Dr. JP welcomes arrests in mining scam, Calls for long-term war on corruption

The Lok Satta Party today welcomed the arrest of Mr. Gali Janardhana Reddy and others in connection with the iron ore mining scam.

Addressing a media conference, Lok Satta Party President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan recalled that the Karnataka Lokayukta had estimated that the mining scam involved a loot of Rs.16,000 crore and said that a multi-pronged and long-term war had to be waged against corruption. Corruption could be minimized if the Government sent at least 100 most corrupt people at the national level and 50 to 100 in large States like Andhra Pradesh, irrespective of their status, to jail and confiscated their ill-gotten property.

In this connection, he narrated how a court in the U. S. imposed a jail term of 15 years and confiscated the property of an NRI doctor couple who defrauded the Government.

Dr. JP said natural resources should be allocated through transparent, public auctions and windfall profits taxed.

The Lok Satta Party would be offering its views to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Lokpal Bill on September 7.

Dr. JP demanded that the Government abandon its plans to bring the Godavari waters from Yellampalli to quench the thirst of Hyderabad. The proposal is costly. In addition, water availability at Yellampalli downstream of the Sriramsagar project is uncertain. The Government should, therefore, take up Phase III of the Krishna water project since it costs less and water is always available in the Nagarjunasagar reservoir. The Government should utilize the waters available in the Godavari for irrigation, and meeting the drinking water and industrial needs of Telangana districts.

Mr. Y. D. Ramarao, Vice President of the Lok Satta Party, demanded that recruitment to all posts in district cooperative central banks and primary agricultural cooperative societies be done by the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection to ward off political interference.

Messrs G. Rajareddy, V. Lakshman Balaji and V. Vijayender Reddy took part in the media conference.