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Vijay Kumar Singh

Aaj Ki Aawaz

India's Law Minister Salman Khursheed has asked the Courts to overlook crony capitalism!! India Inc., gave him a slap on the face (metaphorically) by saying that crony capitalism is a scourge and India should follow UK in rooting out crony capitalism!! Indian Inc., has also asked for a effective Lokpal.... because they know what games Congress or for that matter Netas are up to!!!! From Diet Sibal now Kursheed is now 'pure Sibal'!!!! I feel Courts should haul up Kursheed for his advising Courts to give Justice the slip and overlook crony capitalism..... for investment!!!

Kursheed has just shown UPA's approach!!

And now on what the Courts should do or not do Congress is trying to encroach!

Digvijaya Singh says that Anna and his lot should contest elections!! Fact is he wants them to become Netas so that they fall in Public's eyes... because he knows Netas are looked at with contempt nowadays!! Fact is Anna and his lot being apolitical is their USP!! Digvijaya has made a volley of allegations against Anna and his lot..... they are being driven about in big cars.... they collect money....... RSS is helping them out!!!! Of course he has no proof!!!! Fact is today the more Congress criticizes Anna and his lot the more their stock rises and more Congress's stock falls.... this is only natural!!!!!

Many say Congress is in 'harakiri' mode!!!!!

It's like Congress itself has tied to its legs a time bomb and it will sooner than later explode!!

Sonia has learnt the ropes of politicking.... but Nations suffer because of politics... Nations do no benefit from politics..... this by now is very clear! If she were to debate and that too in her Mother Tongue and using a translator if Modi or Jaitley or Sushma would make mince meat of her!!! Sonia was in the right palce at the right time and so she inherited power!!! Let's take this Rs. 32 affidavit to SC..... Aruna Roy says Montek should withdraw it or resign... Montek on the other hand says the affidavit is correct and he's 'extensively canvassing' for it!!!! I'm sure Mohna too would have spoken to Sonia.... but as she's a zero when it comes to such issues I think she resorts the 'Viru Jai solution'... toss!!! It is indeed a Nation's bad luck when it gets Leaders who parachute because of a family name to the very top!!! Just take a look at the those at the helm of affairs in Developing Countries..... we lack this quality of Leadership!! Many would say 'but we have Mohna'..... well heard this gem from an elderly retired Official.... Leaders are not puppets!!!

India needs Leaders who have vision .... who are capable....... who are experienced!!!

Advani as expected has relit his PM candle!!!! He's off on his Yatra!!!! Within BJP the feeling is 'chalo he'll be busy for some time'!!!! Advani's own past....... two of his saarthis..... show that his corruption stand is hollow!!!! Many feel the Yatra could harm BJP..... it would have benefited BJP if he had positioned this Yatra as his swan song!!! But then seems Advani 'wants to have a go for the last time.... what is evident is the Party, oddly he says the Party has given him so much, is not on his mind...... it is his Prime Ministerial ambition is that has got a hold of him!!!

Advani is trying to be extra pally with Nitsh!!!!

Advani says he an Indian so why is playing the game in which expertise was solely with the British!!

PS.....in Hissar there is every chance the Congress candidate will lose his deposit...Congress Leaders are now are more engrossed in coming up with excuses for the debacle than canvassing!! Kani's going to get Bail next week...... will she be replaced by Maran???? PC too is worried.... Swamy's submitted some more proof of PC's complicity in 2 G..... nowadays they say he trends to drift away in deep thought.... the sure and shot way to snap him out is just say 'Swamy'!!!!

Bharat Kumar
aaj_ki_aawaz@yahoo.com

More trouble for UPA ?
Will LIC Housing Finance blow up big trouble for UPA is the whisper in the corridors in the Financial circles. Top bankers and corporate houses some of which are involved in 2 G scam are the common names in both scams.

Congress opens backdoor parleys with Anna?
Worried over Anna's campaigning against it in Hisar, the Congress is learnt to have sent Manikrao Thakre to hold talks with him (Anna) in Ralegaon Siddhi.

Ms. Mamta Banerjee & Pranab Mukherjee have a rift
As the grapevine has it, West Bengal Chief Minister Ms. Mamta Banerjee who also heads Trinamool Congress (TMC)-the ruling party in West Bengal, has a rift. The bone of contention mainly is said to be issuance of a notice by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) seeking her IT details.

