On November 4, Dr. JP will visit cyclone-hit areas in Uddanam, Kaviti, Baruva and Ichapuram mandals in Srikakulam district and interact with farmers. On November 5, he will visit cyclone-hit areas in Poosapatirega mandal in Vizianagaram district on his way to Visakhapatnam.

At Visakhapatnam, Dr. JP will take part in a round table being organized by the Foundation for Democratic Reforms at on urban governance issues. In the evening, he will address a public meeting at Maddilapalem Junction.

On November 6, Dr. JP will take part in a round table at Rajahmundry on the crisis in the agriculture sector. The Federation of Independent Farmers’ Associations is organizing the event. He will meet party workers in the afternoon and address a public meeting in the evening. On November 7, Dr. JP will take part in the birth anniversary celebrations of Prof. N. G. Ranga at Ranga Bhavan, Santhapet, Ongole and address a public meeting later.

On November 8, Dr. JP will take part in a round table on empowerment of local governments at Guntur being organized by Sthanika Prabhutvala Swadhikarata Samakhya and address a public meeting later.

- INN

The movement aims at motivating youth to work for social welfare and good governance.

The first event is being organized at B. V. Raju Institute of Technology at Narsapur in Medak district on August 12, International Youth Day.

Lok Satta Party national President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan and Surajya Movement Advisor  and  HMTV CEO  K. Ramachandra Murthy will interact with students on the occasion.

The Surajya Movement believes that the youth, numbering 56 crore, can transform the country if they have a better understanding of social, political and economic trends. The movement is launching ‘Surajya Sankharavam’ in colleges to achieve the objective.

The movement plans to honor students and educational institutions which are in the forefront of ushering in healthy changes in society.

- INN

People are free to express their opinions freely and fearlessly without resorting to violence, disrupting lives and fuelling hatred and animosities.

The Round Table wanted the Government of India to appoint an official committee in place of the ruling party panel to address grievances of all sections of people in the wake of the decision to split the State.  Since wisdom is not the monopoly of only legislators or officials, the Government should associate the civil society in arriving at decisions and implementing them.

The Foundation for Democratic Reforms and the Lok Satta movement convened the non-partisan Round Table to discuss what needs to be done to facilitate a bright future for people of all the regions in the wake of the Delhi decision to carve out a separate Telangana State.

Lok Satta Party national President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan set the tone for the four-hour-long discussions by asking participants not to indulge in a post-mortem on the decision to divide the State but focus on offering constructive suggestions. “The future is what matters and the past is inconsequential in the present context,” he underlined. He said that formation of a new State is neither a panacea nor a catastrophe since it is merely an administrative and political arrangement. But the move presented a golden opportunity for unveiling policies that transform people’s lives.

There was broad consensus among participants on the need to ensure the safety and security of people living in Hyderabad city irrespective of their origin through appropriate legal and administrative arrangements. Although the Constitution guarantees citizens the freedom to live and work anywhere in the country, there are apprehensions among large sections of people in the city on their future with which they have developed an attachment. The arrangements are necessary against the backdrop of harassment of people belonging to Kerala and Bihar in Maharashtra and those of Hindi-speaking States in Assam in the past.

The participants pointed out that Rayalaseema needs special attention because of the special problems it faces. It is deficient in rainfall, landlocked and economically backward. It now feels orphaned in the wake of the loss of a metropolis like Hyderabad. Permanent, credible and effective arrangements should be made to resolve its problems here and now so that bigger problems do not crop up in future.

Some of them felt that nothing short of formation of a separate Rayalaseema State along with Telangana answers their needs.

The participants agreed that mere formation of a State or two will not bring about a change in people’s lives unless power is decentralized, corruption mitigated if not eradicated and services extended as a matter of right.

Some participants pointed out that there is no provision in the Constitution for making one city as the capital of two States and it therefore warrants a Constitutional amendment. They also called for some sort of Constitutional arrangement for the sharing of the revenue from Hyderabad city between the two States for some period.

Some of the participants suggested formation of an independent water authority as envisaged in the Constitution to ensure fair distribution of river waters among States.

