Whispers Forum

DEBATE
So far, no one has succeeded in challenging the might of the IAS. They are a formidable behemoth-the other civil servants feel timid before them. The political bosses also feel incapable of turning the tide -it serves them to be status quo-ist! Efficient networking, frequent training sessions in Mussoorie and a well planned strategy of keeping their ilk on all the crucial positions in the Bureaucracy ensures that they behave like a syndicate! If they are at the STS level or JAG level, they get posted not as Director but as a PS to a Minister-be it housing, foreign training, accolades for good work done by others, awards on Civil Services day, deputations to International institutions-all so called "privileges" are for the twice born Brahmins of Bureaucracy. How can officers at the helm of affairs inspire confidence in the system if they themselves perpetuate feudal mindsets, a system of patronage and unfair rules of the game !
Mrigank Puneet

DEBATE
I reckon that the article penned by an MP cadre IAS officer, Mrs Dipali Rastogi and carried by a national daily is praiseworthy. She raises the misdemeanours of IAS officers during their service periods. Mrs Rastogi rightly says that the officers, who join India’s apex Indian Administrative Service (IAS), keep the nation’s interest at bay and pay more attention to their own welfare. Besides, they also buckle under political pressure and act at the whims of politicians. The article serves as a timely reminder of how political and bureaucratic scenario would be in coming years. It is a wake-up call for the government and people.
Sunil Kumar
Time for taking strong action against those who disrespect India
The time is now for taking strong action against all those elements, who disrespect India in some form or other. The students of Kashmir University who kept sitting, should be identified, prosecuted and their degrees should be cancelled , with a strong message that such things anywhere will not be tolerated, notwithstanding the shouting bout by tukre tukre gang and their supporters, political and others. If no action is taken, it will demoralise those who are law abiding, and their faith in the government will also diminish, as the government will be perceived to be weak, and unable to stand up to bullying. This is not what the supporters of the government had voted for.
S Chatterjee

DEBATE
J Sundara Sekhar, 1983-batch officer - who was serving Bengal since 1985 - took voluntary retirement in November 2013, from the post of secretary, West Bengal Human Rights Commission (WBHRC), and joined politics as a member of YSR Congress.
Making Unnecessary Reference
Really complex and critical cases remain unresolved even after inter-ministerial consultations among the administrative ministry, personnel, finance and others which creates a situation of maximum confusion with minimum clarity. Ultimately Law ministry is consulted, which only adds to the complexity. Should the decision be not taken by the ministry required to decide the matter instead of roping others in the process under the misconception that they have all the answers to all the doubts? Should the parliament not decide constitutional matters, abnegating its mandate and throw everything at the doors of the courts? The court has done what the wise always do: sent it back to all stakeholders with a tick to some part and a cross to another. To make sense of it, the parties are free to go to the court on a case to case basis! How long will the legislature play such a game? It has to lay down in clear terms the powers and processes of all the layers in the hierarchy so that there is no abuse of authority by one or the other. Language of the political class needs great improvement unless chaos is the goal.
M L Gupta
A welcome step
If government is considering utilising the services of D K Mittal (ex Secretary Financial Services)'s for some post retirement job, it is a welcome step. On an absolutely objective assessment, Mittal is an outstanding officer. So is Anil Swarup, Secretary Education who is due to retire. An equally outstanding officer, he services could also be utilised.
Vijay Kumar

DEBATE (1)
Dr Amar Singh former Principal Secretary to Madhya Pradesh CM, Digvijay Singh has joined Congress in Punjab. He is former 1981 batch IAS officer.
Rajan Singh
Take officers from other services
If the number of empanelled officers from 1989 batch of IAS for Addl. Secretary are less, why not take officers from other services. Officers from 1987 and 1988 batch of other services are still to be empanelled. I am sure Government will find bright officers from these batches. On the other hand, promoting 1990 batch of IAS without considering 1987 & 1988 batches (having 3 & 2 years seniority over 1990 batch) will be demoralizing.
Raj
Will fight feudalistic mindset IAS officers
I am a CSS Officer of Deputy Secretary rank for the select list of 2012. I have been denied my due promotion on 01.07.2017 as Director on account of the whims of fancies of the then Secretary-DOP&T of IAS. I have obtained through RTI a lot of information about the misdeeds and corrupt activities of then officer. I have also obtained a lot of information through RTI about other IAS officers relating to misuse of office perks & facilities (especially misuse of vehicles). Very soon I am going to retire un-promoted. But I am not going to sit idle. I will break the 'reed ki haddi' of these feudalistic mindset IAS bureaucrats. I am ready to put my some personal money and life also at stake for that.
BBS

