Whispers Forum

DEBATE
P L Punia, who is incharge of Congress Affairs in Chhattisgarh, is a former IAS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre. He was Principal Secretary to BSP Chief Mayawati.
G K Nair
Have revolutionary reforms in civil service
If India wants to prosper, we must have revolutionary reforms in the civil service recruitment, promotion etc. Also accountability, performance and delivery be the motto. Hire and fire policy, deliver or leave.
Harish Kumar
Goods and Services Tax
One of the biggest reform was carried out last year on July 1, 2017 with the theory of One Nation One Tax. But still it is not done fully still petroleum items are out of GST and to be brought in for healthy fiscal practice. Whatever may be the reasons, let us implement it and bring petroleum items under GST which will carry good perception about the Govt. Govt has to improve the filing procedures of the return and slabs etc. The collection from GST should surpass the direct tax collection as it is paid by every one on most of the products and services. Let us stick to the theory of One Nation One Tax by bringing all goods and services under GST without exceptions. It will show excellent results when implemented faithfully with reasonable rates.
Naveen

DEBATE
Nikhil Kumar, former 1963 batch IPS officer, is still in politics. He was Congress MP and then Kerala Governor.
N C Gandhi
Ringing the bell
In olden days in our country, the Kings use to ensure that a bell is fixed outside their Kingdom, wherein the 'prazas' used to ring the bell and king use to hear their 'fariyaad'. There is no such thing in the PMO these days.
Anju
IAS officers not interested for the job of DS/Director
Some vacancies are more than 2 years old. IAS officers do not seem to be interested for the job of DS/Director and work as a ordinary babu. In states they enjoy full power and position and a state service officers of the DS/Director level reports to an IAS officers who are in the grade pay of Rs.5400/-or 6600/-. Other Group A officers have also been given lollypop of Non Functional Upgradation. The rest are Central Secretariat Service Officers who are highly demotivated but in every Ministry CSS officers have been given additional charge of posts falling under central staffing pattern. CSS officers are demotivated and hopeless because for more than a years no due promotions are given to them. Regular Deputy Secretaries of 2012 select list are waiting for promotion as Director which was due to them on 1.7.2017. There are more than 100 posts of DS/Director under Central Secretariat Service quota but DoPT is busy in misinterpreting CSS Rules and Regular to indirectly deny promotions to CSS Officers.
VB

DEBATE
Mani Shankar Aiyar, 1963 batch Indian Foreign Service officer, has been successful politician.
V K Reddy
Categorise various Govt appointments
I have suggestion for your consideration. You should categorise various Govt appointments such as : 1. ACC empanelments 2. ACC appointments at Centre 3. Appointments in central Services such as IRS, IAAS, ICAS, IOFS, IPoS, etc. 3. ACC appointments in CPSUs. 4. Police Appointments at Centre 5. State Appointments-Civil 6. State Appointments- Police You may also indicate if it is an actual appointment or a whisper that you have heard. Appointments below Deputy Secretary should be given in a separate category. This would make it very focussed and you can expect more people to come to your site as right now one has to waste a lot of time looking for relevant news or whisper.
S D Gaur
Restructuring Steel Plants is need of the hour
During UPA's 10 years of policy paralysis, Steel Sector was totally ignored, all sorts of damage was done mostly during previous regime and today these plant's are suffering. Amalgamation of steel plants needed for better business model and revenues. PSU steel makers are full of resources, they need to lead the market as a giant entity than going separately
Prashanth Kumar

The appellant claimed that misleading response has been given by the PIO in respect of his application pertaining to demonetization stating that the information sought is not specific. The Bank submitted that there are a number of cases where customers come to the Bank to exchange their old notes with the new notes. Hence, the PIO presumed that the appellant had sought details of the old notes which are still in circulation and accepted as legal tender. The respondent further stated that no record is available with the Bank regarding the same. Hence, the appellant was informed that the information sought by him is not specific. The CIC observed that the PIO should have inferred that the information sought pertain to the demonetized currency notes. Nonetheless, if he felt that the information sought for was not clear, he should have sought clarification from the appellant. The Commission took a serious view of this lapse and counseled the PIO to be more careful in future so that such lapses do not recur. The CIC directed to provide the information within a period of four weeks.
Comments
In case of doubt about the query, it would be appropriate on the part of the PIO to seek necessary clarifications from the applicant.
Citation: : Pramod Kumar vs. State Bank of India in Decision No. CIC/SBBAJ/A/2017/122397 Dated 29.06.2018
Dr. Anuradha Verma (dranuradhaverma@yahoo.co.in) is the co-author of the books: RIGHT TO INFORMATION – LAW AND PRACTICand PIO’s guide to RTI. Her other articles can be read at the website of RTI Foundation of India at - http://www.rtifoundationofindia.com/

