Whispers Forum

India must pre-empt China's possible wild card entry into the Maldives in order to restore democracy there and bolster India's maritime security in the Indian ocean.
It would be foolhardy for India to wait for a formal Maldivian invite in view of China's string of pearls woven around India. Ethics is China's anathema. Reigning President of the Maldives is out and out pro-China. China is waiting to pounce.
The present Maldivian regime has proved itself as illegitimate, undemocratic, hell bent on defying Supreme Court directive by refusing to release political leaders. It is ready to arrest top SC Judges and extend temporary emergency beyond 15 days.
Let us re-enact Operation Cactus to enhance India’s maritime primacy in Indian ocean by showing our capability to mount a successful operation at short notice
Let us not forget, there are some 22,000 Indian Diaspora in the small island nation. Hence, the need for swift commando action before the crisis reaches a flashpoint.
A K Saxena (A retd civil servant)
Apt analysis
Very apt analysis on the budget by Shri Kumar and Ms Aarthi Khosla. Hearty Congrats to o both the contributors.
K Srinivasa

Pakistan is waging a virtual war with us .What else are everyday serious incidents at Loc.By sending antitank guided missiles and heavy mortar shells across the Line of Control on our posts and habitated villages along the border they are killing our soldiers and civilians in several sectors in Jammu Region. Their latest belligerent act the other day took the lives of a young captain and three jawans. It seems the rogue army of Pakistan is having a field day with no worth the name civilian Government in Charge. As it is the military there is always over ruling the elected Government. Terrorists like Hafiz Syed and the army seem to be writing this agenda. Their aggressive posture is also an outcome of frustration on being condemned by the World Powers for promoting terrorism. Their next door neighbour Afghanistan is also their victim. What should India do to rein in this rogue elephant ? War is not the answer. Arrogant of being a nuclear power they will not hesitate to use it even if their own people suffer. Keeping quiet over these provocations, also resulting in heavy casualties, will not stop them from such nefarious acts. I am sure our armed forces, of which we are proud will give them a befitting reply. The tears of the family members of Captain Kapil Kundu and our other soldiers killed by these animals need to be wiped by a suitable response.
Aarti Khosla

If this NDA government continues for another five years, the salaried class will be at the receiving end of trader. The salaried class only will be paying tax without any relief. The trader be small or medium or big who are involved in rice, dal and other grocery item business, will be earning more but will be paying only meager tax to the satisfaction of this part.
Rahul
Medicare scheme will lead to massive scandal
Medicare scheme announced in the budget will give rise to a massive scandal by hospitals-false bills .admissions etc.
ARC Kumar

NDA govt has great political acumen. That is why he has completely ignored the middle class. They never vote nor are they united. If the rural folk were ignored they would have voted against. Good political exercise.
ARC Kumar
Unique Union Budget!
Notwithstanding the Naysayers calling it an election manifesto, the Union Budget is unique in many ways. It has really focussed on what needs to be done. The agriculture was in dire need of attention. Farmers were not getting adequate return for their produce .Debt-ridden they were ending their lives in desperation. The Budget promises them good MSP. Were the villages not in need of good infrastructure. By providing road connectivity, irrigation projects and better housing to the people in our villages the Budget aims at uplifting them from their present moribund status. The National Health Scheme dubbed as largest such health care scheme in the world will provide relief to crores of poor people who cannot afford such care today. Giving relief in tax to medium and small scale industries will encourage setting up of more such ventures boosting employment. This budget is indeed not a run of the mill exercise we have been seeing so far. The middle class left out of this budget for not being given any relief should not mind making this sacrifice for helping the kisans who feed them and for lifting the poor out of their present state so that India grows in the real sense and inequalities get reduced.
Aarti Khosla

The appellant sought certain information about the contract employees. The CPIO informed that the attendance register and salary slip of the employees of contractor are maintained by the contractor and hence, the custodian of these documents is the contractor. These documents are not available with them and they have nothing to do with the employees of the contractor. The CPIO informed that the records were called for from the contractor two times but he did not produce any document and he has been blacklisted. Furthermore, they do not have any instrument to force the contractor to call for the documents legally. The Commission observed that due to absence of any terms & condition, regarding calling for the record, in the agreement arrived between the NPCIL and the contractor, the respondent is not able to force the contractor to produce the documents. The CIC advised the respondent to look at their agreements and make change, if necessary, for calling for the record from the contractor.
Comments
This case law offers a lesson for drawing an agreement for all those government departments where contract labour is hired for any work.
Citation: Mr. Rakesh Kumar Devatiya v. Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd., in Appeal No. CIC/NPCOI/A/2017/185052 CIC/NPCOI/A/2017/185055, Dated of Decision: 18.10.2017
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/

It is disgusting to note that the political parties who claim to be the saviours of 125 crore people of the country have stooped to such a low that instead of having debate and discussion on how to provide relief to the people and work for their well being spat over silly things like dresses of the leaders. The BJP and the Congress tore into each other after the Meghalaya unit of the BJP, in an apparent bid to get even with Rahul Gandhi over his "suit-boot" jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, claimed the Congress chief wore a jacket worth Rs 63,000 to a concert in Shillong on Tuesday. Is there nothing better left for these politicians to fight over ?
Mahendra Kaushik

