Whispers Forum

DEBATE (1) Next Government
There is uncertainty about the next Government. If Rahul Gandhi did not show more maturity then Modi will form the next Government. It is high time for Rahul Gandhi to be more active and vigilant to counter the BJP.
Dinesh Gupta.
IAS are the most capable !
There is no doubt that IAS are the most capable and competent officers. We have reached this far in seven decades only through the contribution of this one service. They deserve to get the best of service conditions. The dilution of their power over the years and weakening of the District Magistrates domain has not augured well for the country. They were given promotions and increments over and above the other services for a purpose. No one has ever succeeded in challenging the rationale of their supremacy. The political class knows their worth and has nurtured them towards predictable outcomes.
Minakshi
CSS officers not getting promotion
Today itself the AAP has allocated Rs.400 crore for payments to the Safai Workers. With CSS officers not getting promotion on the other hand, BJP is going to face misery in Delhi during the next Lok Sabha elections.
Satya Prakash

The appellant sought information related to a college namely ‘Vaageshwari College’ from the AICTE, but, the spellings of the name of the college mentioned in the AICTE records was ‘Vaageswari College’. The PIO replied that no such college was approved by the AICTE. The CIC observed that the only difference in the spelling of college name was alphabet ‘h’, the PIO could have mentioned in the reply about the same. The CIC directed the PIO to provide a point wise reply to the appellant, mentioning that the name of the college approved by the AICTE within 7 days from the date of receipt of the order. Observing that the reply to the RTI application was not provided within the stipulated time period of 30 days and the FAA had not adjudicated on the first appeal, the CIC cautioned the respondent authority to be more careful in future while dealing with RTI matters.
Comments
The reply given indicates a tendency of some PIOs to give a technically correct answer which may not be the best way of dealing with the RTI Application. The provisions of the RTI Act should be followed not only in letter but also in spirit.
Citation: Shri More Ganesh, Rangareddy v. AICTE in Appeal No. CIC/AICTE/A/2017/190104+189930/MP, Date of Decision: November 30, 2017
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/

DEBATE (1) Next Government
Certain & uncertain political future of BJP and Congress in 2019
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which came to power with a vengeance majority, started losing ground with its decisions causing public outrage. Besides, the main opposition party Congress is also not in position to wrest the power from BJP. However, we can expect changes in the political landscape in 2019 Lok Sabha general elections. Some other political parties may gain political leverage. The climate of political confusion will reinforce the country between certain and uncertain political future in next general election.
Sunil Kumar
“ Kim Jong’s brinkmanship V/s Trump’s strategic restraint “
North Korea's latest ICBM test against international sanctions,brings the World closer to the brink of war.This is not a fictional scenari.
Crisis, fast spinning out of control. Is the cynic Kim Jong not aware that his small , under-nourished and financially emaciated country will be the worst sufferer in case of a holocaust. Of course, with equal damage to South Korea.
China is not helpless in taming North Korea. It has a sinister motive.
Heavily dependent on its trade with the US, China is more interested in keeping the pot boiling between North Korea and the US.
Kim Jong must not forget that a surprise attack by him on South Korea would boomerang. His belligerent rhetoric with propaganda of triumph and total war, could leave its own leaders mistakenly convinced about winning such a conflict, just as the sloppy toughness of the White House might convince Kim that the US is about to strike.
High time for the to US exercise the sole option of carrying out pre-emptive strikes instead of getting bullied by Kim Jong on hourly basis.
The US’s image is getting irreversibly dented anyway in the comity of nations.
Same advice to India against the twin threat from its immediate neighbours, both India’s permanent enemies.
A K Saxena (A retd civil servant)

