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.
Monday, November 22, 2010
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.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Lok Satta asks farmers to get ready to fight
The Lok Satta Party has called upon farmers to get ready for a serious fight against the State and Central Governments which have been depriving them of remunerative prices for agricultural produce.
The party’s State Working Committee, which met here yesterday, said in a resolution that 40 party teams would launch a publicity campaign in 150 mandals as part of its mission to unite farmers, supplementing party President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan’s visits to districts. It suggested formation of farmers’ forums at the village level to keep the movement apolitical.
Addressing the media, party Working President D. V. V. S. Varma, General Secretary Katari Srinivasa Rao and Secretary P. Bhaskara Rao pointed out that the neighboring Karnataka Government collected a mere 1.5 percent market cess on paddy, allowed free movement of rice outside the State and announced a bonus of Rs.100 per quintal. In contrast, the Andhra Pradesh Government which earned Rs.1500 crore by way of tax and cess (totaling 10 percent), would not announce a bonus of Rs.200 a quintal of paddy.
By preventing free movement of rice outside the State and banning exports outside the country, the State and Central Governments are doing grave injustice to farmers. With a bumper crop round the corner and Government and private warehouses brimming with stocks, paddy prices are ruling below the minimum support prices, the party leaders said.
The leaders demanded that the State Government announce a bonus of Rs.200 a quintal above the minimum support price, facilitate pledge loans against paddy stocks in farmers’ homes, purchase discolored paddy and permit movement of rice outside the State. They wanted the Government of India to permit rice exports. The Karnataka Chief Minister would be leading an all-party delegation to Delhi to convince the Government of India on the imperative of exports in the present situation, the party leaders said.
The party’s State Working Committee, which met here yesterday, said in a resolution that 40 party teams would launch a publicity campaign in 150 mandals as part of its mission to unite farmers, supplementing party President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan’s visits to districts. It suggested formation of farmers’ forums at the village level to keep the movement apolitical.
Addressing the media, party Working President D. V. V. S. Varma, General Secretary Katari Srinivasa Rao and Secretary P. Bhaskara Rao pointed out that the neighboring Karnataka Government collected a mere 1.5 percent market cess on paddy, allowed free movement of rice outside the State and announced a bonus of Rs.100 per quintal. In contrast, the Andhra Pradesh Government which earned Rs.1500 crore by way of tax and cess (totaling 10 percent), would not announce a bonus of Rs.200 a quintal of paddy.
By preventing free movement of rice outside the State and banning exports outside the country, the State and Central Governments are doing grave injustice to farmers. With a bumper crop round the corner and Government and private warehouses brimming with stocks, paddy prices are ruling below the minimum support prices, the party leaders said.
The leaders demanded that the State Government announce a bonus of Rs.200 a quintal above the minimum support price, facilitate pledge loans against paddy stocks in farmers’ homes, purchase discolored paddy and permit movement of rice outside the State. They wanted the Government of India to permit rice exports. The Karnataka Chief Minister would be leading an all-party delegation to Delhi to convince the Government of India on the imperative of exports in the present situation, the party leaders said.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Great Work by LSP
LOK SATTA PARTY achieved another success in drawing Karnataka Goverment's
attention by organising a gathering and rally of farmers at sindhanoor
in Karnataka on Wednesday November 3, 2010.
Its a huge crowd..look at the pictures and news on below link.
http://www.hindu.com/2010/11/04/stories/2010110454800300.htm
Result
: With in 24 hours of the meeting, Karnataka Govt offered a bonus of
Rs.100 a Quintal to the farmers over minimum support price.
Kudos to everyone who involved in these meetings
Centre urged to revoke ban on export of rice to help farmers
Correspondent
‘Farmers are in distress as it has killed demand in the market'
Government asked to enhance storage
capacity in godowns
‘There is a dead stock of over 100 million
tonnes of rice in the country'
Voice of dissent:A gathering of famers at the rally in Sindhanur on Wednesday
Sindhanur (Raichur district): Jayaprakash Narayan, MLA from Andhra Pradesh and president of the Lok Satta party, has said that the Union Government should enhance storage capacity in available godowns and ask the State Trading Corporation of India (STC) to export rice to safeguard interests of farmers.
Speaking after inaugurating a rally of farmers, jointly organised by the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) and the Hasiru Sene here on Wednesday, he said that wrong policies adopted by the Union Government had hit farmers. All farmers, especially paddy growers, were in distress owing to the ban imposed on the export of rice.