DEBATE
You pride yourself as the first choice of movers and shakers but you should also highlight the areas where the movers and shakers are neither moving nor shaking Take for instance the paralysis in Delhi postal services on account reported upgradation of computer programme. Neither speed-post track and trace system of speed-post is working nor articles being booked nor any public notice issued as to how long will it take. Speed-post letters booked on June 26, 2018 in Delhi itself for local delivery are untraceable till date. All cash transactions are at standstill. It appeared that staff has not been trained for the new computer programme. Will somebody care even to notify to public how long it is going to last
S K Sharma
Deep conspiracies in corridors of power
It is clear that very deep conspiracies are being hatched in corridors of power, especially where strong actions against high politicians of earlier times are concerned. It is widely believed that certain elements in FinMIn as well as investigating agencies favourably inclined towards one senior politician have been trying to derail actions against him. At the same time, the top bureaucrat in FinMIn has been targetted since last two years by IRS lobby and some elements in Ministry because he is honest.
Now, somehow, an attempt is even being made to show that this official is trying to thwart investigations, although he is known to be totally honest.
So, they are trying to kill several birds with this game. Unfortunately, it appears that a senior politician who has been relentlessly fighting in SC to bring these politicians to book has also fallen into the trap and targeting the top bureaucrat.
Honest officers need to expose such elements in various fora, including whispers.
A K Singh
Take action against corrupt politicians
The government needs to take action against the corrupt politicians, as people are getting restless only hearing about it , take some action on Article 370 etc, and most importantly check credentials of bureaucrats and remove those who were the confidants of previous got and are still in powerful positions, and sabotaging the moves of the government and even misleading the govt. The time now is for bold action, undeterred by the shouts of tukre tukre gang, so that people feel reassured that action is being taken against anti nationals. The people have full faith in PM , notwithstanding the loud shouts of a few vociferous elements. The silent majority is more powerful, even if quiet.
S Chatterjee

