What people say about us!

I am a regular reader of your whispers and they are very accurate.
Devasekhar

Why is Raja Bhaiya an important man?
Raja Bhaiyya has been a very important man in Akhilesh Yadav's life since his childhood days.

Did UP voters identify with Akhilesh?
It is learnt that Akhilesh Yadav was a poster boy of every man, woman and youth because he represented a blend of modern along with values of the old. Besides masses say, they felt that their own son can someday become like Akhilesh.

Will Joshi get an important role in BJP?
It is heard that Sanjay Joshi is likely to get an important organizational role in the BJP

BUREAUCRACY

Mittal to succeed Gopalan?
Latest grapevine has it that Secretary, Financial Services, D K Mittal is going to succeed R Gopalan, Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs. He is a 1977 batch IAS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre. 1976 batch IAS officer of Tamil Nadu cadre, Gopalan is scheduled to superannuate on April 30.

Confusion about Rahul Khullar?
Will Rahul Khullar continue as Secretary, Commerce or move to some other Ministry or move to Brussels? Under the changed circumstances the picture is now not clear.

Orders of Katoch in a couple of days
Orders of Rajan Katoch as new Director, Enforcement are being issued in a couple of days. He is a 1979 batch IAS officer of Madhya Pradesh cadre.

K P Raghuvanshi to be Additional Director, CBI?
K P Raghuvanshi is likely to be appointed new Additional Director in the CBI. He is a 1980 batch IPS officer of Maharashtra cadre.

Rajeev Kumar is Joint Secretary, Expenditure in GoI
Today Rajeev Kumar is joining as new Joint Secretary, Expenditure in the Government of India. He is a 1984 batch IAS officer of Jharkhand cadre. Hitherto, he was Delhi based Principal Resident Commissioner (PRC) with the Jharkhand Government.
(We said this on November 11,2012)

Saurabh Garg to be JS, Expenditure
Saurabh Garg is all set to join the Government of India as Joint Secretary Expenditure. He is a 1991 batch IAS officer of Orissa cadre.
( We said this on March 14 )

Six 1990 batch IAS empanelled in GoI
Six IAS officers belonging to 1990 batch are reported to have been empanelled to the rank of Joint Secretary during the last review. They are Mssrs: - Sanjay Malhotra (Rajasthan), K S Jawahar Reddy (Andhra Pradesh), A K Sharma (Kerala), M S Bhatia (Jharkhand ), M P Panwarb (Uttarakhand) and Ravi Shankar Prasad (Assam Meghalaya) .

CAT Chairman retires
Chairman of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), Justice V K Bali retired on March 8.

Ajay Tyagi is new JS, Forests and Environment
Ajay Tyagi has been appointed new Joint Secretary, Forests and Environment in the Government of India. He is a 1984 batch IAS officer of Himachal Pradesh cadre.
( We said this on February 14 )

A C Sharma is new DGP of Uttar Pradesh
A C Sharma has been appointed as new DGP of Uttar Pradesh by the new Government. He is a 1977 batch IPS officer.

( We said this on March 16 )

IPS reshuffle in Uttar Pradesh
There is an IPS shake-up in Uttar Pradesh. New postings are Mssrs:- Atul DG, Home Guards, Devraj Nagar, DG PAC, Brijral Police Academy Moradabad, Subrat Tripathi DGP Office, S K Mishra DG Civil Defence, M K Bashal PHQ,A K Jain PTC Moradabad, O P Singh ADG Prosecution, R R Bhatnagar ADG CBCID, Vijay Singh ADG PDS Gorakhpur. Ram Deo ATS Gorakhpur, Gurdarshan Singh ADG Railways Lucknow, G B Lal ADG (Special Enquiry),Vipin Kumar ADG (Vigilance),S P Maheri DGP office, Subhash Chandra IG Lucknow, Jawaid Akhtar PAC Lucknow , Preetinder Singh SP Rampur, Bhanu Bhaskar DGP office, Dharamveer SSP Mathura, Prem Kumar Gupta DGP office, Ms N Padmaja SP Firojabad, Ms M Saini DGP office,
Amitabh Yash SSP Kanpur City and Rajesh Kumar Rai DGP office.

Vishwas Mehta to move to Ministry of Health
Vishwas Mehta is moving from the NDC to Ministry of Health in the Government of India as Joint Secretary. He is a 1986 batch IAS officer of Kerala cadre.

Pravin Agrawal is MD, TIDC in Tripura
Pravin Agrawal who so far on central deputation was Director in the Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) on his returning to his parent cadre has joined as Managing Director of Tripura Industrial Development Corporation (TIDC). He is an Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer of 1994 batch who belongs to the Manipur-Tripura (M-T) cadre.