DEBATE (1) Next Government
The next Govt. is going to be again BJP plus it's alliance in 2019, the long term outcomes of Modi Govt.'s maiden initiatives like Demonetization, GST implementation which presented as just one uniform tax structure will not only benefit the BJP to continue its reign but the Indian economy will strengthen itself at par to the developed nations making India as global power and leader in world community. Secondly Modi's filling up the vacuum of a firm leader the lead India will be the first choice of the people of India including NRI's.
Abul Hasan
DEBATE (2) Next Government
Next Government will be BJP, because now people taking part in building nation and happy to see the change made by Modi Government. Atleast somewhere there is a role of people whereas during Congress government people even don’t know who is prime minister and president. Overall there is transparency in the present government and it has to continue.
Humera Ali
Top govt officers have feudalistic mentality !
Strong Ministers of past. Kamalapati Tripathy was the Railway Minister. When the question of starting the 'Kashi Vishwanath Express" train arised. The then Member Traffic (Ex-Officio), Railway went to his room with map and explained for 30 minutes the reasons as how the Kashi Vishwanath Express can be started. Kamlapati Tripathi listened for 30 minutes and said, MT saheb ab apne adhe ghante me bata diya hai ki train kyon nahi chal sakti. Ab aap kripya bata dijiye 10 minute me ki kaise train chal sakti hai. The train started and continues to run jam packed. The top level government officers in this country are of feudalistic mentality and will always have a negative attitude towards benefits for public at large. They will find one or more reason for not doing anything. On the other hand they will flatter the Legislature and reap illegal benefit in the form of misuse of office perks & facilities. Similarly if Ajay Mittal, Secretary-DOP&T, an Executive, has some past grudge with CSS officers and taking revenge by not agreeing to their promotion, then it becomes the duty of the Legislature (PM and MOS) to ask questions like how it use to take place in the past , what is the current logic of not doing it, how cant it be done etc. If BJP top brasses keep mum in this matter, I have no doubt in saying that during the next elections in Delhi all the seats are going to be once again grabbed by the AAP. People are already talking a number of goods of the AAP Government especially their step of improving the conditions of MCD schools and Mohalla Clinic.
Satya Prakash

DEBATE (1) Next Government
People’s mandate is unpredictable so it won’t be easy to say who will form the Government at the Centre in 2019 and what will be the political scenario thereafter. Not all think alike so there cannot be any definite conclusion on who will form the Government in 2019.
Amit K Singh
It is against the principal of natural justice
On the one hand an IAS Additional Secretary posted at the centre gets pay protection of Apex Scale once his batch-mate in the State/UT gets the Apex Scale and on the other hand the same IAS people at the centre deny due promotion to the CSS/CSSS officers at their own whims & fancies. The Minister of Personnel i.e. PM is not realizing that he is becoming very unpopular in the city of Delhi where the most of the CSS/CSSS officers live and spread message about government functioning. Gone are the days when the Executive use to put hurdles and erstwhile strong Ministers use to call for the files and takes responsibility of decision. In the case of CSS/CSSS officers there is nothing unjust. It is only the whims & fancies of the current Secretary-DOP&T. Orders of promotion can be issued by putting that it is subject to the outcome of so & so Court Case and is also subject to audit in future. The current Secretary-DOP&T medically fit and at the same time he is taking curse of thousands of sufferers. How can you treat something all of sudden a wrong when it is happening over the year as per CSS/CSSS Rules.
BBS

DEBATE (1) Next Government
Only Modi will form the next Government because he is positive in his approach. In his second term he will be more mature.
N K Jain
DEBATE (2) Next Government
Though there is disenchantment with the Government, it will come to power for the second term because there is no opposition.
T N Mehra
Other services happy under Modi regime
Totally wrong. The IPoS services officers Association wanted to meet the Prime Minister. They were denied permission. The current PM thinks that only the IAS officers run the country. This is the reason that the Annual Civil Services Award has been converted into Annual District Magistrate Award. The other Group 'A' Service officers do participate in Annual Civil Services Day function because of the neglect. In order to fill capacity of the Vigyan Bhawan, the Under Secretary and above level officers of the Central Secretariat Service in central Ministries/Departments are told to attend the Civil Services Day function and fill the capacity of the Vigyan Bhawan.
BBS
Promotions are long overdue
Ravi has clearly outlined the need for effecting promotions to both CSSS and CSS forthwith. It is long overdue and people are frustrated and becoming redundant and hopeless. Government has to step in and remove the backlog of promotions immediately otherwise people will think that this Government is also the same as the previous Governments, who never ever cared about the lower cadres except IAS and other Group A services. Hope DOPT and PM should intervene. Nothing has been done in the last three years to boost the morale of lower level officials, who are the real backbones of Government of India. This is not a cry but reality and only if the dues are given, efficiency can be enhanced otherwise nobody can help. Long live IAS for their continued destructionist attitude throughout these 70 years.
Seth