DEBATE
Ajit Jogi who is 1970 batch IAS officer is really successful. He achieved the post of CM in Chhattisgarh.
P C Jain
Golden bitch!
We were classmates as well as batch mates in provincial civil services, though my friend got in its allied services. My friend was from very humble background but had vibrant confidence sometimes bordering on ego exhibiting shallowness of his very being. After joining allied services, his confidence turned into visible arrogance and vain-glory. He started speaking in English and Hindi only and snapped contact with his many friends and relatives. Gradually, we also contacted each other on very rare occasions. He invited me to his marriage, which was solemnized with the daughter of a very rich businessman politician. After his marriage ,he got posted on one of the most prestigious and considered to be highly lucrative post on the most important Barrier. Since his place of posting was near to Chandigarh and i was also posted in Chandigarh, his phone calls tom revived and gradually increased.
One of the most dreaded and honest IAS officers of that era of 1970s was posted in the department ,which had turned into the main revenue yielding instrument of the state.He would work day and night to increase the revenue and also to mitigate the corrupt practices in the department. He would frequently inspect the Barriers, sometimes very early in the morning and sometimes at midnight. The officers and officials ,who had got themselves posted at the Barrier with big recommendations and big money were all terror-struck. He had got many of the wrong doers suspended and also got criminal cases registered against some, from whom the bribe money given by a decoy was recovered. He had also ordered that any official working on any Barrier would not keep more than 100 rupees in his wallet, while he was on duty.Not only the Barrier started giving the look of an eerie place, but the happiness also took flight from the erstwhile ecstatic houses of the govt functionaries working at the Barriers.
My friend often invited me to his office at the Barrier for a cup of tea. Once ,when i was going towards Ludhiana, i stopped at his office to see my friend. He was not there, but his subordinates told me that he was around and would come in the office shortly. I made myself comfortable in his extremely dirty ,disorderly and unkempt office. From the appearance of the persons working there and their curiosity and worry exuding body language indicated that something had gone amiss at the there. My friend appeared after 10 minutes with anxious face feigning happiness at seeing me. He tried to entertain me with tea, samosas etc, but he could not conceal his anxiety. He very hesitantly told me that one bitch was not traceable, so everyone was worried. I simply asked as to what the bitch was doing in the Barrier and why its absence was making everyone jittery there. He then very reluctantly confided almost inaudibly ,nearing himself very close to me, ''You know a new Hitler has been made head of our department and since his joining, our bribery had almost stopped initially. But the sharks at the top were not amused and they wanted their share come what may.As the necessity is the mother of invention, one of my subordinates started domesticating a bitch ,who was a regular visitor here. He would feed it bread, meat and milk at regular intervals everyday .At the distance of about one furlong from here, there was a cattle shed of an old and poor farmer. He would take the bitch there and tie her with a chain. After some days ,the plan started working. The truck and other vehicle owners would hand over the bribe to a person ,who was made to sit at a distance. After his pockets were full, he would go to the cattle shed and empty his pockets in the bag which was hung from the neck of the bitch. The experiment was very successful and happiness, once again, was visible all around. This is breeding season, nobody knows how the bitch got her chain loosened and ran away with other dogs in the very presence of our most agile sewadar. At that time 45000 rupees were in the bag around her neck.'' I had a very hearty laugh at the innovative brains present there. As i was about to leave, a very fat inspector with hoarse voice very excitedly announced, ''Sir, Lury has come back, everything is safe. ''Lury was the name given to that bitch. I heard loud voices amidst my laughter, ''vadhai hove, vadhai hove.'' I was also pitying and wondering at that Hitler, who might be feeling very proud of his exploits in the department and victory against the corruption.
Surinderjit Singh Sandhu, Amritsar
Public anger works
Public anger has worked, it seems. The Urban Development Minister has agreed to recast the redevelopment plan of Sarojini Nagar and other colonies to avoid cutting of trees though already thousands of trees have been axed. The fear about further damage remains as there is no categorical stoppage of the same by the Court or Government. It is high time National Green Tribunal should step in and stop this destruction in the name of re development. I wonder why Supreme Court failed to do so when it is known to order on lesser issues. As for revised plans for the project instead of demolishing the old houses they should be reconstructed -same size same two floors or add another floor in a way they should gel with the environment. If more houses are needed these should be built at the outskirts in colonies like Rohini and Dwarka with mass rapid transport facilities made available. Commercial development by allowing NBCC to sell plots by cutting trees was a mindless decision. Whosoever made this plan deserves to be condemned as also those who cut the trees need to be punished. No more high rises like those in East Kidwai Nagar at the cost of green lungs of Delhi
Aarti Khosla

DEBATE
Hardeep Puri. He is the rising star.
Kishore Dudani
Emergency: Insolence Unlimited
Those who advised and those who acted on that criminal advice to impose Emergency on India were grossly mistaken to take the giant nation and its people for granted. They foolishly thought it a child’s play to take over the country by doing the unthinkable. Except for criminal breach of trust, it was a costly exercise for them. The people of India proved it that it was not so easy to take over a giant nation like India without a real war. The slyness of the East India Company or the agents of the international mafia post WW-II were inadequate to capture a mighty people like India. They succeeded in damaging all institutions but failed to destroy India. India emerged a stronger people at the end of a real war in which bullets and batons were freely used by the enemy against the innocent unarmed people of India, who chose to use non-violence as weapon once again. The British left India after told to quit, but the agents of the enemy stayed back, made an unsuccessful attempt to govern by taking control of the Prime Minister and regulating all institutions to serve their interest, which were anti-people, anti-India, anti-nation. Over time they acquired status, property and power by playing politics. They kept playing politics till A.B.Vajpayee threw a spanner in their plans and posed a threat to them. They devised strategy to remove Vajpayee and succeeded too in 2004. The enemy went full throttle once again to damage and destroy India. They exhibited the same insolence once again to prove the point that democracy, constitution, prime minister are bogus ideas and the real power lies in their hands. They ran a government by an un-elected prime minister for full 10 years. They destroyed the administrative culture of India. They injected criminal disregard for public service. They commercialized every single activity covered by the word government. There was no check on these offenders. The Rule of Law was effectively replaced by Rule of the Politician. The Goonda Act was passed in many states. Maharasthra Control of Organized Crime Act was legislated. Crimes went up. Politicians sought refuge behind coinages like “criminalization of politics”. The enemy is up against Prime Minister Narendra Modi this time because they view him as stronger willed than Indira Gandhi and popular with the people Of India. They are actually against a strong India. In Narendra Modi they see a very successful prime minister who will take India to newer heights if he succeeds in getting a second term. They are prepared to go to any extent. Increase in threat perception to Prime Minister Narendra Modi is real. Who killed Indira Gandhi? Her trusted guards. The PM has to watch his own security in addition to the SOP. There is danger even to some prominent political, film or literary figure whose assassination can trigger widespread riots or sympathy wave. Unfortunately, the people don’t realize the danger and what is at stake: democracy, freedom, economy, security, food supply & distribution and consequential law & order situation. It is the responsibility of each Indian to protect public interest. If they think their interests are safest in the hands of Narendra Modi, they should come out strongly in his support before the enemy mounts another strike or be prepared to suffer damage and destruction of the country as during the Emergency and 2004-14.
M L Gupta

