Whispers Forum

The British had nationalised the salt industry in India. The people were deprived of an essential commodity of their daily diet. Even the Raja, Maharaja, Nawabs were brought under the control regime. It gave birth to the maxim “huzur, aapkaa namak khaya hai, khaal kheech lijiye uf tak nahi kahenge” vividly used as Namak Halaal or Namak Haraam. This text was used by the Indian theatre till 1980s and Hindi films too. It was so because all the princely states were under Treaty arrangement with the British where they were granted a meagre but fixed quantity of salt annually for their personal consumption. We don’t throw salt on the ground even today as a conviction. But Gandhi rejected salt nationalisation and de-nationalised it by his Dandi March. He turned it into the most powerful weapon of revolution called only “satyagrah”! Gandhi asked people to make salt for their consumption free. His birthday is celebrated annually but without the real salt of satyagrah. The market sells spurious edible table salt today, priced unethically high and making absurd claims of enrichment by 80 minerals without any authority of law. The full-page advertisements display the face of the Chief Ministers in bigger size than that of Gandhi. Can they make available certified salt on Gandhi Jayanti in India? For the village industries, they must sell high quality Gur/jaggery, which is another essential item on the menu of the aam aadmi (but strongly recommended even for those not-so-aam-aadmi). What is KVIC doing? What are KVIBs doing? Can we remember the Messiah of Satyagrah in this way, generate employment of millions of hours and provide opportunity for lawful additions to income?
M L Gupta

If DA is going to be delayed or stopped for employees, it is sure that their increments will also face the same fate. In the previous budget, government had given tax relief upto Rs.5 lakhs to traders, though they are very well off, again a sop upto Rs.10 lakhs will be given to them. This will bring thee salaried class in the category of hand to mouth existence and thus bringing them at the mercy of traders and business class.
Brig Choudhary
Loss of Department of Posts increasing consistently
The loss of Department of Posts is increasing consistently every year ! The loss in 19-20 has increased by Rs 3000 crores over the previous year ! This is after the operation of India Posts Payments Bank ! While earnings are not increasing the expenditure has almost doubled . The increase in Expenditure needs to be examined and steps taken to streamline the working of the Department.
vox populi

Digital media has been at its jingoistic worst ! All TV channels are jubilant at the arrival of PM Modi from US. What an ostentatious, flamboyant reception organised to greet PM Modi at Delhi airport and beyond. All at cost of taxpayers’ money.
Full marks to Modi for diplomatic achievements. However, was that the occasion for celebrations in the present scenario. An undeclared war with Pakistan is raging at the LOC and IB. The country is passing through grave crises due to unprecedented floods. All this calls for strict measures to arrest the slowed-down economy.
However, on the contrary, the need for taking austerity measures is being totally ignored, especially so at a time when our Jawans are being martyred and injured every day due to terror attacks in Kashmir. Public is hugely outraged by such premature show of extravaganza.
It cannot be negated that leaders’ first priority lies in earning political brownie points. Their priorities are wonky, crooked, not public-friendly. They survive on sycophancy and ego massage, their staple diet.
Against this background, was organising a mega event like the one arranged for PM Modi justified in the present circumstances ? The job in Kashmir is still incomplete. Forcible occupation of POK by India's Armed Forces, remains. Pakistan will not offer it to us on a platter.
The public has lots of expectations from PM Modi. Much still remains to be completed.
One trusts, such non-events are not celebrated, in future, out of sync with ground reality.
I would urge PM Modi to issue standing instructions to the cheer leaders, sycophants including partymen, council of ministers and bureaucrats, not to waste time.
Only a few top ministers, Cab Secy and Principal Secretary to PM could be present. Presence of party functionaries must be totally banned. PM Modi must look different from UPA era.
Another noteworthy point. How did the Intelligence Bureau in the light of grave threat perceptions, give security clearances for such a mass gathering of 30,000 people ?
As per Media reports, both PM Modi and the NSA are under target of Pakistan-sponsored terrorists ? Are media reports fabricated, one wonders ?
A K Saxena (A former Civil Servant)

It will take care of brilliant people (who cracked civil services at the age of 22) or who get jobs after several round of litigation/cancellation of advertisements etc. With average age of marriage reaching to around 30 yrs, this formula will enable one to raise his family and will be able to see his kids settled before his/her retirement. It will not affect the opportunities for younger generation also because intake in different organisations is likely to follow same pattern as of today.
Vijay Kant Pandey
Appointment of Secretary Posts without empanelment as Secretary !
Same is the case in Railway Board.
BBS

If the Govt is seriously interested in the welfare of the pensioners, they must have either separate CGHS Wellness Centres for the Pensioners or alternatively negotiate with the empanelled private hospitals to provide OPD treatment, issue medicines etc. The Wellness Centres are so crowded that the Senior citizens are put to unimaginable & unbearable inconvenience, queuing up for Registration, meeting the Doctor & collecting the medicines as too many CGHS beneficiaries & family members are overcrowding these Wellness Centres.
Jaya
Retirement age
Retirement age applies to mortals in the govt, the Immortal lot never retires. They leech on to the govt till they die. You know who they are !
Vaibha