Ms. Mamta Banerjee has new friend in Jay Ram Ramesh
As the grapevine has it, West Bengal Chief Minister Ms .Mamta Banerjee who also heads Trinamool Congress (TMC)-the ruling party in West Bengal has a new friend in Indian Minister for Rural Development (RD) Jayram Ramesh. She has reportedly conveyed her annoyance to UPA Chairperson & AICC chief Ms. Sonia Gandhi regarding issuance of a notice by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) seeking her IT details. In her camp it is being considered to be a conspiracy by the Congress party to tarnish TMC's image in West Bengal.

CVC Pradeep Kumar to deal ruthlessly with acts of Corruption
(An interview with whispersinthecorridors.com )

Q-1: What are your priorities as the CVC?
A: My priorities would be to strengthen the institution of the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) by building its capacity and enhancing the standards of performance. My immediate focus is to ensure that the disposal of cases in the Commission is expedited and the delay in sanction for prosecution and imposition of penalties by the
administrative authorities is eliminated.

Q-2 The CVC being the apex watchdog institution has the onerous task of acting against corruption. How do you intend to deal with it?

A: Combating corruption in India calls for a multi-pronged approach. Punitive action needs to be complemented by preventive measures. Prevention involves assessing the organisations, systems, procedures and people to identify the vulnerabilities to corruption and to recommend measures to mitigate this risk. The vulnerabilities in the systems arise largely due to excessive discretion, authoritarian decision making process, lack of effective controls, over regulation and shortcomings in procedures. Prevention also involves creation of awareness among people against corruption so that they participate in the fight against corruption. We have recommended the inclusion of lessons on ethics in the school curriculum as has been done in several developing countries so that we inculcate the value of ethics in society and reduce tolerance to corruption. The Commission would like to place due emphasis on addressing corruption in delivery of public services, which directly hurts the common man and the weaker sections of the society. To address this, we have set up a helpline and a web-based citizen friendly complaint handling system called "VIGEYE", wherein complains pertaining to public services are given priority. In some cases our intervention has provided relief to the complaining citizen within 48 hours. Commission has been promoting the use of information technology to simplify procedures, enhance objectivity and reduce human intervention. We have recommended the simplification of rules and procedures governing delivery of public service to make them citizen friendly and avoid the need for citizens to approach public officials for intervention. On the punitive front, Commission plans to enhance the standards of vigilance investigations by improving our guidelines. Prevention has to be combined with strong deterrent action against officials found guilty of unethical behaviour. Our aim would be to deal ruthlessly with acts of corruption while at the same time ensuring that the honest have nothing to fear.

Q-3: What preventive steps would you suggest to arrest corruption?
A: As stated earlier corruption can only be reduced by improving the systems, process and internal controls within an organisation. Integrity and ethics cannot be enforced externally, it needs to be built in the system, the governance process and the work culture.

Q-4: What is your plan to expedite cases of corruption so that people get justice?
A: The purpose of punishing the corrupt is to provide a deterrent effect so that others fear to indulge in corrupt practices. As is popularly perceived, corruption has become a high-profile-low-risk activity, deterrence can only be achieved through prompt and exemplary
punishment to the corrupt. A lot of delay takes place in according sanction for prosecution and in taking disciplinary action against those found guilty by the CVC. There are severe delays in imposing the punishment by the administrative authorities to the guilty officers even after advised by the CVC. Another approach would be to accord priority to cases of serious nature so that they are cleared at the earliest.

( Full interview with Dr Suresh Mehrotra is available in September issue of Monthly "Magazine Whispers In The Corridors" )

BUREAUCRACY

Ministers will not have say in postings ?
If insiders are to be believed, Ministers in the Government of India will now have no say in the postings of Joint Secretary and above. Postings will now be based on "Credit Score".

K M Abraham to be JS, Minority Affairs
K M Abraham is being tipped to be new Joint Secretary Minority Affairs in the Government of India. He is a 1982 batch IAS officer of Kerala cadre.

G.Asok Kumar to be Joint Secretary, Civil Aviation
G. Asok Kumar on central deputation is poised to be Joint Secretary, Civil Aviation. He is an IAS officer of the 1991 batch who belongs to the Andhra Pradesh cadre. Presently, he is Director in the Power Ministry.

Ms. Aradhana Johri to head NRHM
Ms. Aradhana Johri, who on central deputation is Additional Secretary, National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is going to be shifted as head of the NRHM. She is an IAS officer of 1980 batch who belongs to the Uttar Pradesh cadre.

