
“Honesty is not merely a moral imperative; it is an economic necessity to accelerate and sustain high growth rates and eliminate poverty.”
On the colossal corruption in the allocation of 2G spectrum, Dr. JP said that apart from punishing culprits, the Government should undo the damage caused to the public exchequer and prevent future acts of such corruption.
He wanted the Prime Minister to revoke the tainted 2G spectrum allocations under Section 23 and 24 of the Indian Contract Act, 1872 so that corporates which colluded with bribe takers and caused a colossal loss to the exchequer do not benefit from corruption. He drew the Prime Minister’s attention to the Government of India canceling purchase of 197 helicopters worth $600 million from Eurocopter following a Central Vigilance Commission report in 1997.
Dr. JP suggested imposition of a Windfall Profit Tax on all licensees who sold the spectrum or equity to ensure that the public exchequer retains abnormal profits made out of a vital public resource. He proposed enactment of a law to make all contracts involving corruption, or loss to the exchequer void and unenforceable and another to impose a civil penalty of five times the loss sustained by the exchequer in any public procurement or transfer of natural resource.
In a letter to the Prime Minister which he shared with members of Parliament, Dr. JP pointed that since there is palpable support among the public and political parties for rooting out corruption, he should create mechanisms to enforce public integrity and end corruption.
“Honesty is not merely a moral imperative; it is an economic necessity to accelerate and sustain high growth rates and eliminate poverty.”
On the colossal corruption in the allocation of 2G spectrum, Dr. JP said that apart from punishing culprits, the Government should undo the damage caused to the public exchequer and prevent future acts of such corruption.
He wanted the Prime Minister to revoke the tainted 2G spectrum allocations under Section 23 and 24 of the Indian Contract Act, 1872 so that corporates which colluded with bribe takers and caused a colossal loss to the exchequer do not benefit from corruption. He drew the Prime Minister’s attention to the Government of India canceling purchase of 197 helicopters worth $600 million from Eurocopter following a Central Vigilance Commission report in 1997.
Dr. JP suggested imposition of a Windfall Profit Tax on all licensees who sold the spectrum or equity to ensure that the public exchequer retains abnormal profits made out of a vital public resource. He proposed enactment of a law to make all contracts involving corruption, or loss to the exchequer void and unenforceable and another to impose a civil penalty of five times the loss sustained by the exchequer in any public procurement or transfer of natural resource.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Lok Satta approaching Supreme Court to seek cancellation of 2-G licenses
As part of its multi-pronged fight against ubiquitous and monumental corruption, the Lok Satta Party will be approaching the Supreme Court to get the corruption-tainted 2-G spectrum licenses cancelled and licenses issued afresh on competitive bidding.
The Lok Satta will implead itself as a party in the case filed by the Center for Public Interest Litigation in the Supreme Court or a file fresh petition if necessary on the 2-G spectrum scam, said party President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan in a media statement here today.
He said that the revelation of Tata Group Chairman Ratan Tata that the Tatas kept away from aviation business as it was not prepared to oblige a Minister with a Rs.15-crore bribe once again underlined the need for institutional mechanisms to prevent corruption.
Dr. JP said that most of the debates in the media and political circles missed the forest by focusing on trees like the future of Mr. A. Raja, the guilty Minister, the alliance between the Congress and the DMK and the nature of the inquiry that should be instituted.
The terrible scandal offers a priceless opportunity to cleanse the political system of corruption, said Dr. JP and outlined the ways and means of going about it.
There can be no two opinions on the fact of massive corruption in the 2-G spectrum allocation as the Telecom Minister and some bureaucrats have been caught with the smoking gun. Allocation of precious and finite spectrum on a first-come, first-served basis without calling for competitive bids, arbitrary advancement of the cut-off date for considering applications, fixing an abnormally low price for the spectrum disregarding the remarkable increase in telephone density in the country, failure to lay down eligibility criteria for applicants and sale of cornered spectrum by fly-by-night operators for many times the fee they paid the Government had caused enormous loss running into tens of thousands of crores of rupees to the public exchequer.
Dr. JP demanded that the 2-G licenses granted by Mr. Raja be straightway annulled under Section 23 of the Indian Contracts Act. A contract as per the Act becomes void if it is tainted with corruption. The Government could return the license fee to the spectrum licenses after deducting fee for the period they used it. The Government should then call for international competitive bidding after laying down transparent eligibility criteria in consultation with TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India).
