Whispers Forum

The Fifteenth Finance Commission is scheduled to submit its final report by October 2020. Prior to the amendment to the Constitution in the year 2000, only the income tax and union excise duties were sharable with the States while customs and corporate income tax were not sharable.. As an Officer on Special Duty for the Ninth and Tenth Finance Commissions in Tamil Nadu, I found that the Central Government was in the habit of hiking the non sharable customs duty and corporate tax as successive Finance Commissions had increased the share of the States in the Income Tax and the Union Excise Duty from 50 percent to 90 percent. The Centre was also having recourse to various surcharges which were also not sharable. As a result the tax structure in India had become highly skewed.
In an article published in the Economic and Political Weekly in August 1992, I had suggested that all the central taxes including the various taxes and the duties contemplated in Articles 268 and 269 of the Constitution like taxes on advertisements in the radio and newspapers and the States' share should be fixed at 33.33 percent of the Centre's gross tax revenue. I wrote this paper in 1990 while at the IMF .Since I was only on deputation to the IMF from GOI . IMF sought clearance from the MOF. Dr Manmohan Singh the then FM , suggested that I should publish the paper in India after my return. and the was carried by in the EPW in August 1992.
Late KC Pant, Chairman of the 10th Finance Commission, recommended this model to GoI. This was accepted and the Constitution was amended in the year 2000. The level of devolution which was 29.5 percent in 2000-2005 was hiked to 30.5 percent by the 12 th FC and to 32 percent by the 13 th FC.
The 14th FC headed by Dr Y.Venugopal Reddy hiked the percentage to 42 percent which I chose to term as totally irresponsible in an article in the Hindu Business Line ( February 2016.)
With this development we were back to square one by the Centre levying various surcharges. In my view, it is the duty of the Fifteenth FC to do the required damage control in its Final Report .. Though the 15 th FC has made a good beginning by reducing the devolution to 41 percent in its Interim Report it is grossly inadequate and boldly fix the devolution percentage 33.33 percent..
I would also suggest that in order to prevent vertical devolution being to subject to vagaries of Finance Commissions, the TOR for the next FC to be set up in 2022 should include only the horizontal redistribution of devolution among the States and take vertical devolution from the ambit of the Finance Commission.
Dr Sitharam Gurumurthi IAS (Retired)
Former Member State Planning Commission &
Additional Chief Secretary to the Governent of Tamil Nadu
Reduce dominance of IAS officers in DoPT
In continuation of Kumar's ‘irregularities in ACC appointments’, would like to say that unless the dominance of IAS officers in DoPT is reduced, things will not improve. Why is EO and Secretary Personnel manned by IAS officers only ? Hope PM takes note of it and set things right.
S Gopal
A K Sharma continues to be PM’s man
To remain trustworthy to PM is not easy task.
V M Upadhyay

