Whispers Forum

Yes, PM can do this. Regarding Rs. 1 lakh Cr., it is one months income for Govt.
Anil
Attention, Finance Minister
Faceless e-assessment scrutiny which is likely to start from October 8, 2019, is a welcome step. The first and foremost requirement is, tax rules should be simple and easy and understandable to both taxpayers and tax authorities but it is not so at present. There are many areas which require immediate attention. LTCG from transfer of equity or equity oriented mf is tax exempt up to 1 lakh. It means there is no tax liability on the part of tax payers. It was good enough till FY 2017-18 under section 10(38) but now it is replaced by section 10(112A) upto 1 lakh and more than 1 lakh is taxable. The simple implementation would have been to put sec 10(112A) in pull down menu under exempt income up to 1 lakh in place of sec 10(38) but it is not done. The salaried class and pensioners who file their ITR1 are facing biggest problem in filing ITR2 when there is LTCG on account of transfer of equity even Rs.10000/-. There is no tax liability but details are being asked unnecessarily. There may be some error or mistake in furnishing details of all scripts and mismatch which may invite bigger trouble without any gain to the tax authorities. Faceless assessment system will raise red flag and notices will start from tax authorities and replies from tax payers and will continue and may lead to harassment of tax payers as tax authorities may keep the issue alive. There is no gain to either parties as neither there is any tax revenue nor tax liability. The logic of tax authorities to get the details of transaction is not sound but arbitrary. If same logic is extended then we have to get the details of at least 50 crores people to know their income whether it is taxable or not. Such irritants should be removed before e-assessment scrutiny. Secondly Govt. has no tools or methodologies to assess the income of professionals. Many are dealings in cash only and difficult to trace unless cash transaction more than Rs.1000/ is banned and 2000/ and 500/ currency notes are considered to be withdrawn. Let all transaction more than 1000/- is thru plastic or digital when most of the people are having bank accounts. Let some tools be developed for assessing the income of professionals and small traders. Govt. may consider no more than three accounts to be allowed for individuals in all the banks. These are some points which should be considered and debated for successful implementation. There may be some more issues which may require attention. Let tax authorities to work out the plan for successful implementation but feedback from tax payers should be obtained to know where the shoe pinches.
Naveen

If the news about bringing about a change in retirement age from 60 years to 33 years of service or 60 years of service, whichever comes first is true then it is again one of those wonky ideas keeping bureaucrats in perpetual fear of the powers that be which is not conducive to efficiency and good governance. This means Government employees will be retiring at different ages .An employee who joins service say at an age 22 (taking the minimum age limit of 21 for taking the Civil Services Examination)retires at 55 years of age i.e. after 33 years notwithstanding the fact that he is brilliant enough to crack the exam in his first attempt while the one who entered say at the age of 30 taking all the chances available to him will retire at age 60. Incongruous. Is it not ? It will create lot of mental and psychological problems for those retiring before 60 and still in their 50s.With longivity having gone up and people still active in their 60s there is actually need to raise the retirement age instead of cutting it down making it different age limit for different employees depending upon their year of joining. This is quite messy and chaotic to say the least.
Aarti Khosla
What will I do after retirement ?
I entered in the Govt. service in February, 1990 at the age of 20 years. Now I am completing 50 years of age and also 33 years of service in coming February, 2020. It means I will be retired in 2023 at the age of 53 years i.e. seven years before my superannuation. My kids are studying. What will I do after retirement to run my home.
Sunil

DoPT's double standards relating to different services are commendable. While rushing promotions to 1986 and even 1987 batch officers of its favorite service to Special Secretary because they can’t become Secretary because of impending retirement, it is playing viscous with much senior officers of other services of 1983-1984 batches delaying clearance to them as much as possible.
Vaibha.
Retirement Age ?
Suddenly there is a news regarding retirement age. It is said employees who have put in 33 years of service or 60 years of age will be retired from Government service. Please update the information.
Rahul
About retirement age ?
Not fair in some family there is only member is earning with burden of lot of bank loan how he repay the bank this is not good decision.
Manjula Sharma

NCRB is the nodal agency entrusted with collecting and publishing annually, national data related to crimes, accidental deaths, suicides and prison statistics. This agency has failed to publish data for several years in a row and has also not thought it fit to publicise the possible dates for publication for the past three-four years. It is time the concerned govt. ministry i.e. Home Ministry takes cognizance of this inexcusable delays and orders a thorough shake-up at all levels.
A K Singh
Where do we propose to lead ?
Ministry of Commerce & Industry is getting constructed its own building on the Akbar Road near India Gate. The Ministry of Skill Development is getting a Kaushlaya Bhawan in New Motibagh area. Where do we propose to lead ?
B B Srivastava
Retirement age
I do not think it is o.k. for the family who have only one earning person and taken loan from the bank for the family. How can they repay the bank ? Most family future will go in dark.
Manjula Sharma

