Dr. JP visiting Pattipadu on Sunday

Lok Satta Party President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan will be campaigning on behalf of party candidate Mrs. Jonnalagadda Jaya Bhagyam in the by-election to the Assembly from Pattipadu constituency in Guntur district on Sunday, May 13.

Mrs. Jaya Bhagyam is a 57-year-old Dalit agricultural laborer from Pedagottipadu village.

Mrs. Jaya Bhagyam was instrumental in getting the license of a liquor shop in the village's dalitwada cancelled by launching a movement for a year and half with Lok Satta Party support. In the process, she went on fast, courted jail and suffered lathi blows.

In 2007, Lok Satta workers led by Dr. JP launched a three-day, 70-km padayatra from Pedagottipadu to Guntur on the liquor issue.

Dr. JP will take part in the inauguration of Ayush Hospital in Vijayawada in the morning and a meeting of party workers in Guntur at 3-00 p.m.

Dr. JP will launch the election campaign at Pedagottipadu, Pattipadu and Pedanandipadu from 5-00 p.m. on wards.

Liquor policy

The Lok Satta Party today demanded that the Government convene an all-party meeting as promised by the Chief Minister to discuss the new liquor policy.

In a media statement, party General Secretary Katari Srinivasa Rao took exception to Excise Minister Mopidevi Venkata Ramana talking of three or four alternatives to the present excise policy. He wondered whether the Government was ushering in a policy to benefit liquor dealers and politicians.

Mr. Srinivasa Rao said that the Government should take over retail distribution and restrict liquor consumption considering that the present policy played havoc with the lives of the poor.