Lok Satta Party President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan has requested Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh to immediately constitute a National Judicial Commission with powers to appoint and terminate the services of Supreme Court and High Court judges.
Dr. JP, who called on the Prime Minister at Raj Bhavan here last night, said the commission should comprise eminent citizens chosen in a bipartisan manner and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of India. He also wanted the formation of an Indian Judicial Service on the lines of the Indian Administrative Service.
Dr. JP’s suggestion assumes significance in the context of allegations of corruption against a section of the judiciary and the controversy surrounding the declaration of assets by Judges.
Addressing the media, Dr. JP said he had also suggested to the Prime Minister to make civil services competitive by providing opportunities for induction of the best and the brightest in different fields. He pointed out that sectors like education and health care are in an awful state throughout the country because there are not many competent people in the services to handle such all-important sectors and deliver results. Although Governments spent thousands of crores of rupees, the quality of education is shocking in that 40 percent of students cannot read a simple passage and 70 percent cannot do a simple division or subtraction after seven years of schooling.
There should be competition to appoint the best in key positions, drawing from government as well as outside. All key appointments, he said should be made by invitation and nor by application. The time has come to put an end to hierarchy in civil services and encourage competition and choice.
Dr. JP also pleaded for initiation of reforms in policing by making crime investigation independent so that it could be shielded from political pressures.
On governance in general, Dr. JP suggested that unless powers and resources are devolved on local governments, there can be no improvement. To curb likely irregularities and corruption because of decentralization, Dr. JP said, ombudsmen could be appointed in every district to check them.
Dr. JP told the media the Prime Minister had appreciated the suggestions and promised to follow them up.
Dr. JP, who is visiting the flood-hit Mahbubnagar and Kurnool districts on October 11 and 12, indicated that the Lok Satta Party planned to adopt a village in each of the four badly affected districts (including Krishna and Guntur) to facilitate their all-round development with the help of NGOs, the Government and philanthropic individuals on a long-term basis.
Dr. JP said that there was a proposal to divert the Hundri river a few kilometers away from Kurnool so that the town would not be vulnerable to frequent floods. If the proposal was feasible, funds should not be a constraint for implementing it.
Dr. JP heartily congratulated the officers and staff who have been tirelessly working to extending relief to the flood victims. He described the public response to the tragedy as magnificent in that every section contributed their mite towards relief.
Dr. JP demanded that all liquor outlets in the flood-affected areas be shut down at least for three months to protect the lives and security of poor families.
In a letter addressed to the Chief Minister, Mr. K. Rosaiah, Dr. JP quoted field reports to point out that large numbers of people in the flood-affected areas are squandering the assistance they are receiving from the Government and NGOs on liquor consumption.
The licenses of the shops which remain closed could be extended for the period they remain closed.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Dr.JP's Letter to P.M. on Flood Relief Help
To
Dr. Manmohan Singh
The Prime Minister of India
Esteemed Prime Minster Dr Manmohan Singh ji,
We are grateful to you for the prompt assistance provided by the Government of India to Andhra Pradesh following the unprecedented flood in the Krishna River, last week. Your Government’s assistance has greatly aided the immediate relief and rehabilitation efforts of the AP State Government.
Now, we earnestly urge you to examine and act upon the following five critical issues, as a part of the Union Government’s long-term reconstruction and flood management assistance to Andhra Pradesh:
Undertaking the above measures would greatly help prevent or mitigate future floods and establish sustainable water management practices. We therefore urge your government to take all necessary steps at the earliest by charting a time-bound programme, to achieve the above objectives.
We have great faith in your leadership.
With personal warm regards,
Sincerely,
Jayaprakash Narayan
President
Dr. Manmohan Singh
The Prime Minister of India
Esteemed Prime Minster Dr Manmohan Singh ji,
We are grateful to you for the prompt assistance provided by the Government of India to Andhra Pradesh following the unprecedented flood in the Krishna River, last week. Your Government’s assistance has greatly aided the immediate relief and rehabilitation efforts of the AP State Government.
Now, we earnestly urge you to examine and act upon the following five critical issues, as a part of the Union Government’s long-term reconstruction and flood management assistance to Andhra Pradesh:
Resettlement of ‘lanka’ villages: The Krishna River’s lanka villages (situated on the river channels and close to the mouths of the river) are highly vulnerable to both riverine and coastal flooding. These villages should be relocated to suitable and safe locations nearby, to keep human settlements out of the flood path. As in the case of Godavari River’s lanka villages, agricultural activities could however be permitted to continue in these fertile but, low-lying and flood prone areas. The government’s Resettlement-and-Rehabilitation package for the State should fully and generously provide for the proper relocation of these lanka villages to safer areas.
