Whispers Forum

The Appellant claimed illegal removal from employment in the Maharaja Agarsain Public School. The PIO made all possible efforts to procure the necessary information from the School and the actual grievance of the appellant was redressed. A show cause notice was issued for imposing penalty. The PIO tendered an unconditional apology for the delay in dissemination of information. The CIC held that the PIO made all possible efforts to procure the necessary information from the School, who is the actual custodian of information and the actual grievance of the appellant has also been redressed. The appellant informed the CIC that she is satisfied with the information received. The CIC exonerated the notice from the penal proceedings.
Comments
Penalty can be imposed on the PIO for malafide denial of information and the onus is on the PIO to show that the denial was legal.
Citation: Renu Jain v. Department of Education Dr. Mallikarjun K S - DDE Mr. V.K. Kajal -PIO in F. No. CIC/DIRED/A/2017/188568, Date of Decision: 23.07.2018
Dr. Anuradha Verma (dranuradhaverma@yahoo.co.in) is the co-author of 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 http://www.rtifoundationofindia.com/

National and States Commissions for Women’s with statutory backings have been reduced to parking lots for sycophants of the ruling political dispensations. Chairpersons and Members enjoy government perks at tax payers' expenses. Endowed with insatiable appetite for cheap publicity, they mostly behave like moral police under media coverage.
Recommendations of such commissions, more often than not, are influenced by political class rather than merit. Their actions do not come under the purview of public scrutiny. With zero utility and accountability, these are irrelevant.
Recall unethical practices by Delhi’s women commission in NCT, Delhi. A large number of contractual posts were created by the present Chairperson without sanctions of competent authority. Recruitments were made on contractual basis on pick-and-choose, arbitrary basis without giving due publicity and fixing eligibility criteria for holding mandatory selection tests.
Zero accountability, sheer drain on public exchequer. These are misused as political tools for settling scores with political adversaries.Positions in other States and UTs would be anybody’s guess.
Should not women’s Commissions , creatures of legislatures, be scrapped to save on tax payers’ funds running into crores of rupees spent on salaries of Chairpersons, members, supporting staff and officers, chauffeur-driven cars, free petrol ,buildings rentals etc?
Chairpersons and members are all political appointees,co-terminus with successive ruling dispensations.
A K Saxena (A former civil servant)

According to Whispers, abolition of PESB is on cards. This is a welcome move but since PESB provides employment to retired Secretaries to Government of India, it will not be easy for the Government to abolish it. Actually, the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) needs to be abolished earlier. Currently, DPE is the least important and least useful department of GoI. The Secretary has no work as all PSUs are under the administrative control of their respective Ministries and disinvestment in white elephants is being taken up by another department under the Ministry of Finance. DPE exists only due to hysterics.
Prof N C Saxena
Huge backlog in CS Division
The promotion, preparation of select list, transfers etc. is performed by the CS Division of DOP&T. There is a huge backlog of work in CS Division. The current level of officers and staff posted in the CS Division will not be able to do justice because of the already existing huge pressure of work. The DOP&T should hire some retired officers of CSS as consultants for some time in order to update the work. As a result of which they will not only removing the huge discontent among the CSS officers but also reducing the number of cases pending in the courts.
BBS

It is intriguing that DoPT has suspended rotational transfers of under secretaries despite issuing circular for the same in June 2018. Vested interests are at work to stop rotational transfers on the eve of elections. Govt has to respond why such transfers have been suspended.
R Muralidhar
“Duplicitous Superpowers”
China has been consistently vetoing declaration of Azhar Masood as a global terrorist.
How did India blame Pakistan alone at the UNGA for harbouring Azhar Masood and allowing him a free run in that country. Why was China not bracketed with Pakistan by India’s foreign minister in her UN address in slamming them for jointly promoting terror and blackmailing other member States of the UN ?
Even, four permanent members of the Security Council failed to take a stand in the General assembly session against China, the fifth permanent member for misusing its power of Veto. Let them not underestimate India which is going to be a superpower and super-economy of future.
A K Saxena (A former civil servant)

This is it ! Why then not compare the Government servants also with the topmost companies' executives (like Reliance, Hindujas and Tatas) in the same way. Why a Government servant is always compared with the employees of deficient companies and despised as if they all are corrupts. Here also the comparison of the salary of SC Judges with topmost senior lawyers is absolutely wrong. It should be compared in the similar way as it is compared in the case of topmost Government servants.
Shashi Kant Sharma
SBI looting the honest
To cover up the NPA's, SBI is looting the honest, sincere and senior citizen customers in the name of cheque returned charges and other hidden charges. Govt has to initiate CBI investigation in SBI frauds. I am one of the victim of SBI frauds. It is request to PMO to initiate action.
Rao