Release of Wuhan Virus - Military gingoism in Indo- Pacific , SCS , Taiwan , Hong Kong , Mekong Delta countries! About a million people have died globally around the world from an invisible virus. Nobody is going to forget that and boycott of Chinese goods has commenced . PLA's generals are currently realising that they have aimed for a Bridge too far. The Chinese political party will pay for the consequences as happened in the USSR in1990.
Devindra Sethi
Non Deduction of Transport Allowance on using official vehicle
Every Government Official working in the various Ministries/Departments of the Government of India is withdrawing TRANSPORT ALLOWANCE . Only Joint Secretaries and above level officers have to get deducted the Transport Allowance from their monthly salary. But subordinate officers like Section Officers, Under Secretary, Deputy Secretary, Directors, PPS, Sr. PPS, P.S.O., working in the branches or in the offices of Addl. Secretary, Secretary, Minister etc. have been using official vehicles without getting deducted their TRANSPORT ALLOWANCE. This has been resulting in a loot of lakhs of Rupees from the |Consolidated Fund of India from where all the salaries and allowances are paid to the officials of Government of India. On an average in every Ministry/ Department about over and above 10 vehicles are engaged for these officers who are very closed to Senior Bureaucrats or Minister. If we reckon the amount of TRANSPORT ALLOWANCE @ Rs.7200+DA say about Rs.7500 x 20 officials =1,50,000/- There are more than 100 Ministries/Departments. Then multiply 100 Departments x Rs.1, 50,000/-. = Rs, 1,50,00000/- It means every month the amount of Rs.1.50 crore is siphoned off by the Government Servants /officers only, despite taking pledge of Vigilance Awareness Week, delivering lecture to the common public do not ask for bribe and do not pay bribe.
Per annum Rs.1.50 crore x 12 months ................... calculate.
B Kant
“Wisdom of a former civil servant”
Thanks to M P Bauer ( WIC Forum dt June 2) on his left-handed compliments to my views on India’s candy floss approach Sino-Pak axis. I am surprised as only the other day you had expressed encomiums on my posts. Having aggressive approach against hostile neighbours, is not jingoism. It is cowardice. In WIC Forum dt May 31, another pseudonymous contributor posing as one “ Ajay” labeled my suggestion as “ foolish”. Cowardice.
Do pseudonymous contributors not want India to retrieve PoK, Gilgit-Baltistan and Aksaichin, illegally occupied by Pakistan and China to realise PM Modi's commitments ? These will not be handed back to us on a platter. Coercive approach has no substitute for India.
A K Saxena (A former civil servant)

Half the correspondence in Forum is from a former civil servant Mr A. K. Saxena. He has a view on every subject under the sun. In his last post he has proposed that India should suddenly attack Pakistan and China together right now. He predicts a swift win for India because 192 countries will back India. Such jingoism has not been observed anywhere in the world. Surely, after defeating Pakistan and China, the grateful nation will award Padma Vibhushan to the former civil servant who advises such a brilliant strategy.
M P Bauer

A news item says that Supreme Court will hear a petition on 02 June seeking a direction to Government of India to amend our constitution to change the name of our country to Bharat from India. In this context it may be worthwhile to note that after independence when Government started many Public Sector Undertakings (CPSUs) some were named Bharat something, many Hindustan something, some Indian something. Examples are Bharat Electronics, Bharat Heavy Electricals, Bharat Earth Movers etc all of which have survived and are existing today profitably.Hindustan machine Tools (HMT), Hindustan Teleprinters, Hindustan Photofilms, Hindustan Paper Corporation, Hindustan Insecticides and so on who are either wound up or are on liquid oxygen support which is continuous Government subsidy, like Air India. The oxygen-subsidy- does not allow them to die and the liquid -accumulated huge losses- does not allow them to live. Companies starting with Indian something are also in the same boat-Indian Telephone Industries for example, independent India's first CPSU. So there is perhaps something in a name as astrologers would say. Let us hope that if and when India becomes Bharat, our destiny will change for the better.
S.Raghavan
Is Modi aware of irregularities committed in ACC ?
If the Government of India does not follow rules formulated by itself and disobey Supreme Court Rulings, what can a hapless government servant do ? Go to CAT to face further persecution in the form of 56J ? Even if he goes to CAT, the Secretaries do not budge and they refuse to implement CAT orders and even High Court orders. Where is this Modi regime leading to ? The all powerful ACC under Modi is refusing to promote IRS officers even though no charge sheets are pending merely because some complaints are being processed against them. As per DoPT rules promotion can be refused only when a charge sheet is pending on the date of passing of promotion order. Of course officers under suspension, facing criminal prosecution are also ineligible for promotion. However, the ACC is gladly promoting officers figuring in agreed list,which is correct as per rules. The point is why ACC is denying promotion merely on the basis of preliminary inquiry? Is PM Modi who is a stickler for rules, aware of the irregularities committed by his babus in ACC which amounts to contempt of Supreme Court. The CBDT also on 27-5-2020 gladly following irregularities committed by the ACC demoted some young JCs to DCs dealing a nasty blow to their morale. All these demoted officers have no charge sheets against them and yet CBDT demoted them. PM Modi needs to put his foot down and arrest the spread of this jungle raj perpetuated by his ACC babus before facing embarrassment in Supreme Court for contempt.
Kumar
Aar-Paar ki ladayi - what a foolish suggestion ?
Aar-Paar ki ladayi is the sole option: What sort of suggestion sir, at this age. World war... when there is so much suffering all over the world. What could be the economic, demographic cost.
Ajay