Creation of a permanent ‘National Disaster Relief Force’ at multiple locations: The recurring heavy floods to the mighty Godavari and Krishna rivers in Andhra Pradesh have seen the governmental relief measures taking some time to reach the affected peoples and areas. Therefore a contingent of ‘National Disaster Relief Force’ needs to be created on a permanent basis to provide effective emergency relief. This rapid-response Force should be manned by adequate numbers of fully trained emergency relief personnel and must be provided with the necessary equipment including motor boats and human flotation devices along with emergency medical supplies and ready-to-eat emergency food rations. Units of this Force could operate out of bases in Vijayawada, Srisailam and Nagarjunasagar dams (all on the Krishna River) and Rajahmundry (on the Godavari River), to provide rapid emergency relief to flood-affected regions.
Flood-proofing the hydel power generation units: The long-term reconstruction package must provide for the flood-proofing of the hydroelectric power generation units on the right and left banks at Srisailam and Nagarjunasagar dams on Krishna River. This package must also provide for the strengthening of the hydel power distribution infrastructure. These steps would greatly contribute towards ensuring that hydel power generation and distribution are not adversely affected during major flood events.
Strengthening of the Krishna river bunds: Last week’s unprecedented flood of 25 lakh cusec-magnitude has severely exposed the structural limitations of the existing bunds on Krishna River (located downstream of the Prakasam Barrage at Vijayawada), which were designed and constructed to handle floods of less than 10-11 lakh cusecs. The bunds’ structure should be greatly strengthened so that they can handle floods of much higher magnitude, of around 25 lakh cusecs. This project must be taken up in a time-bound manner, and needs to be completed within two years.
Constitution of Expert Committees for flood mitigation and response to climate change:
The Krishna River, which usually sees chronic shortages of water leading to frequent water sharing disputes, has now witnessed a flood of unprecedented magnitude. Last week’s flood underscores the importance of a scientific and timely decision-making process on the manner of storage and sharing of river flows, anticipation of riverine floods and mitigating floods including advance depletion of reservoirs. We therefore urge the Government of India to constitute an Empowered Expert Committee to institutionalize permanent and verifiable measures for real-time monitoring of rainfall-runoff patterns and river water levels at critical points and thereby take appropriate and timely decisions to mitigate future floods. Such a Committee could consist of domain experts drawn from the Central Water Commission (CWC), other concerned public agencies and academia, experts in disaster management and public officials of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra.
Recent scientific evidence suggests a delay in the yearly onset of monsoonal rains, even as the intensity/severity of some individual rainfall events is increasing; the monsoon rainfall events too are perceived to have become more erratic and less consistent over the years. Any such long-term changes in the rainfall patterns would greatly impact Indian agriculture. Continental Europe has been experiencing advanced onset of its yearly spring and has undertaken a corresponding change in its agricultural practices.
Given the unique water-use needs and water management practices of Indian agriculture, we need to undertake a rigorous scientific study on the impact of any long-term change in the monsoonal rainfall patterns, drawing upon global expertise in this field. Therefore, we urge you to constitute an Expert Committee to study climate change patterns in India and recommend appropriate modifications to current water management and agricultural practices.
Undertaking the above measures would greatly help prevent or mitigate future floods and establish sustainable water management practices. We therefore urge your government to take all necessary steps at the earliest by charting a time-bound programme, to achieve the above objectives.
We have great faith in your leadership.
With personal warm regards,
Sincerely,
Jayaprakash Narayan
President
Monday, October 12, 2009
NOC for a vehicle bought in AP- Process
If you are looking to get a NOC for your bike purchased in AP (Registered in Rangareddy RTO) and not ready to bribe a broker, plz follow the steps below :
1) First, visit the Traffic Control Room in Lakdi-ka-pul (it is to left of main road, just before “West-side” signal). Take your original RC card. Go to counter no. 2 (outside the office) and produce an application (write in plain paper, saying u are so and so, from so and so…asking for NOC…to transfer bike to blore). After getting signature on the application, take it to the guy in the 2nd floor in the office. He will prepare one more receipt and verify if your vehicle has any records. Take the same receipt to the earlier counter no. 2 and get the final receipt from counter no. 1. No need to pay here. (Yeah it’s a crazy process, but it is how it is)
2) Next, go to the Police Commissioner Office of Cyberabad (located next to Lakdi-ka-pul bus-stop) and pay Rs. 100/- to obtain the “user charge” receipt for the NOC. This should be a fairly simple process if the Commissioner is in office!!! I actually paid this “user charge” in e-seva after the advice from the Police Commissioner (Hyd) officials and found it was wrong!