M G V K Bhanu to be Tea Board's Chairman
Principal Resident Commissioner to the Assam Government in Delhi is soon going to be new Chairman of the Tea Board. He is an IAS officer of the 1985 batch who belongs to the Assam-Meghalaya (AM) cadre. It may be stated that Bhanu was Principal Secretary(PS) to Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi from 2001 to 2004. And after that from August 2004 to October 2009 he was on inter cadre deputation as PS to the then Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhar Reddy.
(We said this on August 22, 2010)

N.Shankar appointed ECGC's new CMD
N.Shankar Executive Director of Exim Bank of India has been appointed as new Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of the Export Credit Guarantee Corporation (ECGC)India Limited.
(We said this on September 24,2011)

A K Jhamb to be CMD NPCC
A K Jhamb is being tipped to be new CMD of the National Projects Construction Corporation Ltd (NPCC).He is presently Director (Engineering) in the NPCC.

Sudhir Vyas is new Secretary (ER) in MEA
Sudhir Vyas has succeeded Manbir Singh as Secretary (ER) in the Ministry of External Affairs. He is a 1977 batch IFS officer.

Justice Dhirendra Mishra to join as Judicial Member CAT
Justice Dhirendra Mishra of Chhattisgarh High Court has joined as Judicial Member of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) in Jabalpur.

Empanelment of 1979 batch IRS (IT) in March
Empanelment of 1979 batch IRS (IT) officers to the rank of Chief Commissioner is expected to take place in March.

Promotion of 1987 batch IAS in Maharashtra in December
Promotion of 1987 batch IAS officers to the rank of Principal Secretary in Maharashtra is expected to take place in December.

Who will succeed Gen Nirbhay Sharma ?
Who will succeed Gen Nirbhay Sharma as Member of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) ? This time logically post should go to the Navy? One can only wait and watch.

NIA's branch offices to be upgraded
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in Government of India (GoI) to upgrade and operationalise its offices in Mumbai, Hyderabad, Delhi and Guwahati.

Devesh Chandra Srivastava may be shifted to Delhi
Devesh Chandra Srivastava, DIG, Arunachal Pradesh is likely to be transferred to Delhi. He is an IPS officer of 1995 AGMU cadre.

3 posts of Director vacant in Commerce & Industry Ministry
Three posts of Director are vacant in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry(C & I), Government of India (GoI).

No name considered for PS to Pranab Mukherjee
As the grapevine has it, no new name is considered for the post of private secretary (PS) to Indian Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee. Present incumbent Manoj Pant will be relieved on October 12, 2011 to join as senior Advisor to Executive Director (ED), World Bank (WB), Washington. He is an IAS officer of 1991 batch who belongs to the West Bengal cadre.

Post of Director Security,Rajya Sabha vacant
The post of Director, Security Rajya Sabha is still vacant. Even though a panel of three officers was sent to Rajya Sabha by the Ministry of Home Affairs(MHA), post is vacant. Rajya Sabha secretariat has informed the MHA two officers have not given their willingness for the said post.

Bill on public procurement in the offing
The government decided to present a bill on public procurement in the Winter Session of Parliament.

Indigo employs 20 Air India Pilots
Of the 48 commanders and co-pilots who have quit Air India (AI) in the past six months or so, due to the delay in the payment of salaries and the issue of parity in pay scales between erstwhile Indian Airlines and AI, more than 20 have been employed by IndiGo alone. IndiGo, which has major expansion plans by 2015, is on the hunt for pilots to fly its 180 Airbus A-320 Neo aircraft.

Navin Kumar Choudhary to return to India
Navin Kumar Choudhary, who is presently Advisor to Executive Director (ED) (India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Bhutan) International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington D.C. is going to return to India in near future. Navin Choudhary is an IAS officer of the 1994 batch & belongs to the Jammu & Kashmir cadre.

First Sikh Judge in UK
Rabinder Singh, a leading lawyer has been sworn in as the first Sikh judge of the High Court at the Royal Courts of Justice in UK.

A Lal is now GM Alliance
Abeln Lal will now be General Manager Alliance Air Lines a subsidiary of the Air India.

EIL to have new Director (HR)
The Engineers India Limited (EIL) is looking for its next Director (HR) . The last date for the receipt of applications is December 5, 2011.

Verma promoted in IB
RR Verma, Deputy Director(DD)Intelligence Bureau, Government of India has been in situ promoted as Joint Director (JD) Intelligence Bureau. He is an IPS Officer of 1990 batch, who belongs to the Uttar Pradesh Cadre.

IA & AS officer Ranendu Sarkar transferred
Ranendu Sarkar, Assistant Director, in the office of the Principal Director of Commercial Audit & Ex-officio Member Audit Board -II, Kolkata, on completion of orientation training course at NAAA, Shimla, is transferred and posted as Deputy Accountant General (Admn/Wrks/CA/C-IV: Adhoc), in the office of the Principal Accountant General (Audit), Meghalaya, Shillong.

