Whispers Forum

India is faced with a strategic strike against it in a field perhaps not anticipated - Health Care of people and its Infrastructure existing currently today. The Wuhan Virus unleashed in 2019 has brought the world to its knees . Globally countries are reeling from high death rates ,successive infections and overwhelmed doctors, nursing staff and healthcare workers. Surprise is the first principle of warfare. Chanakya, Sun Tsu , Clausewitz and more wrote reams on this subject . The think tank which launched this Strategic Strike globally have precise aims . Indians forsee this Wuhan Virus being around for a few years more , likely 2025-26. Should we create standing infrastructure against Wuhan Virus and mutations ? Or should India create Battlefield Hospital capabilities across the land as the Indian Armed Forces has built since 1947. The second option is less expensive and can be located in the 23 AIIMS HOSPITALS now in place and being commissioned rapidly. Economics is the foot soldier of power and a viable model is needed as we progress in the 21st century .
Devindra Sethi
Sanjay Naik promoted as DMD, SBI
Extremely happy, hearty congratulations Mr Sanjay, you richly deserve the elevation as DMD, my best wishes to you
Vijay Raj
Delhi govt should not waste on advertisement and freebies
Most fervent appeal to Delhi government four making a check on wasting humongous amount on advertisement and freebies to residence and instead use for better management of community services
The contents May kindly not be treated as aspersions or accusations but only suggestion for effective welfare of society
Delhi is passing through turbulent times particularly in this corona crisis when there is mud slinging on oxygen supply and others medicines which been created in short supply and all the allegations have been labeled to central government.
We should not be bete noire of any government in this delicate time ,every penny counts and matters ,criminal spending on long advertisements highlighting various schemes on the Rhetoric hyperbole which can otherwise be gainfully and meticulously spent on developmental works
There could be many governing agencies controlling delhi but the aim should not be always to be involved in mudslinging but serving the people with better facilities by creating a homogeneous ecosystem with the sole objective to provide best in Delhi. Delhi is multi factorial society and small richness s ection is taken with anathema and all the freebies for the poor section are given at the cost of little financially sound people.
Diversity has become a source of schism of virulent kind and a type of lynching is happening again the upper strata of society. We should not forget that it is this section which is absorbing onslaught of livelihood of poor people and this inter-dependence is need always
The business community is dying every day at the hands of government machinery , loaded with staring eyes of corruption.
We were sanguine with your dispensation that equanimity will be observed without cast , creed or financial gap ,but the poor our brothers only )who are assured vote bank for you are given plethora of facilities like free electricity up to 200 units ,20,000 L water education at the cost of hard earned tax from people falling in this category
It is easy to grant these free facilities but impossible to withdraw at the later stage as that will lead to bloodbath and paralysis by demo stations
By giving big advertisements people to do get attracted and it becomes a big tool for electoral victory but it should be the work that should become favorite and not the advertisement gimmick .
Kindly save Delhi and realign the spending for better results and not not for only self praise with the sole aim to win the election which we pray too ,but people at large should not be made to feel strangulated and die because of this central , state disputes always
Mahendra Goel

A state information commissioner is resigning to join as advisor to CM Uttarakhand. And Chief ICs of states usually join after retiring as chief secretaries. What harmonious existence between Government & information commission - great for its autonomy.
Yashovardhan Azad.
Former IPS officer and former CIC
Nationalization of private hospitals will lead to fall in standards of health
Harish Kumar by suggesting nationalization of all private hospitals is taking back the nation to old age of caves wherein in the Government servants will grow, misuse office perks & facilities, take their due leaves, reservation in medical services at the cost of quality, promotion of mediocrity and as result cause huge loss to exchequer & falling standards of health in the country.
Anurag Srivastava

CSS Forum is the association of the Central Secretariat service officers working in various ministries/ Departments middle to senior level the central government. For any queries, feel free to contact us on cssforumofficial@gmail.com
Gomesh Paramuval
Pricing of Sputnik vaccine
The firm which will manufacture the Russian origin Sputnik vaccine has priced it at Rs. 995 a jab- a marketing stroke. When people line up to get vaccinated the person at the counter will say no change Sir/Madam and people in a hurry to get vaccinated will forego the change, resulting in an additional gain of Rs. 5 per jab! Wonderful.
Lakshman

Group of Indians and friends from AU, US and India sourcing medical aid
We are a group of Indians and friends from AU, US and India sourcing medical grade oxygen concentrators, ventilators and other oxygen equipment from across the world, shipping these to India and distributing last mile to underserved rural districts. Since our launch 10 days ago, we have raised $900,000 from some of Australia's largest technology startups etc; sourced and secured 150 oxygen concentrators and 50 ventilators from China and US, shipped them into India and deployed across 4 underserved districts. We have line of sight on another 300+ concentrators and 150+ ventilators to be distributed to 15+ districts to save 10,000 lives over the next 3 months. We are providing these units to districts that don't have the resources to deal with the crisis. Would love to speak help in any way we can with more concentrators that are becoming available to us over the next one week.
Anish Sinha

