Wonderful website.
DIVYA BHAKSAR - Gujarat State Bureau Chief.
Gautam Purohit

Contact-suresh.mehrotra@yahoo.com> &

<mehrotra.suresh@gmail.com>

Aaj Ki Aawaz

Imaginary questioning of Dayalu Ammal, Kanimozhi and Sharad Kumar by CBI

The four Member CBI team rises to greet all three as one by one they troop in.

CBI: Thank you for coming. We are grateful to you for taking time out of your busy schedules and we are sorry for inconveniencing you all. And thank you for providing the place to carry out this questioning (sic)!!!

Ammal: How long will it take?

CBI: Madam 2-3 hours.

Kani: Shit........I have an appointment in a Spa ..... let me call them and postpone the appointment!

CBI: Madam if the Spa does not agree we can come back later.... or we could force them to be understanding!!

Ammal: No ... no.... do it now! In the evening He (Karuna) is coming home for kapi and I have to be back home..... in fact just give me a minute as I have to call my staff to see how they are progressing for His visit (and she get's busy with her mobile).

Sharad: I hope you guys are not going to try those stinking tricks on us?

CBI: Rest assured Sir..... our mindset here is not of an interrogator but of one being interrogated!! If we had any plans to arm twist we would have called you to CBI's Office......after all for arm twisting we have to make the arrangements!! And your Mobiles would have been taken away from you at the door itself!!

The two ladies yakkity-yakk on their mobiles and Sharad gets busy with reading and sending messages.

CBI: Ahem...... can we begin!! Sorry.... what would you like to have?

Ammal: Kapi (coffee)

Kanimozhi: See I'm on a diet ..... and I've been advised by my Doctor to avoid having Diet Beverages... I like coffee but it gives me constipation and I get pimples thereafter..... tea I've never liked....... I can have fresh coconut water but then I'll be going to the loo too often...... let me think...... (five minutes elapse)....... okay I'll have a strawberry milkshake without sugar from Taj, a bottle of Volvic or Evian and please get me a Hand Sanitizer.... any imported brand..... and please this room needs an air freshner.... this I'll tell the staff to arrange for!!

CBI ( exasperated) : Yes Sir and what would you like???

Sharad: Nothing..... okay...... a coffee....... and please no tricks!!

CBI: Sir be at ease .... I know there are reports that we use third degree.... but rest assured here this is not the case. In fact requesting those being questioned as to what they will have is like third degree for us!!

CBI: Okay we've ordered your requests..... now can we proceed????

Ammal: I need my kapi first ...... cannot think straight without my Kapi!!

Kanimozhi: Throat is parched and I think my sugar level has fallen..... hullo.... please change my order to.... strawberry milkshake with extra sugar!!

Suresh: I too will wait for my coffee.... and when it comes before I sip it one of you guys will sip it before I do!!

The two ladies again yakkity-yakk on their mobiles and Sharad gets back to his messaging. CBI team twiddles their thumbs and look at each other. Then at long last the ordered stuff arrives.

CBI: It is now more than hour since you three came in......now can we start????

Ammal: Kapi is very hot.... give me some time to sip it.

Kanimozhi: First let me drink and water...... and as per my Doctors advise I have to wait for twenty minutes and then only can I consume anything else!

Suresh: ( after a CBI Officer takes a spoonful of coffee and puts it in his mouth) Ah coffee... good coffee. (Just then one of the CBI officers who is sweating profusely takes out his handkerchief and Suresh seeing this starts to scream) .... Amma su-su handkerchief.... they are going to make us smell it to arm twist us ( and he goes hyper and the two Ladies rush to one corner of the room).

CBI: Sir calm down..... we've told you time and again we are not going to use any third degree.... why are you so paranoid???

Suresh: (now trembling) ... I read in a magazine that CBI uses urine soaked towels and blankets to make people talk!!!