Those who took part in the marathon discussion included freedom fighter Chennamaneni Rajeswara Rao, former Justice Lakshmana Rao, K. Nageshwar, MLC, retired top officials K. Padmanabhaiah, K. Sujatha Rao,  K. Aravind Rao,  T. Hanuman Chowdary,  K. Satyanarayana Murthy, M. Padmanabha Reddy, S.R Vijayakar, Venkata Rao, Professors Kancha Ilaiah, Madabhushi Sridhar, Sasidhar, Visweswara Rao,  journalists Pothuri Venkateswara Rao, K. Srinivasa Reddy,  K. Ramachandra Murthy, Kandula Ramesh, Telakapalli Ravi, N. Seetharama Raju, Devi Priya, NGO leaders and social activists J. Lakshmana Reddy, Mazar Hussain, Chalasani Srinivas,  Dr. V.B.J Chelikani Rao, S. Ramachandra Reddy, Katragadda Prasuna, Putta Surender Babu, K. Chiranjeevi and P. Chengal Reddy, Lakshminarayana, Dasaradhasrami Reddy, Devi, Rev. Dr. J. Charles, K.Pratapa Reddy and Anwar Khan.

- INN

Srinivasa Rao, who visited the scene of the tragedy and called on the injured at Gandhi Hospital, said in a media statement that the Government as also all political parties should allow laws and regulations to take its own course in respect of grant of permissions for new buildings as also demolition of unsafe buildings. He pointed out that there have been instances of the Government permitting construction of malls and commercial complexes overruling objections from the police and fire service departments and politicians interfering in matters that should be left to civic authorities.

Srinivasa Rao also underlined the need for the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation to equip itself with latest equipment and technology to handle disasters to minimize loss of life and limb.

He appealed to people not to impede rescue operations by gathering at sites of tragedy in large numbers, although they are welcome to join rescue efforts.

Lok Satta Party Greater Hyderabad unit president and vice-president Dosapati Ramu, Gorthi Srinivas accompanied Srinivasa Rao. INN

In a media statement, Dr. JP pointed out that Mr. Shashi Tharoor was blurring the distinction between economic self-reliance and self-governance. In the contemporary globalized world, no nation, leave alone a village. can be self-reliant. Despite their technological prowess, even highly developed countries like the U. S., Germany and China are dependent on countries around the world for raw materials, products and services. Such interdependence enables every nation to reap the benefits of comparative advantage.

Economic interdependence is, however, different from self-governance, Dr. JP said, and added that local governments not only in countries like the U. S. and Germany but even in China are all powerful. Even in India, villages and municipalities when armed with powers, resources and personnel have recorded spectacular development. Visionary leadership in Alandur, a small town in Tamil Nadu, pioneered a local sewerage system and transformed people’s lives. Similarly, Dr. Verghese Kurien unleashed a white revolution in the country through cooperative dairies which blended the concepts of both economic interdependence and self-governance.

Dr. JP said that decentralization of powers and devolution of resources on local communities and making them accountable will contribute to the country’s progress, prosperity and peace.

It will lead to the emergence of a crop of new leaders and not necessarily the sons and daughters of present politicians.

Violence and naxalism will disappear. Naxalites, after all are disgruntled young Indians and not some alien creatures. If given resources and opportunities, they will become part of a solution and not a problem. From naxalism to secessionism – all can be curbed when people have greater measure of control over their lives through local governments. When they have control over resources, local communities can prioritize works depending local needs. In contrast, when power is centralized, those at the helm throw priorities to winds and focus on schemes that fetch them votes. Decentralization will thus put an end to fiscal profligacy too, Dr. JP said.

Local governments, if they are properly empowered, establish clear links between the citizens’ vote and public good, and ensure fusion of authority with accountability. “We need recognition of economic inter-dependence, as well as empowered and accountable local governments, if we are to prosper as a nation and find our due place in global community” Dr JP said. INN

In a representation submitted to Chief Minsiter N Kiran Kumar Reddy on Wednesday, Lok Satta party State President Katari Srinivasa Rao and other leaders brought the Chief Minister’s attention on the fact that neither the Hyderabad police nor the National Investigative Agency has made any breakthrough in identifying the perpetrators of the bomb blasts at Dilsukhnagar in Hyderabad even nearly 100 days after the suspected terrorist attack.

“One of the reasons for the failure of our investigative agencies is the absence of a wide and effective CCTV network in a growing metropolis like Hyderabad,” they said.