It is really a sad state of affairs for the service personnel who are other than IAS. Even during this pandemic they are regularly getting promotions and services like CSSS CSS etc are languishing for years together without any tangible promotion. Eventhough litigations are there it could be resolved and the Government can come up with proposals which are beneficial to the cadres mentioned above. Never ever we delay or deny our work and always sincere in our efforts and during this pandemic we all are working together for the welfare of the nation. Government should at least now open their eyes and ears for our welfare. Hope something good happens in the near future. Otherwise we are really frustrated.
Seth
Overlapping shifts
This kind of shift working is called overlapping shifts. Three shift working means working 24X7, which can never happen in a govt office.
S A Narayan
Congratulations !
Heartiest Congratulations Nidhi Srivastava Ma'am on being appointed as Deputy Secretary in the Department of Personnel & Training, Govt. of India. I wish you all the luck for new assignment
H. S. Chauhan Former Sector Officer, AC-48, Ambedkar Nagar

A week ago, I had emailed you the third post about a MOF official calling me to say the recovery beyond 11 years is something like an insurance premium to which I explained saying my suggestion was to restore the pension only after 12 years and not 11 years as demanded by the Retired IPS Officers' Association before the Delhi High Court in 2017. I would highly appreciate if you could kindly carry it as I have no intention to continue to write on this topic any more.
I have forwarded the certificate issued by President Donald Trump. I have explained to both Lara Trump (Eric Trump's wife & President Trump's daughter in law) Senior Advisor Trump's Re election campaign that i am neither a Permanent Resident of US nor a US citizen. I also told Ms Ivanka Trump when she got in touch with me two months ago when I politely declined her invitation to Delhi. A year ago Donald Trump my Facebook as the official login page of :President Trump when Shri Jayashankar had called Sri TN Seshan to ask me to remove my Facebook page as this had not gone well with the powers in Delhi ( Jayashankar is the son of late K Subramanian IAS (TN 1951 topper) a close friend of Seshan I did try but the Facebook Chairman who lives in the US refused and I climosed my FB. Trump was impressed by my articles on him Some are attached Jimmy Carter who has sponsored me for the Economics Nobel 2020 did not approve of my articles on Donald Trump
Sitnaram Gurumurthi IAS Retired
One More Year Of Good Governance In India
Narendra Modi completes one more year of good governance in India on May 30, 2020 in his second term as Prime Minister. In this one year he has corrected a great historical blunder by abrogating Article 370/35A inserted in the Constitution of India unconstitutionally and unwisely. It was such a huge strategic blunder that the country has paid a very heavy price for it. Narendra Modi’s name will be written in Golden Letters as a statesman of extra-ordinary qualities for this act of political sagacity. Narendra Modi has devoted the year for introducing structural changes in many areas like finance, economy, agriculture. Unfortunately, the Congress and other political parties once against lost the year in foul-mouthing the prime minister. Their vision is so short that they continued to play the political games of the last century and failed. They displayed only hatred for the prime minister personally and his admirers generally, calling them “Bhaktas”, though they only set new standards of sycophancy on a daily basis. They ridiculed patriotism liberally, spoofed corruption where there was none because they are unable to accept the reality of a transparent and honest government working in India. The Opposition, especially the Congress Party and the Leftists, tried to develop an anti-Modi narrative in COVID-19 too. They spared no occasion to attack the Prime Minister for the lockdown and tried to incite the masses to disobey the government orders. The people rejected the opposition and supported the government wholeheartedly. During lockdown 4.0 they heightened their assault in the name of the economy, jobs and employment as workers were laid off in large numbers. Millions of the workers started moving to their native place, braving all difficulties by whatever mode of transport was available or on foot. It saddened