3) Take the above 2 receipts to Madhapur police station and ask for NOC application. You need to take Xerox of Driver’s license and RC card. Incase a senior police officer is not in office, this process might take a day or two.
4) Now, you need to take the application given by Madhapur police station again back to the Commissioner office in Lakdi-ka-pul. You would now get a letter from Police Commissioner to RTO Head.
5) Finally, go to the Rangareddy RTO in Atahpur (close to Mehdipatnam). Just outside the entrance of RTO, buy a form 28 (you will get 3 copies) for 3 rupees. Fill up all 3 copies and give the same at counter no. 2 along with Xerox of insurance, pollution certificate and the letter you got above. Also take your original RC card for verification. You need to pay Rs. 50/- here. But here the system in weird. You can apply only in mornings, but collect receipts (NOC) in evenings from 4pm to 5pm. So minimum of 2 trips required here.
1) First, visit the Traffic Control Room in Lakdi-ka-pul (it is to left of main road, just before “West-side” signal). Take your original RC card. Go to counter no. 2 (outside the office) and produce an application (write in plain paper, saying u are so and so, from so and so…asking for NOC…to transfer bike to blore). After getting signature on the application, take it to the guy in the 2nd floor in the office. He will prepare one more receipt and verify if your vehicle has any records. Take the same receipt to the earlier counter no. 2 and get the final receipt from counter no. 1. No need to pay here. (Yeah it’s a crazy process, but it is how it is)
2) Next, go to the Police Commissioner Office of Cyberabad (located next to Lakdi-ka-pul bus-stop) and pay Rs. 100/- to obtain the “user charge” receipt for the NOC. This should be a fairly simple process if the Commissioner is in office!!! I actually paid this “user charge” in e-seva after the advice from the Police Commissioner (Hyd) officials and found it was wrong!
3) Take the above 2 receipts to Madhapur police station and ask for NOC application. You need to take Xerox of Driver’s license and RC card. Incase a senior police officer is not in office, this process might take a day or two.
4) Now, you need to take the application given by Madhapur police station again back to the Commissioner office in Lakdi-ka-pul. You would now get a letter from Police Commissioner to RTO Head.
5) Finally, go to the Rangareddy RTO in Atahpur (close to Mehdipatnam). Just outside the entrance of RTO, buy a form 28 (you will get 3 copies) for 3 rupees. Fill up all 3 copies and give the same at counter no. 2 along with Xerox of insurance, pollution certificate and the letter you got above. Also take your original RC card for verification. You need to pay Rs. 50/- here. But here the system in weird. You can apply only in mornings, but collect receipts (NOC) in evenings from 4pm to 5pm. So minimum of 2 trips required here.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Educated have to put an end to politics of Plunder and populism: Dr. JP
Lok Satta Party President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan said today that traditional political parties have perfected their politics of plunder and populism into such a fine art that they have eminently succeeded in masking the serious crisis the State has been passing through. All enlightened and educated people have to now decide whether they would like to end this plunder and failure or content themselves with cursing politics and politicians and keeping quiet.
Interacting with the media on the eve of the party’s third anniversary, Dr. JP said that the traditional parties had turned politics into a dynastic and lucrative business enterprise. To drive his message about the plunder being indulged in by political parties, he said he had come to know that a political party, fully conscious that it had no chance of winning, pumped Rs.60 lakh from the headquarters to make its presence felt in a ZPTC election in a district. To divert attention from their plunder, traditional parties threw sops at people instead of solving their problems.
Dr. JP said despite thousands of crores of rupees being spent on rural development, villages are getting depopulated as low-skilled people migrated to urban areas in search of livelihood. In the process, the urban areas have become ghettos. The failure of rains for a couple of months has caused enormous havoc although the State recorded copious rains for five years in a row. Quality education and health care and livelihood opportunities have eluded an overwhelming majority of people. Far from addressing such fundamental problems traditional parties have mastered the art of short terms sops to conceal the gruesome ground realities.
Dr. JP said such a crisis situation could not go on forever. There would be an implosion when people ran out of their patience. He could not predict when it would take place just as none could visualize the fall of the Berlin Wall or the break-up of the Soviet Union.
“If politics has become family business and power private property, the blame lies with us the people as politicians cannot ride roughshod over us without our consent.” As during the freedom struggle, all the educated and enlightened have to take the lead in transforming politics. The Lok Satta has created a platform for the best minds and hearts of India to pursue ethical politics and policies. It has had a track record of practicing what it preaches, reconciling conflicting interests and providing creative responses to vexed and long-standing problems.