Is farming not an industry? Does it not “produce” food grains? Does it not produce fruits, vegetables, milk, eggs, animals for meat? Does it not produce flowers, honey, fodder, herbs, wood, resins, rubber and everything classified by economists or developers of commerce & industry as “raw material”? Does it not require “investment” in plant & machinery like tractors, tyres, motor pumps, crushers and a host of other cultivation and harvesting machinery? Is the farmer an uneducated person or highly qualified degree holder B.Sc. in Agriculture, Veterinary Science or horticulture? When investment in farming is high, working capital needs huge, risks astronomical, a 24x7 job without a day of rest till harvesting and market economy traditionally not in favour, is s/he not entitled to get remunerative price for her/his produce? Between industrial goods and farm goods, which one is life threatening and which one life sustaining? Why should the farmer be penalized when the elements or the markets go against her/him? When an industry fails, the enterprise goes “bankrupt”. But when a farming enterprise fails, the farmer commits suicide or is committed to jail for loan default. Isn’t something horribly wrong with the whole economics of farming? Where is the question of farm produce getting wasted? Application of technology will prove that nothing goes waste if properly processed. It is only because of high investments required for processing the agricultural produce (to dehydrate, process, pack, store and send to the market in an organized fashion) that the farmer shies away and realizes something less than even the input cost. That is undoubtedly bad economics. Farming is highly remunerative to the high and mighty, such as politicians, bureaucrats and businesspersons, who save income tax on it. Most influential people- politicians, bureaucrats, businessmen, criminals and film stars have Farm Houses in cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Mysuru, Lucknow, Patna, Ranchi, Jaipur, Bhopal etc. Only the farmer is without a farm or a house, since it has all gone into mortgage for getting farm inputs! Novel, innovative, creative ideas are needed to make farming the first choice of properly trained youth. Farming needs to get back its top position in economic activity. In India, it is said “uttam kheti, madhyam vyapaar, nimn chakari” meaning farming best, business next best and job next to it only. Industrialization has upended this order, with all its gains and losses. Big industrial enterprises, however, own hectares of farm land, which they have developed for farming, horticulture & floriculture in addition to their industrial activity. They grow “organic” foods and the poor farmer over-uses chemical fertilizers. India has to think anew! The concept of MSP for the farm sector should be replaced by sharing the input cost plus minimum wages for the farmer “to farm” so that the country is always self-sufficient in food production and there is no National Food Shortage Disaster. Why should somebody do the onerous job of farming unless there is good monetary motivation to do so? Why would he not opt for the comfort of a factory or office job? If farming makes him rich why thrust poverty on him? It is very unfair to include every economic activity under the definition of “industry” to provide it soft loans for long duration and re-structuring facility and clever ways to make NPA of it whereas harshest laws are promulgated for the farmer. What better illustration of this harshness be given than the language used in the Land Revenue Act, which are extended to trade & Business for recovery of taxes as “arrears of land revenue”? Revenue dues can be recovered from the farmer by confiscation of land or other assets and punishment includes jail term too. Farm sector gives the highest revenue in direct and indirect form and provides highest employment at comparatively lower per unit cost but continues to be treated roughly as was the case under the Mughal Rule and British Rule. This sector deserves to be treated as a cooperative venture between the state and the individual farmer. It will initiate a change that would impact the whole world and its economy. The FAO will follow such a farm Model. This will be the Indian Farm Model, as it was the Gujarat Model within India. Will the Indian Prime Minister and the Finance Minister give due consideration to these points and reflect them in the budget 2018-19?
M L Gupta

The images of children some as old as four to six years crouching with fear inside their school bus along with their teachers in Gurugram brought up so much anger against the powers that be. Is there no Government in Haryana which could rein in these goondas of Karni Sena or whatever brand of mafia they were from. It seems that Haryana Government as well as Governments from other states like Rajasthan, Gujarat, M.P and U.P are helpless before these mobs who have run amok all over a film. Action needs to be taken against their irresponsible leaders. Are votes more important than the lives of citizens which include these small children whose school bus was attacked by these hooligans.
Aarti Khosla

Information regarding officers against whom Show Cause notice had been issued by the TDS Officer under Section 201 (1)/ 201 (IA) of the Income Tax Act, 1961 on account of short deduction of TDS from payment made on account of Professional Charges and issues related thereto. The CIC noted that the appellant was not present to contest the submissions of the Respondent or to establish the larger public interest in disclosure. The denial of information was upheld.
Comments
For seeking personal information regarding any employee of the public authority the applicant must disclose a “larger public interest”. Unless the PIO or the appellate authority, as the case may be, is satisfied that the larger public interest justifies the disclosure of any such information that invades the privacy of an individual is not permissible.
Citation: Mr. Bipin Kumar v. Office of the Income Tax Officer Srinagar in Appeal No.:-CIC/DITIN/A/2017/178317-BJ, Date of Decision: 15.01.2018
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/

As the Prime Minister's Civil Services Award has virtually become an Awards for the District Magistrates/Collectors, my humble request to the fraternity of the Civil Servants of other services of the country to not to attend the next Civil Services Awards function to be held on 21st April, 2018. The central secretariat officers who on the fear of disciplinary action being taken against them should also not attend the function in the background wherein they are being denied promotion during the past two years by the IAS officers at the helm of affairs in the Department of Personnel & Training.
A retired IRTS
People-friendly Income Tax department !
The income tax department has sent an SMS to the tax payers curtly telling them that "You have not filed your ITR for this assessment year, even though you have filed it long ago and be done with it. But the IT department will not leave you in peace. The last sentence in the SMS blithely says "Ignore this message if you have already filed your ITR." This is how casually they treat the citizen tax payer. Can't the IT department take the trouble to send such a message only to those who have not actually filed it? Should they not have the minimum courtesy not to trouble those who have filed it ?
MSK