the whole country to see the workers with their families and children undertake the journey on foot without getting food or water. The opposition has been looking for such a scenario to validate their hate campaign against Narendra Modi and the government. However, no political party showed any love or care by serving food or water to these walking workers, whom they call “majdoor”, a word equivalent of labour but highly derogatory coming from feudal glossary of the manor born. They only used their misery to attack the government, demanding opening of transport and the economy. They imagined that the government was caught in a bind and will never be able to extricate itself from it, at least in the next few months and by that time they will arouse enough public anger to dislodge Narendra Modi. The misfortune of the opposition is that they are led by people who refuse to acknowledge the stature of Narendra Modi. The prime minister held more than one video conference with the Chief Ministers, some of them from the opposition parties, to brief them on the situation of the COVID-19 pandemic induced medical emergency and steps needed to contain its spread in the country. Similar conferences were held with the leaders of the opposition parties. The need was to work together to fight the disease. The prime minister tried to take everyone on board but the opposition carried on as usual creating unrest in the name of the labour, though they had party workers, Youth Wings and Student Wings in every nook and corner of India and could have exhibited a bit of social responsibility, if not charity/philanthropy, by helping the needy workers traversing to their homes. This presented a very difficult situation before the government. Left with no scope for any further sacrifice from the people affected by nearly two-month long lockdown, the Government of India decided to run special trains to ferry the workers. The flexibility shown by the government un-nerved the opposition and many state governments expressed unwillingness to allow the trains. The government also declared opening of air travel from 25th May 2020, and again many (opposition run) state governments expressed unwillingness for it. The political parties found themselves unprepared for this sudden turn of events. Used to the jargon of communal politics played by them, the opposition lost the narrative as it became their responsibility now rather than that of the government of India or Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The work done by Narendra Modi is bound to bring a positive change in the attitude and functioning of the opposition parties in India post COVID-19. The politics overloaded style of working of these parties will change to economic and development ideology dominated approach and language. COVID-19 has taught many lessons to the world and India too. Politics in India will not be the same anymore. States will need to develop local livelihood for their people rather than exporting them to industrially developed states. The migrant workers are not majdoor but skilled, trained and experience hands capable of producing goods and services making valuable contribution to the economy and GDP. The states which have driven them away in the first place to distant places for employment and now the states that have pushed them back to their native places, both will suffer unless intelligent correctives are employed to create local opportunities and labour is treated with respect for its contribution instead of pitying them and throwing crumbs at them in lieu of their labour. The effects of COVID-19 will affect the world for many more months. Even if a drug to treat it or a vaccine is produced, the world economy will take years to recover. Added to it is the way technology is bound to reduce opportunities of employment. Reorganisation and restructuring of work as WFH will become another norm to cut expenses and AI will further cut in to prospects of employment worldwide.
M L Gupta
Under stress due to CoronaVirus
A lot of people are under stress nowadays, due to coronavirus. Even children are suffering. Ways to reduce stress are to chant some mantra, sing some bhajan, meditate and exercise. Remembering God, Allah, Ishwar, Bhagwan, Akal Purakh are also good stress busters. One may also remember the gurus, Guru Nanak Devji, Sai Baba and so on. Another way to bust stress and depression is to look for ways to be compassionate and help people.
Vijay Kumar