DEBATE (1)
R K Singh Union Power Minister and BJP MP Bhagirath Prasad are both former 1975 batch IAS officers.
I C Jain
Coterie of IAS officers have taken PM for a ride
When Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister of the country, people had a lot of expectation from him. He even said in his election speeches that his "Darwaza will remain open for everybody". But eventually the coterie of IAS officers around have taken him for a ride. They are ensuring the promotion of interest of only their cadre people. Although Modi is person of right intent but he is hardly approachable. He should come out of his web and talk to people other than the IAS to understand their problem. When there is a 'coterie' around you, then you tend to get misleaded. The 'coterie' will tell you that 'saheb sab theekh chal raha hai aur bolne wale to bolte rahenge chahe woh sachh ho na ho". Modi should wake up and acquire lethal dimension.
BBS
Why juniors are trolling?
IAS officers only want to retain their exclusive impregnable club claiming copyright to (mis)rule Indian administration.
R K Gupta

Debate
Hardeep Singh Puri, erstwhile successful Indian Foreign Service Officer, presently Minister of State (I/C), Ministry of Urban Development & Housing.
Kishore Dudani
Not IAS alone, others also have better experience
It is not only IAS, who have grass root experience. Technocrats as well as others also have even better experience. IAS officers works due to tremendous powers given to them by the government, where as other service employees deliver without any powers in fact with their hard work and sincerity. IAS officers only knows, how to take work from others, they can not work without any support, where as others can perform without any support by themselves. In my opinion, it is good move by the government.
Mukesh Jain
Why so much of hue & cry over punctuality of Trains ?
I don't know why so much of hue & cry is being raised about punctuality of Railway Trains in the country taking into consideration the 3 crore passengers travelling in Railway Trains on daily and that too at a hugely subsidized rates of passenger fares especially of general passengers. A train travels for 48 hours and if there is delay of 2 hours, it is a lapse of 4.6%. If the travel time of an airplane is 2 hours and if there is delay of 2 hours, then the lapse is 100% and not much of a hue and cry is raised. For the delay of railway trains, it is not the management which is responsible but also the illiterate citizens of the country, who have the hobby of frequently travelling, pulling chains on their own whims & fancies and frequent accidents due to lack of investment on infrastructure in the Railways by the Government.
BBS
Epic Problems & epic solutions
Watching for long the administrative one act play in Delhi and enjoying the silence of Pitahmah, Kripacharya, Drona and chiefs of different services ruling over the aam aadmi of the Majestic Hastinapur. Only two guys have dared to open their mouth on the disrobing of the Divya Janma (hope the UPSC is reading this post): one is a Sutputra, stands against but the other whose parentage is not known as he has made a lateral entry into the court, is not bothered about the disrobing as for him she is a society woman. By the time his parentage gets revealed, Hastinapur is gone! Some neighbouring potentates came visiting to extend support to the court only to see if they stood any chance to take over Hastinapur. But made a hasty retreat when they realized same trouble back home as they have done greater harm to their empire than Hastinapur and were spared of Narad Muni’s media attention out of fear for reprisal as the journalists could simply be jailed by the Yuvraj, who is the real Speaker and is a law unto himself. The issue is: Does India want an honest system? Honesty demands courage of conviction and boldness, respect for the law and not the man or woman, transparency and prompt delivery of service and justice. Honesty has been compared by poets to a young beautiful girl who needs security 24x7. Hastinapur or Indraprastha or their proud majesties of the firmament don’t promise that. There is no law against disrobing, they argue. What is wrong for Hastinapur is wrong for the neighbouring potentates. Are they agreeable to clean and honest people friendly governance?
M L Gupta
Why juniors are trolling ?
The government of India needs to be BOLD enough to bring in global experts and leaders at the level of Joint Secretaries , and even as Additional Secretaries . This is the only way for the government to make faster progress in difficult sectors such as health, environment etc.
Prasad