CBI: But we've told you we are not going to use third degree here.... now calm down.....

Let us take a half our break.

Suresh crashes into a chair and lies lifelessly in it. One CBI Officer checks his pulse and Suresh awakens and says that he's okay. The ladies are back to yackkity - yakking with their mobiles. Half an hour passes.

CBI Now can we start????

Ammal: Okay!

CBI: We have twenty questions.
Kanmimozhi: We'll be here forever...... why don't you ask us the real question.... (whispering) we know what that question is and we have the answer. Lets overlook the questions like ' do you know Raja'.......'if yes ...when did you meet him'...... ' did you exert any pressure in his getting the telecom portfolio'... wouldn't you all exert pressure to get someone you know a portfolio.... 'what is the shareholding pattern of the TV Channel'.......come to the question...life is too short to be wasted........this elixir of life sip by sip has to be tasted.... I'm a poet too!!!

Just then Ammals' mobile rings and she starts talking about a sari that she wants from a certain saree Shop in Bangalore and that the shop is taking too long to deliver the saree.

CBI: Madam if it would help to progress with this questioning we can send our Officers to this shop and get the saree today itself..... we can do it!!

Ammal: Yes please......next question!

CBI: We would like to play the Radiia tapes and ask you some questions!

Kanimozhi: Tapes contain here-say and I'm not going to answer questions that are based on 'here-say'!!!

CBI: But there is serious content in the tapes that shows your complicity!!!

Kanimozhi: My lips are sealed and not even a su-su towel can make me speak!!

CBI: Okay we'll speak to our Boss and get back on this!! What about the Rs. 206 crore transaction between DB Group, which owns Swan, and Kalaignar TV???

Kanimozhi points to Suresh and he responds: Sir it was a donation....... or it could also be termed as a loan..... I think our CA would be in a better position to answer!!!! I heard our CA mention something about 'payment of interest' on this amount..... you will have to ask him!!

CBI: But aren't you the MD and these two Ladies the owners??????

Suresh: Sir you do not understand how things work in Kalaignar's (Karuna) domain!!! Do you think Raja was the real Minister..... no it was Kalaignar!!! (Suresh realizes his gaffe and bites his tongue and clasps his mouth) aiyo what have I said????

The CBI Officers give each other a knowing and hapless look!

CBI: Okay you can go. Thank you again. Outside TV crews are waiting for bytes. Our advice is let Madam Kanimozhi take them on. Just for you information this questioning lasted 2 hours. We asked twenty questions and we were professional and you answered all the questions asked!

Bharat Kumar
aaj_ki_aawaz@yahoo.com

New front in the offing
As the grapevine has it, YSR, Congress Party's founder Jaganmohan Reddy is going to float a new front. It will comprise BSP chief & Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Ms. Mayawati, Trin Mool Congress (TMC) president Ms. Mamata Banerjee, Nationalist Congress President (NCP) & Indian Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, AIDMK president Ms. J. Jayalalithaa & Biju Janata Dal (BJD) chief & Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

Sudhakar to be Member NCRGC !
P D Sudhakar is being tipped to be Member of the National Consumers Redressal Grievances Commission.He is retired 1976 batch IAS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre.

Will Pradeep Kumar be new CVC ?
Name of Secretary Defence Pradeep Kumar has started doing the round for the post of new CVC. He is 1972 batch IAS officer of Haryana cadre.

Who will be new DG Doordarshan ?
Who will be new DG Doordarshan ? Interview for the post is scheduled to take place on Tuesday. Five IAS officers Mssrs Tripurari Sharan, Girija Shankar, Sunil Kumar Singh, Ram Subhag Singh and P K Agrawal are the contenders. Acting DG DD L D Mandloi and IIS officer Akshy Raut are also in the run.

Jiya Lal to be DG Akashwani
If all goes well, Jiya Lal will be new DG of the Akashvani. Present DG Naqvi is retiring by this month end.

