What people say about us!

Sir, it is nice that you are covering the excellent work done by outstanding officers. Thanks.

Zile Singh

An Apology

With due regards to all, this is to state that neither Whispers In The Corridors and its affiliate sites nor any of its employees has any malice or any intent to ridicule or damage any of persons or organization, be it Mr. Shekhar Gupta or The Indian Express.

We unconditionally aplogise to all those who have been pained due to our contributor's piece "Aaj Ki Awaaz".

Will high poll percentage in UP benefit BSP?
Will high poll percentage in Uttar Pradesh assembly polls benefit the ruling Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP)? This question is a hot topic of discussion in political circles. There is a general perception that supporters of UP Chief Minister & BSP Supremo, Ms. Mayawati turned up in very large numbers to silent her critics. Thus, BSP should be able to retain power. However, one has to keep his fingers crossed till March 6, 2012.

Betting on fate of Congress led UPA
Believe it or not people are betting on fate of Congress majority UPA Government being headed by Prime Minister Dr. Man Mohan Singh. At a high profile party bet was done by people that UPA faces very troubled times April 2012 onwards. However, certain people disagreed on this count.

BUREAUCRACY

R K Tyagi is new Chairman of HAL
RK Tyagi has taken over as new chairman of Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL). Earlier he was Chairman and Managing Director of Pawan Hans Helicopter. Tyagi is an Engineering Graduate in Electronics and Telecommunication (1975) from IIT Roorkee and also possesses a Degree of Master in Business Administration, the Bangalore-headquartered defence PSU.
(We said this on February 26)

S P Seth to retire
Principal Advisor in the Planning Commission, Dr S P Seth is superannuating on March 31. He is a 1975 batch IAS officer of Bihar cadre.

Senapati unlikely to join GoI
R N Senapati is now unlikely to join the Government of India as Secretary. He is a 1977 batch IAS officer of Orissa cadre.

Shafi Alam to join as DG, NCRB next week
Shafi Alam, D.G. Human Rights Commission, Bihar has been Relieved to join as DG/Director National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). He is an IPS officer of 1977 batch who belongs to the Bihar cadre.
(We said this on 9 January 2012)

Shukla proceeds on Mid Career training
Anand Vardhan Shukla, Director of North Central Zone Cultural Center (NCZCC), Allahabad which works under the Union Ministry of Culture has proceeded on Mid Career Training for 8 months. He is an IPS officer of 2000 batch who belongs to the Rajasthan cadre.

Singhal to look after charge of SCZCC
Ravindra Kumar Singhal, Director, South Central Zone Cultural Centre (SCZCC) Nagpur, Maharashtra will look after the charge of Director (Culture), North Central Zone, Allahabad. He is an IPS officer of 1996 batch who belongs to Maharashtra cadre.


Indian Overseas Bank blazes a new trail
Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) of which Chairman & Managing Director (CMD) is M.Narendra has blazed a new trail by adopting six tribal villages. Various schemes of the bank were launched by Dr. K. C. Chakrabarty Deputy Governor (DG) of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in Coonoor on March 2, 2012. Main among them were launching of a Rural Development Training Centre and Financial Literacy Credit Counselling Centre. An awareness programme for students of a Girls college was also held on Friday

Narendra Modi has not scolded any senior officer
As the grapevine has it Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi has never scolded any of the senior officers in the Government.

Poor presence of IAS officers at LBSNAA
There is poor presence of IAS officers during training programmes conducted at Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA), Mussoorie. It came to notice that officers are not taking benefits of programmes.

MHA wants services of IPS couple
The Union ministry of home affairs (MHA) has asked the Bihar government to relive IPS couple Ravindran Shankaran and his wife Malar Vijhi for their posting at the National Police Academy (NPA), Hyderabad, as deputy directors.

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

Rajesh Ranjan to join GoI
Rajesh Ranjan is all set to join the Government of India in a CPO. He is 1984 batch IPS officer of Bihar cadre.

Empanelment case of 1976 batch IPS officer, S S Vagal as DGP deferred
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has deferred the case of 1976 batch IPS officer of Maharashtra cadre, S S Vagal reviewed for the empanelment as DGP/ equivalent post in Government of India.

Will Prof Hasnain be Chairman of UGC?
Inclusion of the name of Prof Seyed E Hasnain in the panel for the post of Chairman, UGC is a hot topic of discussion in the academic circles. Will he make it?