V George Jenner appointed DTP, Dubai
The order relating to the appointment of V George Jenner as new Director Tea Promotion (DTP), Dubai, has been issued. He will take care of West Asia & North Africa. He is Manipur-Tripura (M-T) cadre Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer of 1996 batch.
(We said this on March 2, 2012)

Nath gets extension in CBI
Hiren Chandra Nath, DIG, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has been granted extension in central deputation for the next two years. He is an Assam Meghalaya cadre IPS officer of 1996 batch.

Awasthi is new Director, Social Justice
Sushil Kumar Awasthi has been appointed as Director in Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India. He is an Uttar Pradesh Cadre IFS officer of 1999 batch.

Strange are the ways of UP
The employees of the secretariat works on five days a week and the rest of the state works on six days a week. Can the same Government have two different kinds of working days for their employees? Is there any other state in India were the same employer has different working days for employees?

Lt Gen Nandal goes to Jammu
Lt Gen A S Nandal has been transferred as Lt. General, Northern command - Jammu in place of Lt Gen J P Nehra.

Lt Gen Nehra is new Adjutant General
Lt Gen J P Nehra has been transferred as Adjutant General, Army Headquarters, New Delhi.

Fresh list of officers' change likely in UP
As the grapevine has it, a fresh list of official changes will come out in Uttar Pradesh this week.

Rajendra is Accountant Member, ITAT
Rajendra, CIT, has been appointed as Accountant Member in Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) under the Department of Legal Affairs, Minister of Law and Justice.

Zulfiquar Hasan joins as IG, CRPF (FHQ) Headquarter
Zulfiquar Hasan has joined as IG, CRPF (FHQ) Headquarter, New Delhi. He is a West Bengal cadre IPS officer of 1988 batch.

Arora is new DG Vigilance in Punjab
Suresh Arora, a 1982 batch IPS officer, has been appointed as the Chief Vigilance Director in Punjab.

1982 batch IPS officer is DGP in Punjab
Punjab is the only state in the country where new DGP Sumedh Saini will belong to 1982 batch of the IPS.

One post of DIG vacant in CISF
One DIG level post is reportedly vacant in Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).

Ms. Pandey is Director (AMG-III) in Service Ministries, Delhi
Ms. Prachi Pandey (IA&AS 2001) has been transferred and posted as Director (AMG-III) in the office of Principal Director of Audit, Economic and Service Ministries, New Delhi.

1985 batch IRAS officer Tanveer Ahmed empanelled as JS, GoI
Tanveer Ahmed, an Indian Railway Accounts Services (IRAS) officer of 1985 batch, has been empanelled as Joint Secretary in Government of India.

Khinya Ram, Joint Director in IB to get in-situ promotion
Khinya Ram, Joint Director in Intelligence Bureau is likely to get in-situ promotion at his current place of posting. He is an MT cadre IPS officer of 1981 batch.

Goa starved of IAS officers
The Goa State is short of IAS officers. As against sanctioned strength of 18, it has got only 10 IAS officers.

1987 batch IPS officers to get ADG rank in Orissa
In Orissa, four 1987 batch IPS officers are being promoted to the rank of ADG this month.

Goa starved of IPS officers
The Goa State is short of IPS officers. As against sanctioned strength of 10, it has got only four IPS officers.

Vimal Kirti Singh to be Jharkhand RC in Delhi
Vimal Kirti Singh will be new Principal Resident Commissioner of Jharkhand in Delhi. 1986 batch IAS officer Vimal Kirti Singh would succeed Rajiv Kumar who is joining the Government of India.

Karamveer Singh resigns in Uttar Pradesh
Security Advisor during the Mayawati regime Karamveer Singh has resigned. He is a retired 1975 batch IPS officer.

Navneit Sekera to get important assignment in UP
Police officer Navneit Sekera is going to get some important assignment during the new Uttar Pradesh regime.

IPS changes in Uttar Pradesh
1992 batch IPS officer Ashutosh Pandey has been appointed new DIG of Lucknow. D K Thakur has been made DIG, Recruitment Training. B P Ashok will move to Chunar.