Government asked to send proposal for CBDT chief
As the grapevine has it, the Government of India (GOI) has asked the Revenue department for submitting proposals for new chiefs of Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT). Those incumbents who have at least one year's residual service with effect from January 1,2011 will be eligible for the slot.

Jai Jeet Singh poised to be IG, NTRO
As the grapevine has it, Jai Jeet Singh (IPS 1990 batch, Maharashtra cadre) is poised to join the NTRO as IG.

Samantaray to return Madhya Pradesh
CVO Indian Oil Corporation Dilip Samantaray is returning to the parent Madhya Pradesh cadre after completion of central deputation tenure. He is 1982 batch IAS officer.

OVL is headless
Oil India Videsh Ltd is headless these days. CMD OVL R S Butola has joined as CMD of the IOC. Now the organization is being run by the acting CMD Joeman Thomas. He is also scheduled to retire in December.

ONGC is also headless
ONGC is also headless for the last two months after the retirement of R S Sharma. A K Hazarika is currently acting CMD.

IOC remained headless for 18 months
Indian Oil Corporation also remained headless for 18 months. Only recently R S Butola has taken over as CMD IOC.

Ms kackar to return to Uttar Pradesh
Secretary Board for Reconstruction of Public Sector Enterprises (BRPSE) Ms Stuti Narain Kackar is returning to the parent Uttar Pradesh cadre after completion of central deputation tenure.1978 batch IAS officer of UP cadre Ms Kackar will get ACS rank in the state.

Mishra to be new Secretary BRPSE
Jai Shanker Mishra is likely to succeed Ms Stuti Narain Kackar as Secretary Board for Reconstruction of Public Sector Enterprises (BRPSE).He is 1980 batch IAS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre.

Raj Kumar Mishra to be OSD to Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal
As the grapevine has it, Raj Kumar Mishra - AGM-PLI is poised to be OSD to Indian Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal. Mishra is an Indian Postal Service (IPS) officer of the 2000 batch.

Vinaya Kumar to be Director (Technical) Cochin Shipyard !
P Vinaya Kumar is being tipped to be new Director (Technical) of the Cochin Shipyard.

Maj. Gen. V Sadasivam is Member PLI in India Post
Maj. Gen. V Sadasivam has joined as Member PLI in India Post.

Alok Sheel is no longer CVO of DEA
Dr Alok Sheel is no longer CVO in the Department of Economic Affairs. He is 1982 batch IAS officer of Kerala cadre.

Khullar is new CVO in DEA
Rajesh Khullar is new CVO in the Department of Economic Affairs. He is 1988 batch IAS officer of Haryana cadre.

Former CS to contest election against his former boss ?
Former West Bengal chief secretary Manish Gupta is being persuaded by Mamta Banerjee to fight his one-time boss Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee in Jadavpur. Gupta is yet to take decision.

Extension in service for Pakistan's ISI chief
Pakistan's Defence Minister Ahmed Mukhtar said in Lahore on Saturday that the tenure of the ISI chief Lt Genl Ahmed Shuja Pasha due to retire on March 18 is being extended. The Minister however didn't specify the time for which extension is being granted. The decision is likely to raise some controversy as Shuja Pasha is seen to be close to the CIA because of which a section of the Pakistani establishment including elements within the army are unhappy with him in the wake of the Raymond Davis affair.

Rai joins GNN as Group Managing Editor
TV journalist & Column writer Dr Shiv Kumar Rai has joined upcoming National News Channel GNN as Group Managing Editor. Dr Rai started his career from print media & worked with organization like Navabharat, Dainik Jagran, Zee News & Aaj Tak.

DEBATE

ARE PEOPLE LOSING INTEREST IN DEFENCE SERVICES THESE DAYS ?

What do you think? Why people are losing interest in Defence Services? Have they lost attraction because they are no more that lucrative as they have been earlier or there is a decline of 'nationalism' among the people of country these days. There is a shortage of over 12,000 officers at the junior and the middle rung alone in the Defence services in the country.

