Lok Satta

LOK SATTA's advocacy of toilets in every household as a democratic right of citizens compelled the State government to accept it as a government programme, resulting in widespread construction of nearly two million toilets in the past three years.

Stakeholders Empowerment - Water Users Associations and School Education Committees (1998)

Following LOK SATTA's campaign for stakeholders' empowerment, laws have been enacted formally constituting and empowering water users' associations and school education committees.

LOK SATTA is strongly in favor of legal and formal empowerment of elected committees of stake-holders. Only when stake-holders become power-wielders, and those in authority have a stake, will the quality of public services improve. LOK SATTA's campaign resulted in two laws in AP empowering stakeholders:

Water Users' Associations are now formed as elected committees of farmers, and they are entrusted with management of local irrigation sources. The law proved to be reasonably effective in improving irrigation management.
School Education Committees (SECs) are now formed by law through election by parents of children going to the school. Parent's empowerment has been partial and sketchy because of the power of teacher's unions. Nevertheless it is a first step in improving school education. LOK SATTA is now making efforts to strengthen SECs by associating successful alumni, former teachers and credible voluntary organizations.

LOK SATTA is also working for empowerment of farmers in marketing committees, consumers in fair price shops and urban citizens in ward committees