O P Shemar, IES, promoted as Adviser, MSME
O P Shemar, Director, Planning Commission, has been promoted to Senior Administrative Grade (SAG) and posted as Adviser, Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME). He is an Indian Economic Service (IES) officer of 1985 batch.

Kunwar Brajesh Singh (IPS) empanelled as Joint Secretary in GoI
Kunwar Brajesh Singh has been empanelled as Joint Secretary in Government of India. He is a 1985 batch IPS officer of Orissa cadre.

Seven posts of Judges vacant in J&K HC
As many as seven posts of judges have been lying vacant in Jammu and Kashmir High Court against 14 approved strength including three posts of Permanent Judges against 9 approved strength and 4 of Additional Judges against, 5 approved strength.

Jha is PS to Delhi CM
Pravesh Ranjan Jha is new PS to Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dixit. She is a DANICS officer.

Bhattacharya to move Luanda
IFS officer D K Bhattacharya is moving from Ministry of External Affairs Headquarters to Luanda.

Chakravorty goes to Paris
IFS officer Abhijit Chakravorty is moving from Luanda to Paris as Second Secretary.

PESB seeks applications for post of Director (Personnel) in ECIL
Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) is seeking applications for the post of Director (Personnel) in Electronics Corporation of India (ECIL). Those willing to apply can send their applications to the PESB before April 24, 2012.

Eight IFS officers promoted as CCF in MP
As many as eight officers of Indian Forest Service (IFS) have been promoted as Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF) and posted at different places in Madhya Pradesh. Accordingly, Atul Kumar, Conservator of Forests (CF), NVDA, Bhopal, has been shifted as CCF, (Administration), PCCF, Bhopal while Sunil Agrawal, CF. Balaghat will now be CCF, (Administration-I), PCCF, Bhopal and K Raman, CF, Commercial Taxes, Indore, has been promoted as CCF and will remain posted at the same place. Similarly, Chitaranjan Tyagi is promoted as CCF, (Action Plan) Chindwara; Dr. Atul K Shrivastava as CCF, Capital Project, Bhopal; R K Yadav, Additional Secretary, Commercial Taxes as CCF, MP State Forest Development Corporation, Bhopal; P K Singh, CF, Guna as CCF Rewa division and Ramesh Kumar Shrivastav, Additional Secretary, Forest Department, has been promoted as CCF and posted as SDO, Government of Madhya Pradesh.

Three CCF shifted in MP
Three officers of Indian Forest Service (IFS) have been transferred and posted at different places in Madhya Pradesh. Accordingly, A S Dabas, CCF, Research and Expansion Division, Jhabua, has been shifted to Gwalior while B B Singh, CCF, Rewa division will now be CCF, (Production), PCCF office, Bhopal and S N Nachane, CCF, Community Forests Management Project, PCCF, Bhopal is being deputed as CCF, State Forest Research Institute, Jabalpur.

Six DCF promoted as Conservator of Forests in MP
As many as six officers of Indian Forest Service have been promoted from Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF) to Conservator of Forests (CF) and posted at different places in Madhya Pradesh. Accordingly, Prakash Unhale, Deputy Commissioner, MP Bhawan, New Delhi, has been promoted as Conservator of Forests at the same place while A K Nagar, Deputy Director, Satpura National Park, Hoshangabad, is being shifted to Khandwa and Shant Kumar Sharma, DFO, South Sagar will now be CF, Damoh. Similarly, M C Singhal, DFO, North Sagar, has been shifted as CF, Narsinghpur; R P S Baghel from DFO, Ujjain to CF, PCCF office, Bhopal and L P Tiwari, DFO, Dindori, was posted as Conservator of Forest, Dindori after promotion.

Five conservators of forests get new postings in MP
Ms. A Gautami, Conservator of Forests, Narsinghpur, has been posted at Madhya Pradesh State Forest Research Institute, Jabalpur while S S Rawal, DFO, Khandwa, will now be DFO, Ujjain and S P S Tiwari, DFO, Damoh, is being appointed as DFO, South Sagar. Similarly, Mrs. Padmapriya Balakrishnan, DFO, Bhind, has been posted at the office of PCCF, Bhopal and Anil Kumar Singh is being shifted from PCCF, Bhopal to DFO, South, Sagar.