The appellant asked information regarding the procedure of inquiry against a bank official of Central Bank of India and other details etc from the PIO, Reserve Bank of India. On appeal , the FAA advised the appellant to file a fresh RTI application to the Central Bank of India. Before the CIC, the RBI stated that since the information pertaining to the procedure of inquiry against a bank official of Central Bank of India and other details of a particular bank employee was sought, the information ought to be available with the Central Bank of India. However, inadvertently the RTI application was not transferred to the PIO, Central Bank of India. The respondent tendered his unconditional apology for this lapse and requested the Commission to condone the same. The CIC counselled the PIO to be more careful in future, so that such lapses do not recur. The CIC also directed the PIO to transfer the RTI application along with a copy of the Commission’s decision to the PIO, Central Bank of India within a period of two weeks under intimation to the appellant.
Comments
As per Section 6(3) of the RTI Act, where an application is made to a public authority but the subject matter of the RTI application pertains to another public authority, the PIO of the public authority receiving the RTI application has to transfer the same to the public authority concerned.
Citation: : Riaz Ahmed vs. Reserve Bank of India in Decision No. CIC/RBIND/A/2017/195214, dated 18.06.2018
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
R G Nandi
Be not proud, dear Vanity!
She was a young teacher in a distant border village, where she had started feeling uncomfortable for the last three months, as the new Principal concentrated on discipline and dedicated teaching, by leading from the front. Earlier she would go to the school once in a while. The former principal, even used to send her salary to her house. All these liberties and so called privileges she enjoyed, were because of her husband's clout as a middle-rung officer and his resourcefulness. But the new principal went on doing his work nonchalantly, in spite of her having made abortive attempts to influence him, and also throwing veiled threats of the clout of her husband. Her husband had also intermittently met him and tactfully tried to intimidate him with the fear of his transfer to an inhospitable place, but without any fruitful results.
One fine morning she came to the school with a box of motichoor ladoos. Her husband had been selected in the provincial civil services with a very high merit. She went to meet the Principal last of all. More than distribution of the sweet, she was on the spree to influence the Principal for getting back her lost glory of absenteeism. Principal very smilingly congratulated her and continued doing his work ,as if nothing had happened. While sharing ladoos with her colleagues ,she repeatedly said, ''Now I will see him-this Hitler of a man. ''It took about a year for her husband to join the new service, but Principal remained entwined to his duty and discipline, not allowing anyone any undue liberty. In the meanwhile she had got her life lifestyle and hairstyle changed by trimming her hair, getting a scooter, distancing herself from her colleagues, and not speaking in punjabi. She got herself transferred to the station and school of her choice, when her husband got first appointment as executive magistrate. She resumed her old ways of getting salary at her house, without doing any work.
In those days it used to take five to eight years for a PCS officer to become sub divisional magistrate. Since we were friends, we used to meet very often. And on such occasions, she would invariably repeat that her husband was a very honest person and would never go to a politician for any favour and least for transfer etc. However, it may be a sheer coincidence that he got appointment as SDM much before his batchmates. During that period ,she had met my wife and said, ''Tusi vi apne husband nu kaho ke oh vi kite SDM lagg jaan, tusi apne aap sub division di first lady bann jaoge. ''My wife one day asked me, ''Eh first lady bann ke ki hunda a?'' Then she told me the context of this query. I told her, ''I know nothing of it except that we refer to wife of the President of the Republic and that of Governor of a state as first lady''. Later on we came to know that as president of the ladies' club of the sub division, she would be amused ,when she was addressed as 'first lady of the sub division'. This would often bring her in conflict with the wives of the deputy superintendent of police and sub divisional judicial magistrate. So, she became first lady of the district in her own way, when her husband was put as deputy commissioner of a district, after about two decades of service
A young officer was posted as divisional commissioner whose wife was very conscious of her status and wore it all over her as a perfume. She was president of the Officers' wives club there and on her first visit to the club, five officers were also kept standing around to match her ego. The secretary of the club was the wife of a highly learned and intellectually sound senior PCS officer, who was posted as settlement commissioner. She was cultured lady of very high dignity. In the welcome address to the divisional commissioner's wife, the lady secretary, addressed her by her name, without using prefixes and suffixes of proverbial bureaucratic sycophancy. Commissioner's wife did not hide that she was not amused and twisted her facial muscles furiously to make it known around. The ladies in the sycophancy semi- circle were alarmed. When the snacks were being served ,the secretary was called by the ladies in this semi- circle in utter timidity in front of the ferociously arrogant lady president. In a very angry voice, she confronted the secretary, ''Don't you know I am the wife of the youngest commissioner of India and the first lady of the Division . Why did you not mention it? What do you think of yourself? After all, I am commissioner's wife!'' The graceful secretary was taken aback as she was so aggressively, arrogantly and suddenly insulted. She spontaneously retorted with commensurate bravado, ''What is it if you are commissioner's wife, I am also settlement commissioner's wife''!It is another matter that after a few days her husband was posted as district officer removal of grievances in a equally unimportant district ,despite the fact that he had already worked as Additional deputy commissioner of a important district. This ladies' vanity fairs and self proclaimed hierarchy still continues with somewhat diminished intensity and ferociousness.
Surinderjit Singh Sandhu , Amritsar

Some corrupt and disgruntled babus of labour ministry are creating problems to govt by wrongly advising govt in case of enhancement of tax gratuity of Rs 20 lakhs we 29th march 2018 as against cabinet approval w.e.f. January 1, 2016, not implementing SC order of EPS 95 pension to exempted CPSE . so that around 90 lakhs ( vote equivalent 4 crores) will go against MODI govt in coming 2019 general election. There are certain private sector who are dead against GST, demonetisation, benami properties, action against black money played vital role in these decisions/gazzete publication/orders/act.
Rao
“Why do governments lose in courts ?”
Governments at the Centre and States and their associates in the country are the largest litigants. Ironically, they are also the largest losers. No one seems to bother about the resultant loss of revenue to public exchequer.
Government cases are usually defended in courts by standing counsels empanelled Min of Law at Centre and States. Selections involve use of discretionary powers.Subjectivity is bound to creep in. Private lawyers’ track records, success rates, merit, non-compliance of prescribed criteria and guidelines tend to get ignored for extraneous considerations. Political interference sidelines merit. Standing counsels, more often than not, fail to attach importance to government cases, giving more time to their private clients. The govt counsels are over-awed by presence of distinguished lawyers engaged by the opposite parties on payment of hefty fees ( in cash). All government payments are made by cheques. This acts as a deterrent.
Things are not hunky dory. Situation in States are far worse, shameful. A reality check and corrective measures are necessary to arrest further deterioration.
A K Saxena ( A former civil servant)

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