It is strongly believed that retirement rules- 33 years of service or 60 years, whichever is early to retire C.G. Employees is almost in final stages. Many Services in Central are preparing list of Officers to retire in next 2-4 years. Pack up days--achhe din for youth to join Central services. State may follow suit.
RKU
Selection of IAF Chief
An excellent decision by the political leadership of India today. The vast experience of Air Marshal Bhaduria in MAKE IN INDIA fighter program will give a phillip to induction of the LCA program . India needs now large numbers of these fighters for IAF and IN in the years ahead. A full aerospace architecture is required in India both in private and public sectors of aviation industry.
Devindra Sethi

Information regarding recruitment of faculty of NIT Kurukshetra including list of shortlisted candidates, list of selected candidates for the post of lecturer and other related information was sought. The appellant submitted that he received a reply which was delayed by one year and requested for imposition for penalty on the PIO. The CIC observed that despite a penalty of Rs 2000/- being imposed on the same PIO in another case, he has not concerned to reply to the present RTI application. The Commission took a serious note of the one year delay in providing a reply, the lackadaisical approach of the PIO and the inaction of the First Appellate Authority in providing a reply and observed that it shows the poor functioning of the respondent organisation. The CIC observed that the PIO is incorrigible as despite penalty being imposed earlier, he has still adopted a casual approach in dealing with this RTI application. A strict warning was issued to improve the manner of handling RTI applications and follow the RTI Act in its letter and spirit. Furthermore, the FAA was issued a strict warning for not disposing off the first appeal. The Chairperson, Board of Governor, National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra was directed to take steps to ensure that the PIO and the FAA are dedicated towards promoting transparency and providing timely replies.
Comments
The PIO and FAA ensure timely disposal of RTI applications / appeals filed before them. Penalty may be imposed on a PIO in case of failure in performing the duty and even disciplinary action can be taken against the PIO.
Citation: Sudakar Singh Chauhan v. CPIO, National Institute of Technology Kurukshetra in Decision no.: CIC/NITKS/A/2018/151482/01601, Date of Decision: 12/09/2019
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. Her other articles can be read at the website of RTI Foundation of India at the link: - Right to Information Act 2005- RTI Foundation of India

Let me come straight to the point. There was some kind of ‘Ilhaam’ to convey PM’s twin vision of having office buildings, more than 50 years old in Delhi to be razed or revamped and search for a global architecture to redevelop and restructure the central vista, central secretariat and the Parliament house.
Public is not naïve. No wonders, it has already started accusing the CEO of foisting grandiose plans so as to leave a lasting mark on the gullible masses. Dates of completions of projects are fixed even examining the implications . Decisions are taken unilaterally with scant or no regard for stakeholders. Lack of consultative mechanism, makes it almost dictatorial. Appalling. Results are obvious. Utter confusion prevails in Min / Housing &Urban Affairs; Officers and engineers are either half-informed or uninformed. No sharing of information, no brain-storming sessions before finalising the multiple projects.
A deeper analysis would throw up several ambiguities. Sample some of these.
The govt reveals its ambitious plan of revamping or building a new Parliament House by 2022 (synchronizing with 75th Independence Day) , razing down Shastri Bhawan, Udyog Bhawan, Krishi Bhawan and build a common secretariat to locate about 70,000 central government employees who now currently work across 30 buildings. The ambitious projects are to be completed by March 2024.A rather tall order for CPWD with its laidback work culture. Favourite realtors could join the fray on the basis of turn-key projects.
North and South Blocks are proposed to be retained as museums with erection of new secretariat buildings. So, one can assume, there is nothing structurally wrong with the Lutynes landmarks. The plan includes upgrading public facilities, parking and greenery in central vista to make it a “world-class tourist hub” by November, 2020.
According to experts, North and South Blocks may need some retrofitting as they are not earthquake proof. Interference with Central Vista by demolishing Shastri/ Krishi/ Udyog Bhawans etc and replacing these with multi-storeyed glass structure without any consultation with the public, groups of architects or urban planners – would be unpardonable. Why raze down buildings for not being earthquake -proof ?
Domain experts caution that any plan of such large scale and magnitude should not be executed in a hurry. This is a serious flaw in the scheme.A truncated timeframe without detailed examination of ambitious projects leaving many things vague ,would lead to selection of incompetent ,inefficient builders who could leave the jobs in the middle causing more delay and corruption.
The ministry invited bids both from Indian and international architecture firms to provide consultancy services for the projects. The bidders have been asked to visit the site and examine the parameters and scope of the work in detail, and carry out detailed analysis before submitting the bids. It is left to the bidders to choose what they plan to revamp or demolish as per their plan. In other words, Govt is not clear about its flagship projects. Locating vacant space for new Parliament building, would be a tedious job .It must be ensured that Fee structure is decided by the Council of Architecture to prevent malpractices. Often foreign companies initially ask for very low fees upfront and then do a shabby job or even abandon the project midway. So adherence to Council norms would ensure that projects are executed by the best local hands.
Would there be any monitoring mechanism to ensure adherence to Lutyens bungalows and Central Vista guidelines ? This is considered necessary to preserve the original character of the capital city. Central Vista needs special attention. It has hundreds of trees, some as old as 100 years. The trees need replacement. The bid document does not spell out importance of Central Vista.
My hunch is that the Government would ultimately press for replacing present Bhawans by multi-storied office buildings. This will cause massive inconvenience to the public. Due to high population density in Lutyens Delhi, decentralisation of central government offices is need of the hour as per GOI’s stated policy. Aspects like architecture , heritage, transportation and time-bound nature of projects would have to be dovetailed. One wonders whether Delhi Urban Art Commission will be kept in the loop?
The bidders are expected to have the experience of completing one single master plan for urban or historical area redevelopment project of size not less than 500 acres in India along with a single building project of value not less than Rs 250 crore. A comprehensive urban design, landscape and conservation strategy, should have been prepared first.
Both chairman (RS) and Speaker ( LS) have asked the government to build a modern Parliament house. Is the whole exercise being undertaken to pamper the political class by providing separate chamber for each MP? At least, so it seems. Lok Sabha secretariat is still collecting feedback from stakeholders . Locating a new site to build a new Parliament may not be easy. Security concerns have to be addressed.
Govt’s perpetually wonky priorities are disturbing. The public was assured of Good governance, Efficiency, Transparency, Accountability and above all Equity. Removal of encroachment on public land still remains elusive.
The amount earmarked for make-over of Lutyens Delhi, could be put to better use for removal of unauthorised occupation on public land.
Instead of signing the deal for “bullet train” technology on Mumbai-Ahmedabad sector, we could have carried out full electrification of trunk lines or to double-track some important rail routes that are still single line and require complicated scheduling schemes which get routinely disrupted resulting in most trains running late
A K Saxena (A former civil servant)