Baijal challenges MAT order
DCP Harish Baijal has approached the Bombay High Court challenging the order of Maharashtra Administrative Tribunal (MAT) which has required him to be constantly transferred from one city to another. The cop says that this has been due to certain influential people against whom he has initiated inquiry earlier.

It's action time at BMC
Now the Bombay Municipal Corporation (BMC) cannot sit on your files for more than seven days. A penalty would be levied for doing the same. Besides the Commissioner, the Additional Municipal Commissioners would punish the staff for delaying the files.

Sarkar is new VC of Presidency University
Malabika Sarkar has been appointed as the Presidency university's new V-C for one-year term.

IFS reshuffle in Uttarakhand
There is major IFS reshuffle in Uttarakhand. 32 Forest Service officers have been affected.

IAS officer is no more
Arun Kumar Samantray who retired on August 31 has passed away in Bhubneshwar.He was 1975 batch IAS officer of Orissa cadre.

Tripathi is now JS Commerce (UPDATED)
A K Tripathi Chairman APEDA has now been appointed Joint Secretary Commerce. He is 1986 batch IAS officer of Orissa cadre.

Four Addl/Jt Commissioners of Customs and Central Excise transferred (UPDATED)
As many as four Additional/Joint Commissioner of Customs and Central Excise have been transferred. Accordingly, Kumar Santosh has been transferred from CESTAT, Delhi (UOP) to Safeguards, Delhi, C. Ram Kumar from Vizag CX to Vigilance, Chennai and P.K. Khera from Vadodara CX (Surat) to Mumbai CX-II while Manish Saxena who was transferred from DGICCE, Delhi to Safeguards, Delhi has retained at DGICCE, Delhi.

D R S Chaudhary is new Secretary Public Enterprises (UPDATED)
Special Secretary Home D R S Chaudhary has been appointed Secretary Public Enterprises in the Government of India.He is 1977 batch IAS officer of Madhya Pradesh cadre.
( We said this on October 10 )

Kiran Dhingra is new Secretary Panchayati Raj (UPDATED)
Kiran Dhingra has been appointed new Secretary Panchayati Raj in the Government of India. She is 1975 batch IAS officer of UT cadre.
( We said this on October 10 )

(DEBATE)
LOKPAL BILL AND BUREAUCRACY
The debate on Lokpal Bill and the subsequent anger and protests across the country led by veteran Gandhian Anna Hazare has instilled a fear of accountability among the bureaucracy. How should the bureaucrats react to the situation?
Mail your views to suresh.mehrotra@yahoo.com or mehrotra.suresh@gmail.com

CORPORATE

Interviews for LIC CMD postponed
Interviews for the post Chairman, Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) scheduled to be held on October 12, 2011 have been postponed. It was done due to non availability of all members on the given date.

Illegal mining in full swing but MSMC still headless
Though Maharashtra is reeling under problems of illegal mining in Sindhudurg and Vidharbha region, Maharashtra State Mining Corporation (MSMC)does not have a CMD

Close nexus between corporate group and Goa speaker?
It is heard that there is a close nexus between Chowgule group and former CM and now speaker Pratap Singh Rane in the illegal mining in Goa. The two families have been close to each other since ages and now Rane finds himself in the middle of the mess.

Oswal is Industrial Advisor to Punjab CM
Noted Industrialist Kamal Oswal has been appointed Industrial Advisor to Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal.

Shetty appointed Company Secy. Mahindra Holidays & Resorts Ltd
Mahindra Holidays & Resorts India Limited has appointed Dinesh Shetty as Company Secretary of the company.

Kumar resigns as Head (Legal) , RPG Life Sciences Ltd
Ankur Kumar, Head (Legal) and also Company Secretary of RPG Life Sciences Ltd has resigned from the services of the Company w.e.f. October 4, 2011

Chaudhary resigns as Company Secy. Amit Spinning Industries Ltd
Ms. Annu Chaudhary has resigned as Company Secretary of Amit Spinning Industries Ltd with effect from October 1, 2011.

Two directors cease to be on Board of PTC India Ltd
D P Bagchi and P Abraham have ceased to be directors of PTC India Limited w.e.f. September 28, 2011 after completion of their tenure.

Desai appointed Non Exec. Director, Spenta International Ltd
Jagdeep Desai has been appointed as an Independent Non Executive Director of Spenta International Ltd w.e.f. October 5, 2011.

Gupta ceases to be Director (Technical), Ajit Pulp and Paper Ltd
G F Gupta has ceased to Director (Technical) of Shree Ajit Pulp and Paper Ltd with effect from October 7, 2011.