Yes, PM can do this. Regarding Rs. 1 lakh Cr., it is one months income for Govt.
Anil
Attention, Finance Minister
Faceless e-assessment scrutiny which is likely to start from October 8, 2019, is a welcome step. The first and foremost requirement is, tax rules should be simple and easy and understandable to both taxpayers and tax authorities but it is not so at present. There are many areas which require immediate attention. LTCG from transfer of equity or equity oriented mf is tax exempt up to 1 lakh. It means there is no tax liability on the part of tax payers. It was good enough till FY 2017-18 under section 10(38) but now it is replaced by section 10(112A) upto 1 lakh and more than 1 lakh is taxable. The simple implementation would have been to put sec 10(112A) in pull down menu under exempt income up to 1 lakh in place of sec 10(38) but it is not done. The salaried class and pensioners who file their ITR1 are facing biggest problem in filing ITR2 when there is LTCG on account of transfer of equity even Rs.10000/-. There is no tax liability but details are being asked unnecessarily. There may be some error or mistake in furnishing details of all scripts and mismatch which may invite bigger trouble without any gain to the tax authorities. Faceless assessment system will raise red flag and notices will start from tax authorities and replies from tax payers and will continue and may lead to harassment of tax payers as tax authorities may keep the issue alive. There is no gain to either parties as neither there is any tax revenue nor tax liability. The logic of tax authorities to get the details of transaction is not sound but arbitrary. If same logic is extended then we have to get the details of at least 50 crores people to know their income whether it is taxable or not. Such irritants should be removed before e-assessment scrutiny. Secondly Govt. has no tools or methodologies to assess the income of professionals. Many are dealings in cash only and difficult to trace unless cash transaction more than Rs.1000/ is banned and 2000/ and 500/ currency notes are considered to be withdrawn. Let all transaction more than 1000/- is thru plastic or digital when most of the people are having bank accounts. Let some tools be developed for assessing the income of professionals and small traders. Govt. may consider no more than three accounts to be allowed for individuals in all the banks. These are some points which should be considered and debated for successful implementation. There may be some more issues which may require attention. Let tax authorities to work out the plan for successful implementation but feedback from tax payers should be obtained to know where the shoe pinches.
Naveen

If the news about bringing about a change in retirement age from 60 years to 33 years of service or 60 years of service, whichever comes first is true then it is again one of those wonky ideas keeping bureaucrats in perpetual fear of the powers that be which is not conducive to efficiency and good governance. This means Government employees will be retiring at different ages .An employee who joins service say at an age 22 (taking the minimum age limit of 21 for taking the Civil Services Examination)retires at 55 years of age i.e. after 33 years notwithstanding the fact that he is brilliant enough to crack the exam in his first attempt while the one who entered say at the age of 30 taking all the chances available to him will retire at age 60. Incongruous. Is it not ? It will create lot of mental and psychological problems for those retiring before 60 and still in their 50s.With longivity having gone up and people still active in their 60s there is actually need to raise the retirement age instead of cutting it down making it different age limit for different employees depending upon their year of joining. This is quite messy and chaotic to say the least.
Aarti Khosla
What will I do after retirement ?
I entered in the Govt. service in February, 1990 at the age of 20 years. Now I am completing 50 years of age and also 33 years of service in coming February, 2020. It means I will be retired in 2023 at the age of 53 years i.e. seven years before my superannuation. My kids are studying. What will I do after retirement to run my home.
Sunil

DoPT's double standards relating to different services are commendable. While rushing promotions to 1986 and even 1987 batch officers of its favorite service to Special Secretary because they can’t become Secretary because of impending retirement, it is playing viscous with much senior officers of other services of 1983-1984 batches delaying clearance to them as much as possible.
Vaibha.
Retirement Age ?
Suddenly there is a news regarding retirement age. It is said employees who have put in 33 years of service or 60 years of age will be retired from Government service. Please update the information.
Rahul
About retirement age ?
Not fair in some family there is only member is earning with burden of lot of bank loan how he repay the bank this is not good decision.
Manjula Sharma

NCRB is the nodal agency entrusted with collecting and publishing annually, national data related to crimes, accidental deaths, suicides and prison statistics. This agency has failed to publish data for several years in a row and has also not thought it fit to publicise the possible dates for publication for the past three-four years. It is time the concerned govt. ministry i.e. Home Ministry takes cognizance of this inexcusable delays and orders a thorough shake-up at all levels.
A K Singh
Where do we propose to lead ?
Ministry of Commerce & Industry is getting constructed its own building on the Akbar Road near India Gate. The Ministry of Skill Development is getting a Kaushlaya Bhawan in New Motibagh area. Where do we propose to lead ?
B B Srivastava
Retirement age
I do not think it is o.k. for the family who have only one earning person and taken loan from the bank for the family. How can they repay the bank ? Most family future will go in dark.
Manjula Sharma