MOF - GoI is seriously mulling merging of IFCI Ltd. and IIFCL to create powerful Development Financial Institution to channelize infrastructure and industrial manufacturing push and to create employment opportunities. New DFI will give term loan to all Large and MSME corporates and only WCTL will be from Banks. All pension / PF funds and Multilateral Finance Institutions will be asked to lent to this new DFI.
BMA
Can we leave the Central Vista alone ?
Are we on rebuilding spree or destroying the beautiful heritage we have Rashtrapati Bhavan, North block South block, the most impressive Rajpath with green lawns, jamun trees two water bodies on both sides and multiple bhavans around and the parliament house all add a touch of glory to seat of power of GOI. We should be proud of this vista where in Parliament house on the midnight of Independence the first Prime minister of the country gave his famous 'tryst with destiny 'speech, where many an Indians heads swelled with pride while watching the Republic Day parade year after year. And oh! beating retreat .Those tunes still haunt me topped by Gandhi Ji's favourite' abide by thee'. I can still hear the shreiks of joy from children and adults too when the whole of Rashtrapati Bhavan , North Block and South Block lit up. Why destroy this lovely heritage. So what if it was built by Englishmen. So what if these are over hundred years old. Does it mean that we are going to pull down all that has the imprint of all those who ruled this country before India became free. Are Mughal buildings on the block next? 'Redevelopment' plan for Central vista is there quite a worrisome idea for all those who take pride in their heritage.
Aarti Khosla

An excellent order. As first appellate authority, I come across many appeals where the individual asks for copies of the documents submitted by his own self. As there is some ambiguity in the definition of "information" under the RTI Act, this order of CIC would help in removing doubts and avoid unnecessary appeals.
Ujjwala
Trump clearly eyeing votes
It is reported that President Trump may attend the Housten Rally on Sept 22 being organized by Indian Americans for Prime Minister Modi who will be in U.S.A in connection with UN General Assembly session where he is scheduled to speak on Sept. 27. Donald Trump is clearly eyeing the votes of this crowd of Indian Americans (More than 50000 are expected to be in the Rally) for his election next year. Trump has never shown any consistency in his approach to any relationship.
Aarti Khosla

Accidents and pollution on the roads can also be curbed if we stopped misuse of vehicles for personal purposes by the Ministers and Bureaucrats at the exchequer cost. This will also reduce huge import bills of the exchequer.
BBS
When DPC for IRS will be held ?
It is an incorrect information. The DPC has been held one month back. The batches covered are 1997- 2001. The file is with ACC.
Rajesh
When DPC for IRS will be held ?
Will they be promoted on an ad hoc basis or regular basis? What about the batches earlier to these from 1991 to 1996 who are still working as Commissioners on an ad hoc basis ?
Suresh Kumar