As pointed out in Forum by Mr Harish Kumar the Indian mission staff is working very hard for repatriation of Indians stuck abroad these days. Whenever there has been occasion for repatriation from foreigners from trouble spots, Indian mission staff work 24x7. Such crises arise only in the middle east and there too once in a decade. Rest of the time there is no work in most of the embassies, high commissions and consulates. It is not their fault that the world has become connected and feet on the ground means very little. Journalists in Delhi know what is happening in Cairo better than the embassy staff there. Prime Ministers can talk to each other. Carefully drafted communications have been replaced by tweets. Diplomatic bag does not exist any longer. To their credit, missions provide excellent hospitality to Indian government officials visiting foreign countries; as for assistance to other Indians visiting or living in the country lesser said the better. Proportion of non-diplomatic work in the missions has increased; yet non-IFS officers in the missions are treated like dirt by their IFS colleagues. This does not mean that embassies should be closed. China has embassies in all small African and Latin American countries. Their ambassadors do not suffer from the 'excellency' syndrome and act as if they are servants of Chinese business companies, enabling them to monopolise certain segments of the market in these countries. Unlike many countries where only half the ambassadors are career diplomats, in India the number of non-IFS ambassadors remains around four percent or so. The missions have become incestuous introverted organisms. Who can make the missions lean and useful? Not the Government of India. Top notch politicians do not want the external affairs portfolio; they would rather have home, finance or defence. Narrow-mindedness is not the monopoly of the IFS; most Indian civil servants are narrow-minded. That said, IFS officers are still the brightest of the civil servants in India and therefore it is possible that some day the missions could be dragged into the 21st century.
Prof. N.C. Saxena
Aar-Paar ki Ladai is sole option
Tension escalating at LAC by the hour. China has parked its PLA, tanks, ammunitions and fighter jets. India has responded by alerting its army, IAF and the Navy.
Skirmishes and attempts at infiltrating Pak-sponsored terrorists at LOC are routine matters. Battle lines have drawn between India on one side and Pakistan + China on the other ,at multiple fronts LOC, LAC, IB, could start along with maritime warfare.
Laddhak , Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim, among others, are the latest sore points. An eyeball-to-eyeball military stand-off at a tri-junction in Doklam for two months, would be infructuous. No time to waste. No military posturing, no mind games. But, a full-scale war seems imminent.
And, India is not alone. The US and 192 other countries are itching for revenge against the Corona superspreader China. Situations around Eastern and South China sea might soon reach the flash point.
Aggression is the best form of defence. We have to be aggressively defensive. PM Modi has also to deliver on retrieving POK-Gilgit-Baltistan besides protecting existing States/UTs like Uttarakhand, HP, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Ladakh. It will not be offered to us on a platter. India would have to take the initiative and bell the cat.
Real testing time for PM Modi to lead and keep the country motivated. India while forcibly and swiftly taking over POK-Aksai-chin, must fulfill its promise of supporting liberation movement in Baluchistan with help from Iran. And, India is not alone. All western democracies led by the US, has to mull nuclear options against China to save HK, Taipeh, East-South-china sea, Vietnam and others.
An all-out war by India at LOC, LAC and IB and Indian oceans is the sole option.
And, Indian attacks must be fast, fierce and furious. Once joined by 192 other countries and the US ,we are not alone to teach the enemies of the World ,a lesson.
It is now or never.
A K Saxena (A former civil servant)

Served in a CAPF for twenty eight years. MHA has tightened the control on CAPFs by honest examination of its extravagance. There have been Directors General who had been law onto themselves. The DG of a CAPF enjoys complete freedom in operational and matters of control. A pay commission has made an oft quoted remark on BSF many years back that it was the fastest growing department of government of India and has failed itself in all the border guarding duties. Infiltration has brought us what we are today. The Department of Border Management under MHA should be strengthened so as to develop an integrated approach. Technology can be a big game changer in aiding border guarding and can increase efficiency. Similarly, intelligence agencies should be made more proactive by grant of additional budget and given opportunity to merge with the border population and instill confidence with them, CRPF should be better trained to train terror threats and naxal operations. IPS officers should be inducted in greater numbers for a period of seven eight years and there experience will enrich the State Police Forces. BSF is despotic in far as much it allows only armed police personnel expansion. The common medical services and Doctors of CAPFs should be brought out of control of whimsical Commandants and modernised to tackle the health issues of CAPF personnel, their families and border population as well. Warfare can be innocuous and come as an epidemic due to possible mischief of some hostile nation. MHA should be strengthened along with department of Border Management to have greater control with an eye on increasing lakhs of Force Personnel of CAPFs and make them better equipped to tackle contingencies and better serve the nation.
Pankaj Grover
Utter confusion all over
With so many orders, counter orders being issued by Central Government and State Governments, there is utter confusion all over. Added to this local administrations/police personnel at the ground level are using their own discretion to interpret the rules. It is high time that Central Government issues clear and unambiguous orders on movement within NCR and inter state movements which should be BINDING on all. Any one violating this should be given strict punishment.
S Gopal