Mail your 'to the point' views in brief at

suresh.mehrotra@yahoo.com or mehrotra.suresh@gmail.com

CORPORATE

Arun Singhal gets charge of CVO IOC
Arun Singhal has been given charge of CVO of the Indian Oil Corporation. He is 1987 batch IAS officer of UP cadre. Tenure of CVO D K Samantary has expired.

Gupta to join IOC
N K Gupta is all set to join the Indian Oil Corporation as PS to Chairman R S Butola. Gupta is presently in the Oil India Videsh Ltd..

M.S. Sahoo Member SEBI's term to end on July 13
Term of M.S. Sahoo Member of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) is going to end on July 13, 2011.

ITDC posts Raj Kumar Sharma as GM Hotel Ashok, Jaipur
The India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) has posted Raj Kumar Sharma as General Manager(GM) with Jaipur located Hotel Ashok. Presently, he is GM with Hotel Kalinga Ashok Bhubaneshwar.

Kumar elevated as COO, Sun TV Network
K. Vijay Kumar, Senior Vice President, Sun TV Network Ltd has been elevated as the Chief Operating Officer with effect from March 11, 2011, consequent to Ajay Vidyasagar, Chief Operating Officer resigning from the Company.

Satyamohan is CFO-Designate , Tayo Rolls Ltd
With effect from February 1, 2011, V. Satyamohan, Head M&A of Tata Steel Ltd. has been placed on deputation as C.F.O.-Designate of Tayo Rolls Ltd . He will look after the responsibilities as General Manager (Finance & Accounts) in the company.

Baliga is COO, Karvy Stock Broking
Ambareesh Baliga has quit Karvy Stock Broking Ltd to join Way2Wealth as its Chief Operating Officer.

Two directors of Ackruti City Ltd resign
Shailesh V. Haribhakti and P. H. Ravikumar have resigned from the Board of Directors of Ackruti City Ltd with effect from March 11, 2011 due to other commitments and impending reduction in the number of directorships.

Mathur resigns as Director, Cosmo Films Ltd
Suresh Chand Mathur, an Independent Director with Cosmo Films Ltd has resigned from the Board of the Company, on March 10, 2011.

Balakrishnan resigns as Director, Shiva Texyarn Ltd
S V Balakrishnan has resigned from the Directorship of Shiva Texyarn Ltd with effect from March 7, 2011.

Swar appointed Addl. Director, Kirloskar Oil Engines Ltd.
D. R. Swar has been appointed as an Additional Director of Kirloskar Oil Engines Ltd with effect from March 11, 2011.

Kosian Industries to appoint Addl. directors
The Board of Kosian Industries Ltd has decided to appoint Vipul Trivedi and Ketan Sorathiya as additional directors of the Company w.e.f. March 11, 2011 .

BLB Ltd appoints Non Exec. Director
BLB Ltd has appointed Manas Jain as Non Executive Independent Director of the Company.

Lilley is CEO (North America) , Religare Capital Markets
Religare Capital Markets Ltd (RCML has appointed Gary Lilley as CEO for North America.

FORUM

Liberalisation has been a great catalyst for shift from public to private employment. Firstly the opportunities and the remuneration is honestly tempting. Today it is more of economics than other consideration. It is high time the government take steps to involve the armed forces in other fields of economy and inspire people to join it.