“Our inquiries through the Right to Information reveal that there are just 370 CCTV cameras in areas under the jurisdiction of the Hyderabad Police Commissioner and 51 in areas under the jurisdiction of the Cyberabad Police Commissioner. Of them, 34 cameras in Hyderabad and all the 51 in Cyberabad are dysfunctional. Not a single camera was installed in the years 2011, 2012 and so far during 2013,” the Lok Satta leaders said.

Citing media reports, the Lok Satta leaders said that the Government of Andhra Pradesh had estimated that Hyderabad would require 3000 CCTV cameras. In fact during the Biodiversity Conference in 2012, the Hyderabad police had sought Rs.300 crore for installation of 3000 cameras.

The Andhra Pradesh Government requested the Prime Minister, who visited Hyderabad in the wake of the Dilsukhnagar blasts, to sanction Rs.450 crore for installation of 3500 CCTV cameras.

“We are sorry that there has been no progress in installation of cameras anywhere in Hyderabad since the Dilsukhnagar blasts,” they said.

In stark contrast, the Maharahstra Government is going ahead with installation of a large CCTV network at a cost of Rs.864 crore in the wake of the serial blasts that rocked Mumbai.

“We need not overemphasize the importance of a CCTV network in all public places in deterring crime and identifying culprits. Within 48 hours of a bomb blast in Boston, the US authorities could nail down the culprits based on CCTV surveillance. And in the latest instance, CCTV surveillance has brought to light the betting going on in IPL cricket in India,” they said.

The Lok Satta leaders requested the Chief Minister to expedite installation of a CCTV network without further delay considering that Hyderabad has become a destination of choice for terrorists. The State Government with an annual budget of nearly Rs.1.5 lakh crore can afford to spend funds from its own budget for the network and seek reimbursement from the Center subsequently, they said. INN

In a media statement, Lok Satta Party State President Katari Srinivasa Rao also suggested that the Government declare a paid holiday to workers of Singareni Collieries’ open cast mines.

The Government, in association with NGOs, should launch a publicity campaign on safety measures to be taken and arrange for distribution of water, ORSs sachets. It should make special arrangements to extend free medical aid to sunstroke victims both in Government and private hospitals.

Srinivasa Rao asked the State and Central Governments to initiate a study into the unusual changes in climate in the recent past and their impact on agriculture and come up with a remedial action plan. INN

Addressing a media conference, State Lok Satta party President Katari Srinivasa Rao pointedly asked why the three parties which accuse each other of being corrupt have not sought institution of strong anti corruption mechanisms like Lokpal/Lokayukta and autonomy for CBI/ACB.

Srinivasa Rao underlined that corruption will not go away with a few people resigning from posts or being sent to jail. If the parties are sincere and serious, they should support strong and independent anti corruption mechanisms.

Srinivasa Rao recalled that the Lok Satta Party had circulated a Bill to amend the Prevention of Corruption Act even as the Congress and TDP traded charges of corruption in the Assembly. But there has been no response from mainstream parties on ushering in institutional changes to eradicate corruption.

The Lok Satta President said that all the three traditional parties are indulging in theatrics to gain political advantage, now that elections are round the corner. It is evident from the way politicians are jumping from one party to another. Their single point goal is winning elections. They have no inhibitions in embracing a party which they have criticized and lampooned till the other day.

Lok Satta Party Vice President D V V S Varma demanded that all Ministers facing charges should resign forthwith to maintain values in politics. He said that dynastic politics are taking root in Andhra Pradesh political parties too. “The son rise” in the State is not a manifestation of internal democracy but a relic of monarchies of yore.

Varma specifically referred to TDP rising star Nara Lokesh’s ‘pancha ratnas’ for fixing the ailments of the State and said they do not go to the roots of problems. For instance, the TDP’s promise of debt waiver will not transform the lives of farmers as is evident from two debt waivers in the past. The farmer should have the freedom to sell his produce wherever he wants and at whatever price it fetches. The TDP’s promise to shut down belt shops will remain a non-starter so long as the Government treats liquor as a source of revenue and leaves the trade in the hands of private individuals. Similarly, TDP promises in respect of youth and BCs do not address their basic problems of economic self-reliance, education, skills and employment.

Varma said the UPA II rule has been characterized by a series of scams and economic downturn.

Mrs. N Saroja Devi and M Satyanarayana, party leaders, took part in the media conference. INN