DEBATE (1) Next Government
Will Modi Government will come to power.All the educated people know that in the long run only Modi will take this country ahead.
O P Kapoor
DEBATE (2) Next Government
Debate : “ What would be India’s Political Scenario, Post-2019 ?”
No wild guesses, no prediction. I am no soothsayer. But, as a Modiphile, I would choose to call a spade a spade rather than being sycophantic. PM Modi’s continuance is vitally important for national security and country’s growth. He has no personal axe to grind. He should continue to lead the country beyond 2019 provided he follows certain Dos’ and Donts’.
Whatever, one may say, Modi’s contribution to India’s standing in international politics and military preparedness, has been unquestioned. Excellent rating. India’s prestige in the comity of nations, has risen manifold. It is recognised as a potential world power.
On domestic front, more needs to be done. It would be useful to identify the ground realities so that corrective action could be taken by the ruling dispensation to save the day. The outcome of Assemblies’ elections in States and external factors would play crucial role. A Repeat of 2014 victory at the hustings will demand total commitment . Though, PM Modi is personally incorruptible and honest, it would be simplistic to take his return for granted due to non- fulfillment of heightened public expectations. Have a look at some of these :-
( i) Inaction against UPA’s scamsters involved in serial scams like Coalgate , CWG, 2G,3G ,Choppersgate, Tetra Trucks gate, BEML Housing society scam and last but not the least, Robert Vadra’s multiple land and money launderings scams ;
(ii) Lack of control on the so-called “ Sanskari hindutva forces”, cow-vigilantes and their loose cannons, has robbed the government of much of its credibility. Experiences have been frustrating. Modi must take on his detractors and water-mouths in the party and its affiliates
.(iii) Good governance remains a pipedream. Rampant corruption in all departments having large public interface. Local bodies, police, judiciary.
( iv) Lacklustre performance of laidback union Ministers and their rudderless ministries;
( v) Rising inflation.
The public is keenly waiting for something spectacular from the Government on the above-mentioned shortcomings. Government’s record in implementation of social-sector schemes including Health care and Education has been dismal. The benefits are not percolating down to the grassroot level. PM Modi alone is capable of lifting the country out of morass. Assuming prompt action, PM Modi will continue to lead the country beyond 2019.
Contrast this with Rahul Gandhi whose ‘ Hugplomacy ‘ jibe targeting Modi-Trump proximity, reflects his moronic mindset. His bizarre utterances have made him a national jester. His growing age is inversely proportional to his maturity. He represents the stupidity of people who don’t care to think before they blabber. He will be coronated as President to preside over the liquidation of one-time INC ,now reduced to a dynastic party.
Needless to say, one would expect the Opposition to act responsibly. A weak opposition is bane for healthy democracy. In India, the Opposition is tending to become irrelevant.
A K Saxena (A retd civil servant)
CSSS too is not getting any promotions
It is not the CSS but unfortunately the CSSS has not been getting any promotions for the last one and and a half year. CSS has been asking for promotions merely on the ground that they have completed residency period whereas in CSSS almost double residency has been completed at every stage but promotions are a far cry. Cadre restructuring report is not being implemented for over 6 months. A DPC of 28 officers at the level of Sr. PPS was approved almost 18 months ago by UPSC and a large number of officers have retired without getting promotions but this has not yet been implemented. Unfortunately, the same CSS officers who are now crying for promotions are sitting on CSSS matters. We are in the same grief as CSS but please understand the problem of others while dealing with their personal matters. Both services are getting a raw deal over the years and the slogaqn of Sabka Sath Sabka Vikas is meant for All India Services only and rest needs to be forgotten. Please have some mercy on both services and give their due, we are not encroaching on your posts and you can not operate on our posts.
Ravi
Posts lying vacant
Same number of posts of Senior Principal Private Secretaries (equivalent to Dy. Secretary) are also lying vacant after cadre restructuring...
Sanjeev Sharma
Christians in Gujarat are miniscule
Number of Christians in Gujarat is miniscule. Nobody has ever wooed them. Polarisation in Gujarat after failure in developing it can only help the saffron party.
ARC Kumar