IAS reshuffle in Uttar Pradesh
There is a major IAS reshuffle in Uttar Pradesh. New postings are as under :- Anurag Yadav DM Lucknow, Anil Kumar Sagar Special Secretary Handicapped Welfare Department, N P Agrawal DM Kanpur, Dr Hariom Additional Commissioner, Rural Development, Jagdish Prasad DM, Faizabad, Ms Kamini Chauhan Ratan DM Pratapgarh, Navdeep Rinwa DM Bulandshahar, Hrideysh Kumar Special Secretary APC, Prabhu Narain Singh Wait list, Ms Amrita Soni DM Baghpat, Arvind Dwivedi Special Secretary GAD,Ms Anamika Singh DM Unnao, A K Barnwal, DM Shahjahanpur, Anil Kumar dm Kushinagar, Vikas Gothwal DM Meerut, Ms S Ministhi DM Barabanki, Pankaj Kumar wait list, Gaurav dayal DM Muzaffarnagar, Balkar singh wait
list, Santosh Kumar Commissioner Food and Supplies, V N Garg has been made Principal Secretary of Kanshiram Integrated Development Programme, Anil Kumar Gupta Industrial Development Commissioner, J N Chamber Member (Judicial) Revenue Board, Rajiv Kapoor Principal Secretary Agriculture, Manjeet Singh Principal Secretary Alternative Energy , Raj Pratap Singh Principal Secretary Employment and Sunil Kumar Secretary Primary Education.

Chief CEO of NOIDA removed
The new UP Government has removed Chief CEO of NOIDA Santosh Kumar Dwivedi. New posting is yet to be made.

BHEL pays 136% interim dividend for fiscal 2011-12 (UPDATED)
Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has declared an interim dividend of 136% on the enhanced equity capital post-bonus, for fiscal 2011-12 as against 132.5% paid in the year before. At Rs.665.75 crore, this is the highest-ever interim dividend in parentage as well as value terms declared by the company so far. With this, the company has maintained its impeccable track record of earning profits and rewarding investors by paying dividends uninterruptedly for over three decades without a break. A cheque of Rs.450.85 crore towards the interim dividend for the year 2011-12 on the equity (67.72%) held by the Government of India, was presented to Praful Patel, Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises by B P Rao, Chairman and Managing Director, BHEL, in the presence of S Sundareshan, Secretary, Department of Heavy Industries. Directors on the board of BHEL as well as other senior officials of the Ministry of Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises and BHEL were also present on this occasion.

Transfers and postings in Railways (UPDATED)
Services of three officers have been affected with their transfers and postings in Railways. Accordingly, Binay Prasad Barnwal, JAG/IRSME/North East Frontier Railway, has been transferred to IRIMEE in the same capacity while A Roy Chowdhary, SS/IRSME/Eastern Railway, is being shifted to North East Frontier and R P Bain, SG/IRSME/IRIMEE, was posted to Eastern Railway in the same capacity.

CBEC rules out rolling back excise duty on jewellery (UPDATED)
The Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) has ruled out rolling back the one per cent excise duty on jewellery as proposed in the Union Budget for 2012-13, saying the effective rate of tax is marginal and the government needs to raise more resources to fund its subsidies bill. "We will soon issue clarifications and there should be no apprehension in this regard," said CBEC chairman S K Goel while addressing a post-Budget seminar organised by The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM). He said the effective excise duty on jewellery could be in the range of Rs 90 per 10 grammes. Small artisans who design and create jewellery for goldsmiths will not have to face the hassle of registration for duty payment. Bullion traders are unhappy over extension of one per cent excise duty to unbranded precious metal jewellery and have threatened to go on indefinite strike. The government has also doubled import duty on gold to four per cent. India, the world's largest consumer of gold, imported 967 tonnes of the precious metal in 2011. To reduce the quantum of cash transaction in bullion and jewellery sector and for curbing the flow of unaccounted money in the trade, the government has proposed that a jeweller should collect one per cent tax from every buyer if sale consideration exceeds Rs two lakh. Goel said the Budget for 2012-13 was guided by declining GDP growth rate to 6.9 per cent in current financial year and the need for fiscal consolidation. Domestic manufacturing, agriculture, power, mining and textile sectors need to be encouraged, and the Budget aims towards it. Ved Jain, chairman of ASSOCHAM national council on direct taxes, said the Budget is a balancing exercise between government expenditure and income. This time, it has been a balancing between politics and economics as well. The Indian economy has fared well despite the Eurozone debt crisis but the balance of payments is under stress. Mr Jain said there is huge expenditure to be incurred on account of subsidies - the major areas involved being oil imports, food security and providing education to all. ASSOCHAM secretary general D S Rawat said the Budget is well-balanced and pro-active with well-defined measures to bring back the economy on higher growth track. Despite the global economic situation coupled with domestic political compulsions and challenges like elevated inflation, the government has tried to tread the path of fiscal consolidation with prudent macro-management. "It also emphasises the need for fresh investments for capacity creation and infrastructure building on the public private partnership model," he said.