PAKISTAN WHISPERS

'By slapping an election duty staff you slapped the whole nation, where is the question of accepting your apology' SC
Slapping a junior government functionary on election duty is proving dearer than what the PPP candidate for Sindh provincial assembly Ms Syeda Wahida Shah could perhaps imagine. The incident occurred at the interior Sindh town of Tando Mohammad Khan on the recently concluded polling day and a lady polling duty was slapped by the ruling party's candidate. The Supreme Court took suo motu notice of the incident after it was shown repeatedly by the TV channels across Pakistan. On Thursday during the hearing of the case the erring candidate's counsel submitted an unconditional apology to the court and requested for closing the case. 'Where is the question of apology', the chief justice told the council. 'You slapped the whole nation. The matter is no longer between you and the court', the CJ said. There were some tough remarks for the Election commission's secretary and the IG Police Sindh who the CJ observed had failed in their duty by not registering a FIR against the erring politician immediately.

Election Commission Secretary resigns
Talking to media persons outside the Supreme Court after suo motu proceedings in the slapping case Ashtiaq Ahmed Secretary of election commission said he had decided to submit his resignation to the chief election commissioner. The presiding officers of polling parties have the powers to lodge FIR with the local police in such matters and systems are in place for dealing with the situations implying that lodging FIR is not the duty of the election commissioners or the secretary of the commission. He also said that in the instant case it is the police department who has failed to provide security to the polling staff and a summary trial of the case for which powers are available to the commission is scheduled to take place on Saturday in the provincial commission's office.

Is Mansoor Ijaaz just a businessman or a shadowy intelligence operative masquerading as a businessman

During his cross examination via video link from London US businessman of Pakistani origin and central character in the memogate Mansoor Ijaaz disclosed that he was privy to information about "actions and reactions of army chief Keyani, President Zardari and his Military Secretary after the incident" (in which Osama Bin laden was killed in a midnight raid in Abbottabad by the US Navy Seals). Besides he also claimed to be having detailed information of the foreign visits by DG, ISI Shuja Pasha and the transcripts of minute by minute conversation between the pilots of the US helicopters participating in the raid and the staff of the air traffic control. All this put together, Ijaaz claims, made it clear that a military coup was imminent in Pakistan just after the Abbottabad raid and he 'offered his help' to the then Pakistani ambassador to US Hussain Haqqani to stave off the coup. Above all Ijaaz claimed that 'he was briefed by intelligence networks of four different countries'. He however refused to disclose his sources 'even if the commission asked me for it'. Moot point is, is he just a businessman or a shadowy intelligence operative in the garb of a businessman and if so then won't his motives in raking up the issue now at this stage be of greater significance than the question whether or not a memo was got delivered through him..

Supreme Court's advise to ISI 'change your attitude of considering yourself superior and ordinary Pakistanis inferior'
Reacting to sheer rhetoric and complete silence on substantial legal issues raised by the seven judge bench of the supreme court headed by CJ Iftekhar Chowdhary in the written statement filed by ISI's counsel raja Mohammad Irshad in the case of eleven 'missing persons' illegally picked up by the ISI from Adiala Jail in May 2010 after their acquittal by the trial court and Islamabad high court the court advised the ISI to change its attitude of considering itself superior and common citizens of the country inferior. The bench was reacting after going through the averment in the statement that, " the personnel of the security agencies had laid down their lives to protect the supreme national interests of the country and chased out and hounded only those who played into the hands of our dearest mother land Pakistan". 'No one is denying the sacrifices but what about adherence to the constitution and the law' the bench asked.

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

Bhasin appointed President of Inter-Pacific Bar Association
Lalit Bhasin has been appointed as the next President of the Inter-Pacific Bar Association (IPBA), an association for business lawyers from the Asia Pacific region.

Hickman appointed Additional Director of Greaves Cotton
Clive Hickman has been appointed as the Additional Director of Greaves Cotton

3 appointed Additional Directors of Atcom Technologies
Dilip Mehta, Sanjay Shah and Pushkarsingh Mehra have been appointed as Additional Directors of Atcom Technologies

2 resign from directorship of Atcom Technologies
Vickram Dosshi and Rajendra Pradhaan have resigned from the directorship of Atcom Technologies

Krishna resigns from Softbpo Global Services
Pramod Krishna has resigned from directorship of Softbpo Global Services

Ramaswamy resigns from VTX Industries
Durai Ramaswamy has resigned from directorship of VTX Industries

Prasad appointed Additional Director of Azure Exim Services
Hari Shankar Prasad has been appointed as Additional Director of Azure Exim Services

Jayaraman appointed GM of Ruby Mills
S. Jayaraman has been appointed as the General Manager and compliance officer of Ruby Mills.

