| Millers’ strike unwarranted: Lok Satta (Telugu) Posted: 09 Dec 2010 04:08 AM PST |
| Millers’ strike unwarranted: Lok Satta Posted: 09 Dec 2010 04:07 AM PST The Lok Satta Party today termed the rice millers' decision to go on a strike and not buy paddy was unwarranted when farmers are reeling under the impact of unusual and heavy rains in December.
Lok Satta Party President D. V. V. S. Varma and Secretary P. Bhaskara Rao said in a media statement that failure to repair drains resulted in rainwater stagnating in fields and damaging the standing or just-harvested paddy crop.
They wanted the Government to announce a special package of assistance to farmers and tenants who suffered 50 percent crop losses. It should arrange for purchase of discolored paddy at the minimum support price, swift enumeration of losses, an input subsidy of Rs.4000 an acre, and interest-free crop loans.
The Lok Satta leaders hoped the Assembly would give top priority to farmers' woes and come up with long-term solutions.
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| Anti Corruption force to be formed (Telugu) Posted: 09 Dec 2010 03:51 AM PST |
| Anti Corruption force to be formed Posted: 09 Dec 2010 03:50 AM PST A seminar on corruption conducted by the Legal Cell of the Lok Satta Party today, World Corruption Day, called upon people to cease to be silent spectators but fight against corruption by utilizing the Right to Information Act and not succumbing to inducements during elections.
The seminar called for constitution of independent anti corruption commissions at both the national and State levels, and amendment of the Prevention of Corruption Act in the State as proposed by the Lok Satta Party. Decentralization of power and transparency in administration would go a long way in preventing corruption, the seminar felt.
The participants, who included representatives of political parties and civic society organizations, decided to constitute an anti corruption force and expressed solidarity with Advocate Ranga Rao in his battle against corruption in the Emaar deal.
The participants included Messrs Tripurana Venkataratnam (Congress), C. Vinod Kumar and Pranay (TDP), Keerti and Shaheeda Begum (PRP), Kamalesh (BJP), Muralidhar Deshpande (Forward Bloc), Nagaraja Rao (Pragna Bharati), Aruna (Vikas Dhatri), P. Bhaskara Rao, N. Sarojadevi, M. Ramalinga Reddy, P. V. Rao, C. Vinod Yadav, M. Durga Kumar, Vijaya Kiran, Gajanani, Manik Prabhu, and Mangala (Lok Satta and its allied organizations) and Advocate Ranga Rao.
Initiating the debate, Legal Cell Convener C. V. L. Narasimha Rao said that failure to discharge one's duty as a Government employee too was a corrupt practice. Corruption did not mean mere acceptance of a bribe. Mrs. T. Venkataratnam said that corruption had become vicious as politicians who spent crores of rupees in elections enriched themselves many times more once elected. Ms. Keerti and Shaheeda Begum expressed their shock over the 2-G spectrum scam, while Mr. Deshpande said parties should fight against corruption jointly. Mr. Bhaskara Rao said that people had become helpless as politicians, officials and judges had all become corrupt one after another over the years. He underlined the need for institutional mechanisms and people's participation to mitigate corruption. Advocate Ranga Rao disclosed that he had obtained 650 documents under the Right to Information Act before launching his battle against the Emaar scandal. Ms. Aruna suggested implementation of citizen charters as a means of curbing corruption while Mrs. N. Sarojadevi recalled Lok Satta's campaign against the 2-G spectrum.
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