Lateral entry will be a Sin
Lateral entry will be a sin as our system which has no system cannot be trusted at all as it will lead to Bhai Bhatijawad of political goons. Best is inculcate professionalism into the civil service. Reform the Civil Services Examination system. Each Department has specific requirements. Examination and selection process should be department specific. Also Catch them young too, prepare them well from 8th grade onwards. Let them professionalize right from 8th Grade to Ph. D. and then induct them through specific department examination and selection. You would get the best talent at the age of maximum 26. You have to groom the child for the country. There should be no quality compromise i.e. no reservation please. This holds good for whole GOI recruitment. Of course there should be accountability too in GOI.
Harish Kumar
Time to Restructure PSU steel plants
It is the time to Restructure PSU steel plants to eradicate corruption, regionalism, casteism, favouritism, nepotism, TA's groups. it is time to post retired honest persons. Merge Visakhapatnam steel plant, Bhilai Steel plant, Salem steel plant, VISL bhadravati, MOIL, Chandrapur steel plant, nmdc's nagarnar steel plant into RINL and entrust setting up Bayyaram and cudapa steel plants in Telangana and AP. SAIL should have RSP, BSL, DSP, ISP and post honest sincere , qualified retired DGM level person as CEO of RINL. Save Steel plants, Save Public Money.
Rao

DEBATE (1)
Former Mumbai Police Commissioner S P Singh is successful bureaucrat turned politician. 1980 batch IPS officer Singh is today Union Minister of State HRD
B C Joshi
“Tree cutting in Delhi”
Indiscriminate tree cutting harms the ecological balance.It is unfortunate that even the national capital Delhi has not been spared under the garb of infrastructure development. This is causing continuous fall in groundwater level in Delhi while its denizens are facing acute water shortage. All this happening under the nose of Supreme court. Some 17,000 out of 21,000 trees have reportedly been chopped off for redevelopment of central government accommodations in South Delhi colonies . The affected areas include colonies like Nauroji Nagar, Netaji Nagar and Sarojini Nagar. Around 11,000 trees would be cut just in Sarojni Nagar alone.
The construction agency, it is understood, has promised to plant over 10 times of trees that had to be cut in the process. Simplistic, irrational argument. How permission was granted by the Forest deptt for tree axing,is hard to understand. Where is the space left in south Delhi for compensatory plantation? How could compensatory plantation be the solution for cutting old trees. Given Delhi's spiking pollution levels, it is necessary that old trees are not uprooted.
Furthermore, new government houses, in lieu of the demolished ones, should be shifted from central area to elsewhere in order to decongest Delhi.
I think, builders’ lobbies are behind the great conspiracy in the name of “Infrastructure development”, leading to collusive give-and-take between engineers and builders.
A K Saxena (A former civil servant)
17000 trees cut in Delhi
Referring my post on merciless tree cutting in Delhi as appeared in the Forum, the number I gave was 17000 and not 7000.The exact number has been put at 16500 though the Union minister of Urban development is placing it at 14031. Is that a small number to justify this destruction, Mr. Puri ?
Aarti Khosla
Some IRTS officers be empanelled for the post of Secretary/Additional Secretary
Some of the Indian Railway Traffic Service officers, especially those dealing with the work of operation, day in & day out deal with the power sector & transportation. The officials of this cadre need to be empanelled for the post of Secretary/Additional Secretary for posting in the Ministry of Power, Ministry of Coal and Ministry of Shipping. They will understand the nuances properly and emerge as successful Secretaries/Additional Secretaries of such Ministries/Departments.
BBS

