Whispers Forum

Concerned with the dissatisfaction expressed by Armed Forces over the performance of Ordnance Factories (OFs), Government has announced its intention to corporatise them. It has received predictable responses- welcomed by Armed Forces and some others and opposed by the employees who have threatened to go on strike with the tacit backing of IOFS officers. Merely saying that OFs will be corporatised without what exact changes will be brought about means nothing. Maybe a high powered Committee will be constituted to work out the details. In any case, it is worth noting that many corporatised Govt undertakings as well as private ones are in doldrums. Corporatisation is not a silver bullet that magically transform OFs into 21st century companies.
As Tolstoy wrote in Anna Karenina " Happy families are alike. Each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." OFs are a collection of many plants producing diverse products with diverse technologies with widely varying work culture and practices. Each one may have problems unique to itself. A one-size-fits-all approach may not work. Such a remedy may in fact turn out to be worse than the disease.
A crisis provides the best opportunity to bring about changes. Here is a golden opportunity to the Managers of OFs to bring about sustainable, irreversible positive changes to all key processes and daily work practices . Review the relevance, suitability and all your processes and change them where necessary. Remember if all of you keep doing the same thing you have doing for last several decades you can't expect a different outcome .Winners don't do different things; they do things differently.
Control your destiny; otherwise someone will control it. Change before you have to. If changes are imposed from outside it will be very painful and may not succeed. Hope some IOFS officers will read this and take in the right spirit.
S Raghavan

Among other submissions, the appellant informed the CIC that the FAA did not provide him an opportunity of being heard even though he had requested for the same in his first appeal memo. The CIC observed that deciding an appeal after rendering an opportunity of hearing to the parties is a fundamental principle of jurisprudence. It is conducive to fairness and transparency and is in line with the principles of natural justice. As per Section 19(6) of the RTI Act, the FAA is required to dispose of an appeal within 30 days of the receipt thereof and as far as possible also give the appellant as well as third party an opportunity of hearing specially if he so requests, without forgetting that the essence of the RTI Act is to provide complete, correct and timely information to the appellant.
Comments
Although the RTI Act or the rules made thereunder do not prescribe the procedure to be followed by the FAA in dealing with first appeals, the FAA should give an opportunity of hearing to any Appellant if the Appellant expressly wants to be heard. In the case of Manohar v. State of Maharashtra [CA No. 9095/2012], the Hon’ble Supreme Court held that the right of hearing, even if not provided under a specific statute, the principles of natural justice shall so demand, unless by specific law, it is excluded.
Citation: Dr S Garg v. University Grants Commission in File No.: CIC/UGCOM/A/2019/639673, Date of Decision: 09/09/2020
Dr. Anuradha Verma (dranuradhaverma@yahoo.co.in) is an expert on RTI matters and has co-authored the books RIGHT TO INFORMATION - LAW AND PRACTICE and PIO’s guide to RTI. Apart from her weekly article here, her other articles can be read at the website of RTI Foundation of India at the link: www.rtifoundationofindia.com

True that CSS & CSSS officials are lingering on without any promotion (even in the normal stage they get very late) for the last two years. Government should come forward to settle the cases once for all. In the meantime, they can get the Court's approval for adhoc/in-situ promotions till the regular cases are settled. Really a sorry plight for all brethren who retire without promotion and also those who are serving but feeling disgusted. Why other services are always getting promotions easily whereas CSS/CSSS have to toil even after putting a lot of service. Once they were considered as the backbone of the Government of India but now they are all very upset. Hope the Government does something to boost the morale of the CSS/CSSS soon.
Seth

Drugs pedalling and consumption are crimes in the country under the NDPS Act,1985. Ground realities elsewhere in the country are shocking.
In Varanasi, for instance,“ thandai, pakoda, papad, samosas” mixed with “bhaang" (Cannabis, hashish), are available with impunity. The authorities are not blind to such age old practices. CM Yogi is urged to ban misuse of prohibited drugs and substances in the holy city which also happens to be PM Modi’s constituency. The NDPS Act 1985 applies to entire country without exemption. UP CM must demonstrate the political will to clear up the mess from the entire Uttar Pradesh ?
UP is not alone. Every Indian state faces same problems. At hundreds of places in urban and rural India, the menace is widely prevalent. All must be treated at par with Bollywood in taking punitive action.
A K Saxena ( A former civil servant)
A request to Ms Nidhi Pandey – Commissioner, Kendriya Vidyayala Sangathan
Mam, I have to say that my daughter kavya Singh was selected under category 3 in class 1 admission process after lottery at no.1 in Ichapore kv, no. 2 in army barrackpore and no.5 at afs Barrackpore. But her name was not selected by the school administration. So Mam, I think that you could help me in this matter because you are my last hope. Please Mam consider my request so that my daughter will not suffer regarding her studies. I have two daughters, one is already in kv afs barrackpore in class 5. Please Mam help me. With kind and humble regards
Arti Singh