Bureaucrat successfully resolves cricket conflict in Rajasthan (UPDATED)
Using all the negotiation and conflict management skills that he probably learned at Harvard, Rajasthan's Sports Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh ensured that IPL matches will continue to be held at Jaipur this year. While the warring politicians, bureaucrats and BCCI bigwigs almost led to shifting the venue outside the state, Singh's relentless efforts help end the impasse.

Mrs. Dhami posted as OSD, CCIT (CCA), Delhi region (UPDATED)
Mrs. Monika Dhami, Joint Commissioner of Income Tax, has been posted as OSD in the office of CCIT (CCA), Delhi region.

Gupta posted as Commissioner, CAD, Bikaner (UPDATED)
Alok Gupta, who was posted as Member, Revenue Board, Ajmer on March 14, has now been posted as Commissioner, CAD, Bikaner in Rajasthan. He is a 1996 batch IAS officer of Rajasthan cadre.

DEBATE - Should bureaucrats alone be held accountable for policy decisions ?

Bureaucrats now feel that Ministers and Politicians also be held responsible for 'policy decisions' taken by the government. They also want that entire cabinet should be held accountable for policy decisions. How far they are correct in their thinking ?

Mail your to the point views to suresh.mehrotra@yahoo.com or mehrotra.suresh@gmail.com

CORPORATE

Will the ED come to rescue of Sahara group?
Will the Enforcement Directorate (ED) come to rescue of the Sahara group? This question is hot topic of discussion in corridors of power. Now Mulayam Singh Yadav is back to the power.

Sunil Kumar appointed as JDG, CCI, N-Delhi
Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer, Sunil Kumar has been appointed as Joint Director General (JDG) (Law) in the office of DG, Competition Commission of India (CCI), New Delhi.

Anurag Agrawal is new MD of PIDB
Anurag Agrawal will be new Managing Director of the Punjab IDB. He is 1990 batch IAS officer.

Agarwalla resigns as Director, Warren Tea Ltd
Rajat Agarwalla has resigned as Director of Warren Tea Ltd.

Kidwai appointed Joint MD, Warren Tea Ltd
Ravi Kidwai has been appointed as Joint Managing Director of Warren Tea Ltd .

Datta appointed Director (Sales & Mktg.), The Chariot Resort & Spa, Puri
Suman Datta has been appointed as Director (Sales & Marketing) of The Chariot Resort & Spa, Puri

Bhuvaneshwari appointed Vice Chairperson & MD, Heritage Foods (India) Ltd
Heritage Foods (India) Ltd has re-appointed Ms N. Bhuvaneswari, Vice Chairperson and Managing Director of the company for a period of three years w.e.f. April 1, 2012.

Gopalakrishnan appointed Resident Manager, Novotel, Hyderabad Airport
Rajesh Gopalakrishnan has been appointed as Resident Manager of Novotel Hyderabad Airport.

Maheshwari appointed Country Manager, Travel Corporation
The Travel Corporation has appointed Darshan Maheshwari as Country Manager.

New UP Government
Most of the MLA's selected as Cabinet Ministers are from previous Mulayam Government. The young brigade of Akhilesh are all State ministers. They will be just carrying the bags of the old fellows.

Looking at the current setup in UP, there will be at least 3 to 4 power centers in this UP government while the poor CM will be lame duck head of the government which will actually be run by likes of Azam Khan and and rest of the relatives of Mulayam who are inpower.

Worst part is Chief Minister's defense which is ridiculous. Let the court decide whether Raja Bhayia is criminal or not. If New CM means business, he should not have any minister with questionable credentials. So, Akhilesh Yadav has failed on Day 1 to give clean government. It is the people of UP who decided to give him thumping majority. Let them face the music for next 5 years.