Dr. JP conceded that the Lok Satta Party as of today is constrained by lack of competent leadership, effective organization, and ethical resources. It had just started taking steps to overcome its deficiencies by introducing executive membership. It would facilitate the emergence of leadership and the raising of resources.
The party had formed ad-hoc district committees pending fresh elections. Enrolment of executive members is under way. It has launched a ‘power for people’ movement in urban areas. In the first phase, the party will identify, in each ward, the issues the urban people are facing and estimate how much it will cost to resolve them. In the second phase empowerment of people through elected ward committees, allocation of people’s tax money to a time of Rs.1000 per capita to solve the problems themselves, adequate powers, and accountability will be made into people’s demand in each ward and municipality. In the final phase, if the government does not empower citizens, a non-cooperation movement will be launched against the government.
Asked whether a sympathy wave for the Congress in the wake of Dr. Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy’s death would hurt Lok Satta chances in GHMC elections, Dr. JP said he was not on the look out for any alibi for the likely performance of his party. However, he felt that people should have greater sympathy for themselves since each one is a hero in his life and exists for himself. “Leaders matter only to the extent they transform lives of people. Parties and leaders exist for people, not the other way round”, said Dr. JP.
Dr. JP disclosed that he would shortly be entrusting powers and responsibilities to party leaders so that he could focus on bigger issues, once relieved of day-to-day work,
Party spokespersons Katari Srinivasa Rao, V. Laxman Balaji, Mrs. K. Gita Murthy and Mrs. Y. Ramadevi flanked Dr. JP as he interacted with the media.
Source:Loksatta
Interacting with the media on the eve of the party’s third anniversary, Dr. JP said that the traditional parties had turned politics into a dynastic and lucrative business enterprise. To drive his message about the plunder being indulged in by political parties, he said he had come to know that a political party, fully conscious that it had no chance of winning, pumped Rs.60 lakh from the headquarters to make its presence felt in a ZPTC election in a district. To divert attention from their plunder, traditional parties threw sops at people instead of solving their problems.
Dr. JP said despite thousands of crores of rupees being spent on rural development, villages are getting depopulated as low-skilled people migrated to urban areas in search of livelihood. In the process, the urban areas have become ghettos. The failure of rains for a couple of months has caused enormous havoc although the State recorded copious rains for five years in a row. Quality education and health care and livelihood opportunities have eluded an overwhelming majority of people. Far from addressing such fundamental problems traditional parties have mastered the art of short terms sops to conceal the gruesome ground realities.
Dr. JP said such a crisis situation could not go on forever. There would be an implosion when people ran out of their patience. He could not predict when it would take place just as none could visualize the fall of the Berlin Wall or the break-up of the Soviet Union.
“If politics has become family business and power private property, the blame lies with us the people as politicians cannot ride roughshod over us without our consent.” As during the freedom struggle, all the educated and enlightened have to take the lead in transforming politics. The Lok Satta has created a platform for the best minds and hearts of India to pursue ethical politics and policies. It has had a track record of practicing what it preaches, reconciling conflicting interests and providing creative responses to vexed and long-standing problems.
Dr. JP conceded that the Lok Satta Party as of today is constrained by lack of competent leadership, effective organization, and ethical resources. It had just started taking steps to overcome its deficiencies by introducing executive membership. It would facilitate the emergence of leadership and the raising of resources.
The party had formed ad-hoc district committees pending fresh elections. Enrolment of executive members is under way. It has launched a ‘power for people’ movement in urban areas. In the first phase, the party will identify, in each ward, the issues the urban people are facing and estimate how much it will cost to resolve them. In the second phase empowerment of people through elected ward committees, allocation of people’s tax money to a time of Rs.1000 per capita to solve the problems themselves, adequate powers, and accountability will be made into people’s demand in each ward and municipality. In the final phase, if the government does not empower citizens, a non-cooperation movement will be launched against the government.
Asked whether a sympathy wave for the Congress in the wake of Dr. Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy’s death would hurt Lok Satta chances in GHMC elections, Dr. JP said he was not on the look out for any alibi for the likely performance of his party. However, he felt that people should have greater sympathy for themselves since each one is a hero in his life and exists for himself. “Leaders matter only to the extent they transform lives of people. Parties and leaders exist for people, not the other way round”, said Dr. JP.
Dr. JP disclosed that he would shortly be entrusting powers and responsibilities to party leaders so that he could focus on bigger issues, once relieved of day-to-day work,
Party spokespersons Katari Srinivasa Rao, V. Laxman Balaji, Mrs. K. Gita Murthy and Mrs. Y. Ramadevi flanked Dr. JP as he interacted with the media.
Source:Loksatta
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