The government officials seem to have a fear against disclosure, even when the matter pertains to one involving someone amongst its own. Matters such as pay fixations should be disclosed to any person in respect of whom the decision is taken. The inherent bias against transparency can only be changed when officials know that RTI is useful for them and transparency brings about improvement in the system which would be beneficial for all.
Sudhir Kumar Bajpai
“Mega Stimulus Package V/s Mega Scams ”
Announcing Mega economic stimulus package of 20 lakh crores rupees by PM Modi to fight Covid -19 virus, is an act of magnanimity. What next ? But, how much funds go to actual projects & how much is siphoned off to the deep pockets of politicians, bureaucrats and top business tycoons, remains a riddle inside an enigma wrapped in mystery.
The simple-minded common folks are unable to figure out the nitty-gritty of financial packages. Others are clueless, speechless. Craving for recognition and earning political brownie points , are primary concerns of politicians. This drives all their decisions.
Despite all possible efforts, the corona graph is reaching the peaks. Situation is supposed to reach alarming proportions in June-July,2020.But,let us not get panicky. We shall overcome the crisis. Balancing lockdown with gradual opening-up, needs monitoring.
Spending authorities in States have no accountability , no transparency. Corruption galore. Action is not taken on the reports of Statutory Auditor. The C&AG reports are submitted annually to those very politicians in Parliament, who had participated in scams.
Reports are, at times, not even read by politicians and irregularities are regularized in the name of emergent expenditure. Reports carrying damning indictment are taken as read.
Conflict of interests. How could they become judges in their own cause?
Are Indians aware that politicians eagerly wait for natural calamities that hit the country, year-after-after. These include floods, cyclones, earthquakes, landslides, avalanches and other effects of climate change.
Motive : Embezzlement of central relief funds. An open secret in bureaucratical circles.
A K Saxena (A former civil servant)

An employee filed an application with his own public authority seeking information certain information about the decision of an independent committee. The desired information was not provided to her by the PIO while stating that she can get the information through proper channel. The PIO submitted that the appellant being an employee of the same organisation, the RTI application was put up before the higher authorities and based on the decisions taken by the higher authorities, a reply was provided to her. The CIC held that the PIO was supposed to address the points raised by the Appellant in her RTI application rather than stating that the applicant being herself an employee of the respondent is a part of information provider and can get the information through proper channel. The CIC cautioned the PIO to strictly follow the RTI regime while handling the RTI applications in future.
Comments
As per Section 3 of the RTI Act, a citizen has every right to file a RTI application and the PIO is legally bound to reply to the same. Even though one may be an employee of the organisation, it does not take away the right to file an application under the RTI Act to that organisation as a citizen.
Citation: Ani Dath v. ICAR-Central Island Agricultural Research Institute in Decision no.: CIC/CARIT/A/2018/166218/02856, Date of Decision: 12/02/2020
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

Post cartographic aggression, Nepal PM has now dared to cross the Lakshman Rekha by slamming India as more lethal than China, the super-spreader of Covid-19. Strange but true, even, Xenophobic Manisha Koirala who earns from Bollywood films joins the protest against India. This can neither be forgotten nor forgiven. Boycott her as we did in case of Pakistani actors.
Nepal is a buffer State between India and China. But, this does not mean it could play one against the other.
Does it not reflect India’s weak foreign policy. Enough damage has been done already. Small neighbours like Pakistan and Nepal are brazenly exhibiting hostility towards peace-loving India, obviously at the behest of big brother China.
For how long will India remain a mute witness to this global insult. The nationalist Indians are feeling hugely outraged.
For whom has India accumulated military arms and ammunition, missiles, advanced fighter aircrafts ,nuclear submarines and so on.
India's professional Army is not meant to kill Pak-sponsored terrorists in 2s and 3s.
Time to re-visit Chanakya Niti. Be decisive and take over POK without further delay.
No room for mercy and compassion.
A K Saxena (A former civil servant)