Gopinath Jagirdar

It is incorrect to compare the career of a Defence Officer with that of a software Engineer. There are lakhs of young men and woman who do not bother about the big salary packages offered by SW companies and voluntarily join the Defence Forces due to the sheer adventurism and respect it offers. No other profession gives one the self respect and dignity of marching with his men in war and peace reckless of any danger. There are distractions in joining the forces but there will never be any dearth of candidates for the SSB. What the Government have to do is NOT to lower the standards of SSB interviews, but give more publicity to the career in the defence services and give additional advantages to those who join NCC. Give Defence children priority in admission to professional colleges by giving grace marks and absorb those officers who come out due to supersession etc in Government services. Promotions beyond the rank of Lt. Cols are tough and many who get superceded can do well in civil career. If necessary Government should start a Frontier administrative Service to accommodate them. This will reassure those who do not join the services due to mid-career uncertainties software Engineer(I prefer to call them software coolies) may get manifold salary compared to an Army Officer, but by the age of forty their disillusion and health condition will be worst. Career frustration will be there in any profession but to analyse a noble profession with the comparative weight of its salary package is unjustified. For every frustrated Defence officer and for every officer jaundiced with salaries of young SW Engineers and who use your columns to spread calumny against Defence Forces, there are thousands of Defence Officers who are grooming their children to take a career in the Defence Forces. Our present Army Chief, Gen. V. K. Singh is a third generation Army Officer.

Navnith

Retirement Age Increase Pitfalls

The rumours floated by a section of the bureaucracy regarding increase in the retirement age from 60 to 62 with certain illogical reasons is fraught with a large amount of pitfalls :-

- employment opportunities will be frozen for the next two years

- this will spoil the lives of thousands of the youth

- vested interest bureaucrats will continue in their plum postings

- corruption will increase

- VRS schemes envisaged by the 6th pay commission to create employment and to shed weight of the bureaucracy will go for a toss

- the increase will benefit a core group of corrupt bureaucrats but the lakhs of jobless youth will give a befitting reply to the UPA in the next polls

M N T Singh

Solution to problems like CVC Thomas

Here is a solution to problems like CVC Thomas, TRAI Chief Behuria, Lalli, etc. Raise retirement age to 65 and ban all post retirement jobs for civil servants. No retired civil servant should be allowed to take up any job where salary is drawn from the govt.

Rita

What is the hitch in raising the age limit for governent servants. The government is not acting now as promised by the political bosses. Where is Ajay Makan and others. The retiring CSS officials have been accommodated in Rajya Sabha but not the deserving people. This is last hint for UPA government.

Kunwar Ramsumiran

Performance audit

If really serious about it then it is important to first put a full stop to all the committees of retired persons who have no accountability and try to sit on judgement. If Government feels they are better, then let there be a decision making body of all serving officer to implement it. It is disgusting levels where all correct decisions are also questioned by individuals with no accountability or understanding of domain knowledge.

Salman

Moneybags have started ruling India

Corporates seem to have a say in appointments of even Ministers, they seem to be able to buy government and court decisions, their concerns are addressed, public interest be damned. This is not how we carried out our freedom struggle. Our freedom struggle was as much against moneybags as foreign capital. Jawaharlal was no believer in captains of industry ruling the roost in government, neither was Shastri nor Indira . The malevolent influence of the moneybags was first felt during the regime of Morarji. Unfortunately, today, Nehru, Shastri and Indira are forgotten.

A K Singh

Tackling inflation by increasing retirement age

Reading this article gives an impression that if retirement age is raised to 62 years then all problems of nation will be solved. However, retirement age has nothing to do with any national crisis. RBI should recall currency notes of Rs.1000 and 500 and just recover money from Tax evader Hasan Ali to the tune of Rs. one lakh crore. This will save the nation from many social and economic problem. Remember 84 crore people in India earn less than Rs. 20 a day, 40 crore people sleep hungry.

Kaushal

Figment of imagination

What a figment of imagination and fantasy of thoughts? How can inflation be curbed, unemployment solved and corruption eliminated by raising the age of retirement of Government Servants? The argument seems to be bereft of logic and Whispers should be given Magsasay Award for publishing such idiotic letters. There are many burning issues of National interest to ponder over.