Prashanth

India should boycott the London Olympics
India should boycott the London Olympics for moral as well as pragmatic reasons. The moral reason is that Dow Chemicals alias Union Carbide - the American company responsible for the Bhopal Gas Holocaust is sponsoring the games. Over 25,ooo lives were lost in one night due to the leaking gas and lakhs of others were maimed for life. Even today babies are born with congenital birth defects which will handicap them for life. When 9/11 happened and some 3000 Americans were killed, the US arrogated to itself the right to kill the so called terrorists in any part of the globe and so far over 2 million human beings have been killed by this monster super power. Osama bin laden

was killed in a commando action in Pakistan by US forces with Pakistani connivance. In the latest incident, in Afghanistan 15 women and children were killed in cold blood by an American soldier. But boys will be boys, as long as they are white, Anglo-Saxon and

protestant. By the same yardstick Indian commandoes should have stormed into Warren Andersons hideout in America and shot him dead as he was the Chairman of Union Carbide at the time of the Bhopal holocaust. The least and mildest form of protest by India and the GoI
should be to boycott the games. We will win brownie points for being

environment conscious. The pragmatic reason for the boycott is that all we are likely to win are a couple of bronze medals which will only shame the nation. I hope the GOI is listening?
D Choudhury

Health Ministry's unhealthy policy
As provided in the Compilation of the CGHS, the Central Government Health Scheme is a compulsory scheme for all Central Government employees residing within the areas covered by the CGHS dispensaries. Similarly, all Central Government pensioners/family pensioners (except Railways/Armed Forces pensioners/family pensioners), who were eligible for availing Central Government Health Scheme facilitieswhile in service are eligible for availing CGHS facilities after retirement irrespective of whether they were or were not availing CGHS facilities while in service. It is also not necessary that these pensioners/family pensioners should be living in the areas covered under the Central Government Health Scheme. Simultaneously, Government of India, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare(Department of Health), New Delhi had issued a contradictory order long back on August 1, 1996 vide No.S-11011/46/95-CGHS/D-II/CGHS(P), which states inter-alia that those Post and Telegraph pensioners who were members of Central Government Health Scheme prior to their retirement may be allowed to transfer their CGHS cards from one CGHS covered city to another CGHS covered city. It further states that P&T Pensioners who were not participating in CGHS while in service may not be extended this facility. Another order issued on 23rd November, 2010 vide Director
General of Health Services, New Delhi further clarified that as per the existing rules the P&T employees who were not holding CGHS card at the time of retirement are not entitled for CGHS benefits.

The so called orders of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, New Delhi and Director General of Health Services, New Delhi imposing certain pre-conditions in respect of P&T Pensioners for getting the CGHS benefit is nothing but keeping them out from the purview of the Central Government Health Scheme and that being highly discriminatory I request the Minister of Health & Family Welfare, New Delhi, to intervene and arrange to revise the orders bringing all the P&T Pensioners under the same umbrella of the Central Government Health
Scheme.

T K Banerjee

Will DGDE make it clear ?
Recently a question was asked in Rajya Sabha as to how defence land holding figure of 22 lakh acres given by DGDE in 1997 became 17.6 lakh acres after 14-15 years while several thousand acres had been acquired during last 15 years. As per reply given on 14.3.2012 in Rajya Sabha, figure of 21.52 lakh acres in 1997 became 17.31 lakh acres after reconciliation and the discrepancy occurred as the land records were in manual form. After computerisation the figure became 17.54 lakh acres. Land records were computerised in 2011 while land holding had already shrunk to 17.31 lakh acres in 1999 No details are forthcoming as to how discrepancy of 5 lakh acres occurred . Will DGDE put up details of discrepancy and how it was reconciled on its website . Sudhir Chopra

No Rotational Transfers in MOSP
Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation (MOSPI) has no transfer policy

for the ISS. Officers even after holding posts for more than a decade, are not transferred as they develop vested interests. Willthe Minister order investigation into the scam?

Veena Dubey

Are the details of the service book liable to be disclosed?

The estranged wife of a government servant asked whether the name of wife has been entered in the Service Book of her husband; If yes, the name as entered in the Service Book; and the name of the nominee & his successor. The appellant also sought the attested photocopy of Service Book and GPF documents of her husband, Shri R B Bhavuk. The third party strongly objected to the disclosure of the requested information on the plea that the same was his personal information and moreover, if disclosed it would not only endanger his life but also the life of the nominee as well. The CPIO declined to disclose the information under Section 8(1)(g) & (j) of the RTI Act. The Commission observed that whether the name of the wife has been entered in the Service Book of any employee is relevant to the functioning of the personnel and establishment division of the Public Authority. Hence, the Commission directed to disclose in 'Yes' or 'No' whether the name of the wife has been entered in the Service Book of her husband. Refusal of the information about the GPF and nominees was upheld under section 8(1) (j).

Comments

Some parts of the Service Book are personal in nature where other parts are purely administrative in nature. The places of posting, total period and category of leave availed of from time to time etc. ae administrative information and can be disclosed.

[Smt. Nirmala Bhavuk v. Central Excise & Customs in Appeal No. CIC/SS/A/2012/000107]

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