He said that the Centre had banned export of all varieties of rice, except Basmati. This decision had put a stop to the marketing of rice. Godowns were full with a huge stock of paddy and rice and farmers could not sell paddy due to lack of demand. Both traders and farmers had suffered heavy losses. Mr. Narayana explained that with a huge dead stock of over 100 million tonnes of rice in the country, the price of the commodity had fallen drastically. “There are no takers in the market even though farmers are ready to sell paddy at Rs. 1,000 per quintal. At this rate, the farmers will not be able to recover the cost of cultivation. The number of suicide cases among farmers could increase if the situation continues,” he said.
Urging the Centre to find alternative solutions to liquidate the huge stock of rice, he suggested exporting the surplus stock through the STC.
Chamarasa Malipatil, vice-president of the State unit of the KRRS, and a group of progressive farmers spoke.
attention by organising a gathering and rally of farmers at sindhanoor
in Karnataka on Wednesday November 3, 2010.
Its a huge crowd..look at the pictures and news on below link.
http://www.hindu.com/2010/11/04/stories/2010110454800300.htm
Result
: With in 24 hours of the meeting, Karnataka Govt offered a bonus of
Rs.100 a Quintal to the farmers over minimum support price.
Kudos to everyone who involved in these meetings
Centre urged to revoke ban on export of rice to help farmers
Correspondent
‘Farmers are in distress as it has killed demand in the market'
Government asked to enhance storage
capacity in godowns
‘There is a dead stock of over 100 million
tonnes of rice in the country'
Voice of dissent:A gathering of famers at the rally in Sindhanur on Wednesday
Sindhanur (Raichur district): Jayaprakash Narayan, MLA from Andhra Pradesh and president of the Lok Satta party, has said that the Union Government should enhance storage capacity in available godowns and ask the State Trading Corporation of India (STC) to export rice to safeguard interests of farmers.
Speaking after inaugurating a rally of farmers, jointly organised by the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) and the Hasiru Sene here on Wednesday, he said that wrong policies adopted by the Union Government had hit farmers. All farmers, especially paddy growers, were in distress owing to the ban imposed on the export of rice.
He said that the Centre had banned export of all varieties of rice, except Basmati. This decision had put a stop to the marketing of rice. Godowns were full with a huge stock of paddy and rice and farmers could not sell paddy due to lack of demand. Both traders and farmers had suffered heavy losses. Mr. Narayana explained that with a huge dead stock of over 100 million tonnes of rice in the country, the price of the commodity had fallen drastically. “There are no takers in the market even though farmers are ready to sell paddy at Rs. 1,000 per quintal. At this rate, the farmers will not be able to recover the cost of cultivation. The number of suicide cases among farmers could increase if the situation continues,” he said.
Urging the Centre to find alternative solutions to liquidate the huge stock of rice, he suggested exporting the surplus stock through the STC.
Chamarasa Malipatil, vice-president of the State unit of the KRRS, and a group of progressive farmers spoke.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Announce bonus for paddy, Dr. JP requests CM
Lok Satta Party President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan today urged Chief Minister K. Rosaiah to announce a bonus of Rs.200 a quintal for paddy over and above the minimum support price.
In a media statement, Dr. JP said that the Karnataka Government had offered a bonus of Rs.100 a quintal within 24 hours of Karnataka paddy growers drawing the Government’s attention to their plight by organizing a largely attended conference at Sindanur in Raichur district of Karnataka on November 3.
Dr. JP pointed out the Andhra Pradesh Government burdens farmers with a five percent rural development cess, four percent VAT (sales tax), and one percent market cess.
In contrast, the Karnataka Government collects a mere 1.5 percent as market cess, and does not collect either rural development cess or VAT. It does not restrict free movement of rice outside the State.
Dr. JP wanted the Andhra Pradesh Government to remove VAT and permit free movement of rice outside the State. It should persuade the Government of India to permit export of non-Basmati rice considering that the country is about to reap a bumper harvest even as Government and private warehouses are overflowing with food grains. Since rice prices in international markets are reigning high, exports will earn the country foreign exchange and facilitate payment of remunerative prices to paddy growers. He said that in areas where the paddy has just come into the market, the ruling prices are less than the minimum support price and added that further dithering on rice exports will depress prices further and harm producers.
For the last two weeks, Dr. JP has been on a mission to mobilize farmers on their demands. He has already visited some Coastal Andhra districts and Nalgonda in Telangana. Beginning today with Khammam, he will be visiting Medak, Nizamabad, Kurnool, Kadapa and Nellore districts to interact with farmers in the next few days.
IMPORTANT NOTICE
Today's Meeting has been cancelled due to bad and rough weather.. pls update ur mail id's ASAP to get the agenda of meeting.. Team VOISE
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