Radhikai

Regularisation of the services of Stenographer Grade 'D'

Regarding regularisation of the services of Stenographer Grade 'D' as Stenographer Grade 'C' from the date of appointment on ad-hoc basis.

The CS Division has circulated the draft Seniority List for Stenographers Grade 'C' for the attention of all concerned. It has completely ignored the stake of all Stenographers Grade 'D' who have been promoted as Grade 'C' on ad-hoc basis way back prior to 1997 by the respective cadre authorities in decentralisation regime and have put in more than 13 years continued service. Thereafter, the Department of Personnel and Training (CS.II Section) have approved these appointments. Further, CS.II has further aggravated the situation to further appoint 600 Stenographers Grade 'D' as Grade 'C' on ad-hoc basis rather than first regularise the services of all ad-hoc appointees. Under these circumstances, I would urge upon all Stenographers Grade 'C' who have been affected by the decisions of the CS Division to come together and make a joint representation to be presented to the higher authorities for regularising their services. It may be mentioned, in this connection, that under no circumstances, ad-hoc appointments cannot be continued more than a year and if it is continued more than a year, it is either parent Department or the Department of Personnel and Training (CS.II) who has approved these appointments. In fact, the then Secretary (Personnel)(Rahul Sarin) has done the right thing to stop all ad-hoc appointments and instructed the officials to process the cases for regular appointments. After his departure, ad-hoc appointments have again been started, particularly in CSSS cadre on account of the huge gap of Grade Pay between Stenographers Grade 'C' and Stenographers Grade 'D' which forced Stenographers Grade 'D' to press the CSSS Union for ad-hoc appointments. In my opinion, it is a clear cut denial of our legitimate right of regular promotion after a prolonged service of more than 14 years in disguised manner. Now in the name of restructuring, claims of regularising the ad-hoc services of Stenographers Grade 'D' as Stenographers Grade 'C' who are the most affected parties have been denied by the authorities in DP&T. Under no other option left with the aggrieved party of ours, we have to come together and represent jointly. If need be, the legal course of action can be taken with the consent of all concerned.

V P Sharma

Appointment of Thomas

In the case of the appointment of P.J. Thomas the buck stops only at one place. Did Mrs. Shushma Swaraj not inform about the vigilance case in the meeting? It was the job of the PM to not to touch a person, even with a pair of tongs, against whom the Leader of Opposition had raised doubts in the meeting.

B B Srivastava

Disclosure of agreed list file

The file pertaining to the preparation of 'Agreed List' for the year 2004 containing the recommendations of higher authorities was sought. The RTI applicant referred to Instruction No. 1881 dated 13th February 1991of the Department of Revenue, Central Board of Direct Tax (CBDT) which laid down guidelines regarding preparation and operation of the 'Agreed List'. (i) In every case where an officer's name is being
included in the 'agreed list', a gist of the material, on the basis of which this is being done, must invariably be put on record. (ii) Normally, an officer should not remain on the 'agreed list' for more than one year on the same ground, extended in exceptional cases by one year each to a maximum of 3 years with the prior approval of the CBDT. The Delhi High Court dismissed the appeal against the order of CIC directing disclosure of file applying section 10(1). The HC also directed payment of Rs. 5,000/- as costs to the RTI applicant.

Comments

Under Section 4(1)(d) of the Act, every public authority is required to indicate the grounds for taken for decision, at least to the affected person. Unfortunately, the name of an officer tends to continue on the agreed list indefinitely due to lack of adequate care and the affected person having no means to know about the same. The whole concept of 'agreed list' needs to be revisited in the post RTI era.

[Union of India versus D.N. KAR in W.P.(C) 4056/2008 and CMs 7869, 10885/08]

- Weekly article by Dr. (Mrs.) Anuradha Verma (dranuradhaverma@yahoo.co.in), RTI Consultant to IIM, Indore and Co-author of the book: RIGHT TO INFORMATION - LAW AND PRACTICE by Taxmann. (The views are Personal)