DEBATE (1) Next Government
The general elections in 2019 would be a bagful of surprises as the BJP will have to depend on its NDA allies to form the Government at the Centre.There seems to be little likelihood of a thumping majority for the BJP in the 2019 general elections. The Congress party will be gaining ground from its past dismal record but its still a long way to predict if the party would be able to form the Government at the Centre. As regards other regional parties, they could make a dent provided they remain united which most of times does not work out.
Sunil Singh
It’s not a new phenomenon
An article by Aarti Khosla - corruption in DMRC - What she has narrated about DMRC is not a new practice but this sort of employment has become the norm of the day and this is being implemented in whole Govt of India, state Govts, NCT and even in PSUs. Yes all other has been the same, like paying less salary, charging admn. expenses, paying salaries late, charging for dress, replacing the existing staff with new one to extract money from newcomers. This system is familiar to all FAs/Secretaries and high and mighty. This is also true for hiring of vehicles. Now what are the benefits of these services. All higher ups get extra help at home from these persons by way of cook and other sundry work/domestic chores. Every office has extra staff in the name of contract staff, administration people get a big cut from these contracts, you can have these vehicles and drivers throughout the country and any number of them. Govt employees can not be deployed at home and Govt vehicles have limited utility as they are visible to naked eyes so one can avoid by using these taxis. Benefits to contractors, they will be paid for a large number of persons which are beyond utility but only for misuse. In the case of vehicles the Kms are inflated beyond 200-300 Kms a day, as if the officers never sits in offices and keep on travelling daily for sight seen whereas the actual vehicle not have even moved half and on the top of it you will find these officers availing transport allowance as well as the vehicles. Mrs. Khosla has served the Govt. of India when some work ethics and personal ethics existed but we changed and moved a lot, now we are a new India and now we have devised better ways of doing things under the umbrella of contract culture. Whatever is written above will not be liked by many but this is the reality of the day, unfortunately whoever matters knows more than what has been written.
Ravi
Same is followed in Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs too
Madam, I fully agree and believe of what you have narrated here. But to your surprise the same practice is followed in the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs as well. The contractor is charging money from the people who have been provided for working as MTS and other in the House Keeping. I wonder if the Ministry would take this complaint of yours seriously. Hope so it does.
Anil

The appellant sought for the list of beneficiaries and the office to which they served at the time of allotment of CGEWHO dwelling houses of different types claiming irregularity in the transfer of his title deed. The PIO denied the information under section 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act. The CIC observed that as far as the welfare schemes are concerned, the Government has a duty to maintain total transparency in the interest of better implementation. The CIC further held that a Title deed is a registered document indicating the transfer of property, which is a public activity by public authority. This cannot be termed as private information of a third party. Observing that the denying information about public welfare schemes of the government on the ground of privacy of some other person is sheer abuse of right to privacy by the Government and deliberate violation of RTI Act, the CIC issued a show cause to the PIO and deemed PIO why maximum penalty should not be imposed against each of them for not providing the information. The public authority was directed to explain why it should not be ordered to pay compensation to the appellant.
Comments
Registration means giving a notice to public in general, so that people know that such property has been already transferred, which implies that it could not be further transferred. As per the Transfer of Property Act and Registration Act, registration of property is a compulsory statutory condition which essentially provides for maintenance of records of transaction and public access to it. Anybody can seek to find encumbrances on any registered immovable property as per the provision of these laws.
Citation: Dr. K. Venkata Rao v. Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation in CIC/KY/A/2014/901399, Decided On: 17.11.2017
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/