Hardeep Singh Puri is today India’s Urban Development Minister. He is former Indian Foreign Service officer.
I K Gujrati
Tree cutting in Delhi mercilessly
Over 7000 trees face the axe in Sarojini Nagar, and other surrounding areas to make way for 'redevelopment' of Government colonies. Scandalous to say the least. Delhi is already reeling under severe pollution. It is these green areas with trees which give Delhites some breathing space. To cut so many trees which have taken years to grow is criminal. This is not development. This fetish for redevelopment is doing more harm good. Let old two storied houses remain in these colonies. They should be spruced up and redeveloped from inside with modular kitchens and clean toilets. Why break them and build highrises. With house rent allowance having gone up the demand for government house would not be that much. People are preferring to acquire their own flat and live in that. Cutting of such a large number of trees should be stopped. Already the leafy green East Kidwai Nagar has been destroyed and multistoried small flats have come up in its place. we have created a monster in the name of redevelopment. Will someone stop this folly.
Aarti Khosla
Compounded embarrassment
Monthly meeting of revenue officers, invariably presided over by the deputy commissioner, generally used to be full of tense and anxious moments. There used to be more than a score agenda items and one of these will certainly be a trap for you to fumble for words to frame a reasonable answer, for unsatisfactory progress. The deputy commissioner was asking a tehsildar as to why no recovery of dues had been made in respect of the arrears of excess payment made to the farmers for crop compensation. Tehsildar replied, ''Sir, i was busy in preparing and consigning record of rights, next time the total recovery would be made hazoor.'' The deputy commissioner seemed to be satisfied with the answer. But the SDM interrupted, ''Sir, he will not be able to recover entire amount by the next meeting, as there was not any laid down procedure of coercion for recovery of such dues. The farmers have to be persuaded for recovery. I have already written for legislation to also enlist this item to be recovered as arrears of land revenue.'' ''You are not a revenue officer, if you have to wait for legislation for recovery of govt due, ''the deputy commissioner furiously cut him short. There was pin drop silence in the meeting hall after that. When the progress of court cases was being reviewed, the deputy commissioner asked a SDM,'' what is the meaning of 'Hasab rasad jer khewat' and 'Kabal-a-izafa lagan'? ''The officer was taken aback and did not find any word for the answer. The deputy commissioner in a tone of anger with sinister smile asked again. There was no answer. The deputy commissioner completely losing his temper roared,'' I have seen these words in your own judgement, which has been impugned in my court. Write your own judgements and do not entrust this work to your reader.'' On some other agenda items also, the officers were shouted at for unsatisfactory work. The end of the meeting was a great relief.
In one refresher course, HV Krishnamoorty, who had resigned from the IAS, to take up a management job in a industrial house, narrated a story. He said, ''A deputy commissioner got a dressing down from the chief secretary. Later in the day, the deputy commissioner called a tehsildar and passed on the insults on him, which he had got from his boss. The tehsildar, without any delay called his qanugos in the tehsil and insulted them right and left. The qanugos called the patwaris and showed them their dracula teeth while giving them verbal blows .Early next morning, when a patwari, who had only been frowned upon last evening, saw a dog in the village street, he kicked him on the back in anger.
After being insulted in the meeting, the sub divisional magistrates, came out together, and headed for the lawn. They had moved only a few steps, when 2 dogs started barking at them in full fury. They were not deterred by the brick, which, a peon had hurled at them. One SDM, who was known for his wit and humour said, ''Andar oh pai janda si bahar tusi dowen pai gaye o, saada ajj samma e kharaba''. Finding solace in these words, the other insulted soul remarked smilingly, ''Look at their faces, these resemble the one, who is sitting inside''. All of us had a hearty laugh at these remarks, as the resemblance was perfect and as if we had avenged the insult hurled on us. I still wonder, if HV Krishnamoorty had resigned from the premier service for this reason. But 2 other superb human beings had also resigned from this service, who were born on Punjab cadre once. They were MG Devasahayam and PN Balu. Incidentally, all of them were from Tamil Nadu.
Surinderjit Singh Sandhu, Amritsar