Why is the Cement Corporation of India still in existence after decades of liberalisation of the economy and India dreaming of becoming a Superpower ? The Cement Corporation of India is the relic of the Raj- the licence raj, when a bag of cement commanded a premium equivalent to its price. People who set up those 200000 or so companies closed down by the present government for being fictitious were the vehicles of minting money under the corrupt regime in those days. The fellows-minister down to the peon in the cement wing of the then ministry of Industry walked the corridors of Udyog Bhavan as real VVIPs till someone honest set things right. There is no justification for retaining the Cement Corporation in the Public sector when even Rafale is going to be manufactured in India- not in the public sector HAL but private sector.
M L Gupta
Seeking kind attention
Seeking your kind attention to the fact that my father Goutam Bhowmick (Shramik, HR No.200003878) attached the Telecom Factory Alipore, Kolkata – 700027, is suffering from Metaslatic LUNG CANCER for the last few years and now it is last stage and he is
medically unfit to discharges his official duties. My father submitted application on 19/01/2018 to the General Manager, Telecom Factory at Alipore, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited, Kolkata (but Prayers were rejected).
He then submitted application on 08/03/2018 to the Chief General Manager, Telecom Factories Circle, 3A, Chowringhee, Kolkata-700013 (but Prayers were rejected) to approve me in his place on compassionate ground (medical invalidation) in accordance with the rule vide LETTER NO.273-18/2013-Estt-IV ESII dt 21-4-2016 issued by the (A.K.Singh) AGM (Estt-IV) BSNL. I got 56 Points in this rules (Dependent's weightage 15 Points, Basic Famliy Pension weightage 18 points, Let out service weightage 9 point, Terminal benefits weightage 9 points, Accommodation weightage 5 point).
Also appealed to Establishment Cell General Manager (SR-II) Bharat Sanchar Bhavan,Harish Chandra Mathur Lane Janapath,New Delhi-110001. First Letter dated 7/4/2018 delivered on 11/4/2018 ( Reminder Letter dated 23/6/2018 delivered on 26/6/2018 but no response.
I earnestly appeal before your honour to provide natural justice in this case.
DEBRAJ BHOWMICK
BSNL COMPLEX P-C
TYPE -2/2/7 PATULI
KOLKATA-700094
Mobile 8961295945

The Appellant who worked in Coal India Limited (CIL) sought certain information, acting as a whistleblower to corroborate his complaints which he has filed to unearth misappropriation. The CIL stated that the matter had been sent for investigation to CVC on 23.07.2013 and no response has been received thereafter despite reminder on October 2013. The CIL submitted that certain information was denied claiming exemption under section 8(1)(h) of the RTI Act while minutes of the meeting had not been received from CVC, hence not available with the Respondent to provide. The CIC noted that the complaint filed by the appellant has been pending since year 2013. The fate of the complaint is yet to be decided by the CVC, despite passage of more than reasonable period of time. It is worrisome and unfortunate to note that such inordinate period of time is taken in completion of investigation of a complaint, even by the CVC. Hence, the CIC directed the PIO, CIL to transfer the RTI application to the concerned PIO, CVC who in turn shall submit before the CIC the report submitted to the CVC by CIL and the current stage of the investigation pending before the CVC alongwith the possible timeline for conclusion of the Investigation. The CIC made it clear that non compliance of the directions shall attract appropriate proceedings, as per law.
Comments
The CIC has so far refrained from asking for a possible timeline for conclusion of the Investigation in cases of delay. The case indicates the possible use of RTI Act for expediting the proceedings in certain cases.
Citation: Shri Ainul H Mazumdar v. Coal India Limited in F. No.CIC/CILTD/A/2017/111036, Date of Decision: 10.08.2018
Dr. Anuradha Verma (dranuradhaverma@yahoo.co.in) is the co-author of 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 http://www.rtifoundationofindia.com/

The RTI Act can be used for such disputes to the advantage of public. However, it has not brought a great change in the working of the different government organisations which was expected at the time of rolling out of the Act. There is a need for a greater push to change the style of working of the officials.
Suresh Chand
Giving due weightage to NOTA
Dr. Singh and Verma has very well explained the Pitfall in the present system regarding NOTA. I suggest that if there are 15% NOTA votes and no candidate is getting more than 35% vote, then there should be re election. This will give due weightage to NOTA.
S Gopal

One of the major differences seen today between Manmohan singh V/s Narendra Modi government is flowing of funds as one government made us spendthrift another saver. The results of upcoming election in the five states will have a deep impact on the centre elections. Well the state voters have to understand if they continue to enjoy the benefits of central government or vote against to see the worse.
The next five years will be very crucial for the country , patience & discipline can lead us to become a superpower.
Vivek Dhawan