DEBATE (1) Next Government
There will be coalition government at the centre. Out of the total 282 MPs 116 are splinters can never win election this time on BJP ticket.In south still BJP is blank.
Girja Shankar.
“Misplaced Perception”
The Gandhinagar Archbishop's unholy utterances on Indian Nationalism as embodiment of Hinduism is regressive, intolerant and divisive. The timing of statement, just before Gujarat election, exposes his ulterior motive. The opprobrium synchronizing with Gujarat elections is reprehensible. Who could be the source of his motivation? Are Sonia- Rahul Gandhi inciting the Indian catholic Christians to condemn Indian Nationalism as an offshoot of Hinduism, the majority religion of India?
Is Italian nationalism Christian, one wonders ?
Now, some hard facts. One may recall how pressure was brought upon the then ruling dispensation during the corruption-ridden UPA regime by certain politico- religious forces of Italy for releasing its mariners’ who killed Indian fishermen after violating its sovereignty. Then, again, there were media reports of pressure brought upon the then PM by certain religious celebrities when P J Thomas was appointed CVC pursuant to a recommendation by a high power committee headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Home Minister P. Chidambaram as Member . Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj, who was the third member of the high powered committee who had recorded her dissent against appointing P J Thamas as CVC due to a pending vigilance case against Thomas, who was cited as accused No. 8 in the Kerala palmolein case pending in the Court of the Special Judge, Thiruvananthapuram, for offences under Section 13(2) read with 13(1) (d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 and under Section 120B (conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code. Thomas was appointed as the CVC despite this murky and morally questionable backdrop. He served for several months till his appointment was finally struck down by the Supreme court that passed serious strictures against the then Cong-led UPA government.
India like Italy cannot be ruled by the Vatican, nor, by the Mullahs or Hindu priests. It is not a hereditary monarchy but a liberal and secular democracy where the faith of a majority of Indians happens to be Hinduism.
Against this background, labeling Hindus obliquely as being pseudo- nationalists and pseudo – secularists, psudo-liberals by the Gandhinagar archbishop, is anti-National, politically motivated.
Nationalism like Terrorism has no religion.
A majority of Indian Catholics are nationalistic in their outlook. The archbishop, goaded by the misguided and opportunistic political class, seems to be an exception.
A K Saxena ( A retd civil servant)

DEBATE (1) Next Government
Narendra Modi will form the next Government because there is no opposition.His honesty and hardwork will pay dividends.
G S Mathur, IPS (Retd)
DEBATE (2) Next Government
This time no BJP.They have not been able to fulfill expections.Anyone like Devegowda will be next PM.
G K Reddy
DoPT not inclined to give anything to CSS officers
Vacancies are bound to exist because Department of Personnel and Training is not inclined to give any thing to CSS officers. Not single promotion was made during the tenure of B.P.Sharma. Even for promotion to Director level he got circulated eligibility list, obtained Vigilence Clearance, got updated APARs and obtained the approval of Minister for holding DPC but he delayed holding DPC and retired. Ajay Mittal sat over the case nearly four months and convened a DPC but it is heard that the DPC declared all the eligible officers as ineligible. Fact is that all the officers have completed five years approved service. It is perhaps the desire of IAS officers to kill the CSS service officers. CSS Officers are totally demoralized because month after month officers are retiring without getting their legitimate due.
Vincent Barla

DEBATE (1) Next Government
Narendra Modi will get second term. There is no alternative of Modi at the national level. People have faith in him because he has no vested interest.
O P Garg IPS (Red)
DEBATE (2)
Modi will be PM again because of his personal image .There is no corruption charge against him.
R C Patil
DEBATE (3)
Despite good image, Modi will suffer this time because of certain loud mouth BJP leaders.
M K Chibbar
How corruption works in DMRC ?
Talking of corruption let me inform the powers that be how corruption works in DMRC. The corporation recently hiked the metro fare which has affected the common man as well as the students who mostly depend on metro for commuting to their place of work or in case of students to their college .Delhi Metro Corporation justified the hike on the plea that their expenses have gone up. On what ? They have outsourced the recruitment and management of many low level essential employees to the contractor. The contractor gets changed after six months or a year. The new one enters and he dismisses the people already working. The new one recruits fresh by taking money. He wants the new employees to make some security deposit( which incidentally is never refunded on dismissal).He also wants the newly recruits to deposit additional amount for uniform etc. Even if an employee already working under the old contractor gets the job again and has the uniform he/she is required to buy the same again. Then the employees never get paid their full salary. Provident fund is deducted which also is never paid to the dismissed employee. It is big racket of exploitation of young boys and girls. Some of them have been working there for several years but face the axe with the new contractor. I know of these malpractices by first hand account of some of these employees. The other day a young woman ,daughter of a poor driver who has somehow continued to work as ticket issuer for the last 8 years was dismissed by the new contractor. She came crying to me and narrated how the new contractor now wants to keep new people by charging them a month's salary. Will Ministry of Urban affairs take note of this and stop this exploitation of labour. Why should such staff(It is not a very large number) be kept on adhoc basis for years so that DMRC does not have to pay them proper salary or is not burdened with other benefits due to the permanent staff. According to one version choice of the contractor is also on the basis of bribe paid to the concerned officers of the DMRC. Phew on Delhi Metro Corporation for being such an exploiter of poor people.
Aarti Khosla