To prevent recurrence of such scams in future, the Government should enact a law under which any license for or lease of natural resources by the Government to corporates shall become void if there is evidence of corruption/fraud/collusion/loss to the Government. The fear of losing licenses/leases obtained with illegal money will deter corporates from indulging in corruption.
Dr. JP said that a second law be enacted immediately providing for stiff taxation of windfall profits earned by corporates because of the monopoly enjoyed by them in the exploitation of natural resources the Government allocated them either because of monopoly or a change in the global economic environment. The British Government enacted such a law in 1997, when some British companies earned abnormal profits by striking oil in the North Sea and the oil price skyrocketed. The companies that cornered the 2-G spectrum licenses through questionable means and sold them within weeks for astronomical sums should be subjected to the proposed windfall profits tax.
Dr. JP suggested enactment of another law on the lines of the False Claims Act in the U. S. If the exchequer incurs any loss because of fraud or misrepresentation or violation of the due process as determined by an independent, competent authority, the guilty had to pay a civil penalty equivalent to three to five times the loss sustained. The U. S. Government had collected USD10 billion under the Act.
Dr. JP appealed to all political parties to utilize the opportunity provided by Mr. Raja to devise institutional mechanisms for mitigating, if not eliminating corruption. India’s GDP (gross domestic product) would go up by about two percent straightway, if only corruption could be curbed, he added.
The Lok Satta will implead itself as a party in the case filed by the Center for Public Interest Litigation in the Supreme Court or a file fresh petition if necessary on the 2-G spectrum scam, said party President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan in a media statement here today.
He said that the revelation of Tata Group Chairman Ratan Tata that the Tatas kept away from aviation business as it was not prepared to oblige a Minister with a Rs.15-crore bribe once again underlined the need for institutional mechanisms to prevent corruption.
Dr. JP said that most of the debates in the media and political circles missed the forest by focusing on trees like the future of Mr. A. Raja, the guilty Minister, the alliance between the Congress and the DMK and the nature of the inquiry that should be instituted.
The terrible scandal offers a priceless opportunity to cleanse the political system of corruption, said Dr. JP and outlined the ways and means of going about it.
There can be no two opinions on the fact of massive corruption in the 2-G spectrum allocation as the Telecom Minister and some bureaucrats have been caught with the smoking gun. Allocation of precious and finite spectrum on a first-come, first-served basis without calling for competitive bids, arbitrary advancement of the cut-off date for considering applications, fixing an abnormally low price for the spectrum disregarding the remarkable increase in telephone density in the country, failure to lay down eligibility criteria for applicants and sale of cornered spectrum by fly-by-night operators for many times the fee they paid the Government had caused enormous loss running into tens of thousands of crores of rupees to the public exchequer.
Dr. JP demanded that the 2-G licenses granted by Mr. Raja be straightway annulled under Section 23 of the Indian Contracts Act. A contract as per the Act becomes void if it is tainted with corruption. The Government could return the license fee to the spectrum licenses after deducting fee for the period they used it. The Government should then call for international competitive bidding after laying down transparent eligibility criteria in consultation with TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India).
To prevent recurrence of such scams in future, the Government should enact a law under which any license for or lease of natural resources by the Government to corporates shall become void if there is evidence of corruption/fraud/collusion/loss to the Government. The fear of losing licenses/leases obtained with illegal money will deter corporates from indulging in corruption.
Dr. JP said that a second law be enacted immediately providing for stiff taxation of windfall profits earned by corporates because of the monopoly enjoyed by them in the exploitation of natural resources the Government allocated them either because of monopoly or a change in the global economic environment. The British Government enacted such a law in 1997, when some British companies earned abnormal profits by striking oil in the North Sea and the oil price skyrocketed. The companies that cornered the 2-G spectrum licenses through questionable means and sold them within weeks for astronomical sums should be subjected to the proposed windfall profits tax.
Dr. JP suggested enactment of another law on the lines of the False Claims Act in the U. S. If the exchequer incurs any loss because of fraud or misrepresentation or violation of the due process as determined by an independent, competent authority, the guilty had to pay a civil penalty equivalent to three to five times the loss sustained. The U. S. Government had collected USD10 billion under the Act.
Dr. JP appealed to all political parties to utilize the opportunity provided by Mr. Raja to devise institutional mechanisms for mitigating, if not eliminating corruption. India’s GDP (gross domestic product) would go up by about two percent straightway, if only corruption could be curbed, he added.
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