Bohra appointed Additional Director of Media Matrix Worldwide.
Suresh Bohra has been appointed as the Additional Director of Media Matrix Worldwide.

Shikari appointed as Alternate Director of Tasty Bite Eatables
Sohel Shikari has been appointed as Alternate Director of Tasty Bite Eatables

3 appointed as Additional Directors, CJ Gelatine Products
Sandeep Singh, Vikas Gupta and Ramanand Kini have been appointed as Additional Directors of CJ Gelatine Products

Choudhury resigns as company secretary of B&A Packaging India
Nabagataa Choudhury has resigned as company secretary of B&A Packaging India

Sinha ceases to be Director, BPCL
P K Sinha, Special Secretary and Financial Advisor, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has ceased to be Nominee Director on the Board of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd w.e.f. March 1, 2012.

Two additional directors on Board of ETP Corporation Ltd
Shivaji Laxman Jambhale and Roshan Shivaji Jambahle have been appointed as additional directors in the place of Joy Brata Sen and Om Prakash Jha on the Board of ETP Corporation Ltd.

Nath resigns as Company Secy. Peninsula Land Ltd
Kausik Nath has resigned as Company Secretary of Peninsula Land Ltd w.e.f. March 1, 2012.

Pasari appointed Company Secy. Peninsula Land Ltd
Pradeep Pasari has been appointed as Company Secretary of Peninsula Land Ltd.

Sood appointed COO, Vodafone India
Vodafone India has appointed Sunil Sood as Chief Operating Officer (COO).

Mukherjee appointed Chief Commercial Officer, Vodafone India
Sanjoy Mukherjee has been appointed as Chief Commercial Officer of Vodafone India.

Avinash Pant appointed Marketing Head at Nike India
Avinash Pant, former Executive Director - Marketing at Walt Disney, has joined Nike India to head its marketing division.

Aegis Media's Vizeum India appoints Anand Kumar as Associate General Manager
Aegis Media's Vizeum India has appointed Anand Kumar as Associate General Manager - Engagement Planning to promote active consumer engagement.

DEBATE _(1)

All the policy decisions in the govrnment are taken with approval of the Cabinet or its committees consisting of Ministers. Moreover the Ministers are in the position to influence and over rule the decisions of the bureaucrats. They should be accountable to the policy decisions more than the bureaocrats.

U K Indal

Is House no. 095 at Rabindra nagar haunted ? The grapevine is strong. A lot of officers are not opting for that house in the GP.

Prakash

In your whispers please do not write acronyms eg DGCA, MSME etc as all are not so familiar with these acronyms

T K Ghosh

SL Bansal is a dynamic Banker and I am confident that He will take the Bank to Higher Heights. Wish Him all Success

K K Khanna

CVC to monitor misuse of official vehicles. I agree it should be done on immediate basis. it will save at least few hundred crores of public money and official time . all should be responsive and accountable ,and fear of punishment n misusing should prevail.

Ravinder

Unlike others, Narendra Modi is a man of actions.

Reasons for not granting an appointment with the Commissioner of Police (CP)

The appellant sought to know the reasons why an appointment with the Commissioner of Police was denied to him despite his written request for appointment. He also sought to know whether he was busy; how many persons sought appointment with the CP in writing and how many were given appointment; and how many refused during the period 17.2.2011 to 8.3.2011. The PIO informed that any person can meet the Commissioner of Police, Delhi with a complaint on any working days between 12.00 noon to 1.30 p.m. for which no appointment is required. The CIC held that the respondent can only provide that information to the appellant which is held by them in material form and are not expected to create information simply to answer the request of the RTI petitioners. The CIC directed the PIO to provide the information about the action taken on the appellant's request for an appointment with the CP, Delhi; and information of persons whom the CP met in his office regarding public grievances.

Comments

With the increase in the use of RTI, every letter coming to a government office has the potential of being followed by a RTI application even on matters such as seeking an appointment. Therefore, there is a need for re-drawing the norms of working in the offices.

Citation: Shri J.K. Mittal v. Delhi Police in file no.CIC/SS/A/2011/001527

- 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)