Saritha resigns as Company Secy. RPP Infra Projects Ltd
Ms. S Saritha, Company Secretary of RPP Infra Projects Ltd has resigned from the company w.e.f. August 1, 2011.

Kumar re-appointed MD, Mediaone Global Entertainment Ltd
Mediaone Global Entertainment Ltd has re-appointed Suriyaraj Kumar as Managing Director of the company.

Agarwal re-appointed Director, Lead Financial Services Ltd
Lead Financial Services Ltd has re-appointed Sanjay Kumar Agarwal as a Director of the company

Agarwal to Head Meridian Communications, New Delhi
Ogilvy & Mather has appointed Chandana Agarwal as Head of operations of its second agency Meridian Communications in New Delhi.

Lt Gen Kumar (Retd) ceases to be Director, Nelco Ltd
Lt. Gen. Davinder Kumar (Retd.) has ceased to be Director on Board of NELCO Ltd with effect from October 3, 2011

Three important issues to ponder

Three important issues raised today we need to ponder: 1)Why PMO people get international assignments mostly - needs no research. 2)Why retired judges get re-appointment - in consumer forums, Tribunals, arbitrations, and a host of other, think of any enquiry and they are there. They go on LTC thrice a year - no wonder why there is large pendency of cases. 3)Is Lokpal a panacea of all our problems - it was said that POTA will root out terrorism and rsult is before us. I think we should wake up and stop following mirrages that Lokpal will solve our problem. Anna or no Anna, we are going to remain the same.

Prakash

2G scam could have been avoided

2G scam could have been easily avoided if the country had been as vigilant as it is today. In 2004 when DMK did not get their chosen portfolios, their chief showed to media their written agreement with Congress and got the Ministries of their choice. At that stage,everybody including Judiciary should have questioned the unconstitutional agreement between two two political parties.It is the prerogetive of the Prime Minister to allot portfolios and DMK should not have been allowed to muscle in into specific Ministries.

Kumar

Cat has come out of Bag

Power and Pelf are the ultimate aim of all living beings. Animals and Birds also are not bereft of leadership instinct. Nonviolence of the weak does not carry any weight. One has to be strong and powerful to adhere to the principles of nonviolence. There is no dearth of good people to lead the nation provided they come out of their den of hibernation. The need of the hour is "Let the Lionesses and Lions come out of their den and show the path to Aam Aadmi.

"It is not what we have lost, But what we have left with that counts"

It is everyone's duty to contribute something for the nation building without malice towards none.

Z S Nirwal

Indica, Politica, Corruptica !

Kudos to Dr Suresh Mehrotra, Editor-in-chief for exposing (Aaj ki awaaz Oct 10,11) the draconian mindset of the UPA-2 government. This is in the context of the Union Cabinet decision to issue regulations to TV News broadcasters for maintaining "Good behavior" consistently for ten years as the sine qua non for renewal of permissions to TV Channels. What a crude way to controle the independent electronic media. Strangely, the subtle move of GOI has failed to evoke matching reactions from the print media and political parties. No wonder, the scope of behavioural guidelines could also be extended to print media in due course. These governmental sermons to the Media are reminiscent of the days preceding the imposition of emergency in India during the seventies of the last millennium. Is the Congress-led UPA-2 so nervous ?

A K Saxena (A retired civil servant)

Congratulations !

The Ministry of Panchayati Raj has finally been endowed with a dynamic, experienced and able Secretary. I am sure she will certainly contribute her rich and rewarding experience to energise the Panchayati Raj Institutions. As an academic specialist in the area of Panchayati Raj, I had the privilege of conducting a study on devolution on Panchayats in the UTs of Diu & Daman and Dadra & Nagar Haveli for the 1st UTs SFC which greatly enriched my knowledge on the financial management in Panchayats in these UTs. My best wishes to Mrs. Kiran Dhingra.

Prof. K. Siva Subrahmanyam

Report of financial irregularities

A share holder and also the former director of a bank sought information about the alleged report sent to Chief General Manager of the Bank regarding the financial irregularities by certain individuals and the actions have been taken with regards to the report. It was denied claiming that the charges were not found to be true and the details of the enquiry can not be provided as the information is held by the RBI in a fiduciary capacity. The PIO also claimed exemption u/s 8 (1)(d) of the RTI Act observing that it would
effect the commercial confidence of the said bank. The CIC upheld the order holding that being a share holder or a former Director of the said bank has no impact on the said exemptions.

Comments

Though enquiry reports are the result of a public activity, all such reports are not to be automatically put in the public domain.

Shri Satyendra Mall v. Urban Banks Department Reserve Bank of India in CIC/SM/A/2011/000981/SG/14960

- 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)