The appellant sought information regarding deployment of army men to other country (UN & Bhutan) for specific mission like the certified copy of the instructions on the basis of which unit sends its army men to other country, the number of times the army men employees have been deployed to other country since January 2005, the list of Army men who were sent to other country, the criteria fixed for selection of Army men etc. The reply was delayed and not proper. The CIC held that the RTI application was handled very badly and it shows that the RTI matters are being handled in a very negligent manner. The CIC expressed its extreme displeasure at the conduct of the respondent organisation as a whole for showing such laxity while handling the RTI applications and the correspondence related to it and to the then CPIO for being negligent in handling the RTI application. The CIC directed that the Bombay Engineering Group & Centre, Kirkee office needs to evolve a system to ensure proper receipt & dispatch of the RTI correspondence by the CPIOs/Deemed PIOs/FAAs and maintain a proper record of every RTI application received and replied to by the organisation.
Comments
For timely discharge of duties mandated under the RTI Act, the dak management system of the public authority should be proper. All public authorities should maintain a proper record of each and every RTI application received in the organisation, to whom it is marked for action to prevent misplacement and mishandling of RTI correspondence. If an organisation needs to organise training programmes for the CPIOs and the deemed PIOs to familiarize them with the provisions of the RTI Act, they should contact proper trainers so that mistakes do not happen.
Citation: Gurmeet Singh v. Bombay Engineering Group & Centre, Kirkee in File no.: - CIC/IARMY/A/2019/111340, Date of Decision: 04/03/2021, 26/03/2021, 23/04/2021
Dr. Anuradha Verma (dranuradhaverma@yahoo.co.in) is an expert on RTI matters and has co-authored the books RIGHT TO INFORMATION - LAW AND PRACTICE and PIO’s guide to RTI. Apart from her weekly article here, her other articles can be read at the website of RTI Foundation of India at the link: www.rtifoundationofindia.com

DEBATE
It was not at all justified to hold political rallies and religious gatherings when the Corona pandemic was staring at us. Kumbha Mela could also have been held symbolically. The government could have allowed only the priests and the ‘Akharaas’ if they insisted and stopped general public from participating in the Kumbha. But large religious gatherings at the Kumbh Mela and politicians, cutting across party lines, have been addressing huge rallies. Now the second wave has hit us so severely only because of our stupidity.
Poonam Pathak
No one is interested in improving things
Fully agree with B B Shrivastava. No Politician or Bureaucrat(s) is interested in improving things. They benefit from Status-Quo and take no action. Hope the Government(s) take note of the recommendations and take immediate action to prevent chaos in future.
S Gopal

DEBATE
Election rallies led by important political figures, as well as crowded festivals and religious gatherings no doubt contributed to the record resurgence of the new coronavirus. After quelling the first surge late last year, both leaders and people let down their guard. Allowing or even encouraging dangerous behaviour, they underestimated the virus, reopening the economy too fast and too broadly and now we are seeing the dance of death.
Sunil Sinha
India needs Indian medical Administrative service
I agree with views expressed by Mahender Goel. India needs a Indian medical Administrative service. The tests or competitive exams be conducted by ICMR or identical parallel body manned by seasoned doctors. Format, quality and standards should be in line with UPSC. This body should also be authorized to recruit all junior level supporting staff too so the best lot joins the system. Covid crisis has proved that health is far more important after education. State can too have similar bodies on same lines. In addition to that GOI should nationalize all private hospitals and with their fat assets create more and more quality hospitals on war footing. This is the need of the hour.
Harish Kumar

DEBATE
As the country battled a second COVID-19 wave and several states went for lockdown, election rallies and the Kumbh Mela in Haridwar clearly compromised efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19 with the result that the second wave of the pandemic proved to be more challenging and aggressive than the first one which led to a nationwide 50 days lockdown in March last year. In four months into 2021, till the elections and Kumbha fair lasted, the daily cases not only surpassed the high reported in 2020 but more than tripled. The impact of the pandemic is clearly visible across the country with bodies piling up in crematoriums and long queues of ambulances outside hospitals with peoplpe running helter skelter for beds or Oxyzen or both for their near and dear ones.
Jeevan
DIET officers and employee's salary issue needs attention
Javdekar Sir, you are requested to look in the Maharastra’s DIET officers and employee's salary issue. They are suffering irregular salary issue in Covid situation because of the grant not being released by the centre ...Hope being ex minister of education you will look into the matter.
Yogesh Survase

DEBATE
Both religious and political events which have largely contributed to the ‘havoc’ in the country could have been stopped at one stroke of the pen. But the ruling party – and to be fair, all the political parties - continued with their large election rallies focusing on the election battles in five states and their outcomes. Neither did the central government immediately stop millions from congregating at the Kumbh mela, one of the largest religious gathering of people on the planet though they finally cut it short under pressure. But the damage was already done. The spike in cases, meanwhile, became a flood. The healthcare infrastructure across many states, which was already stretched, broke down completely with shortages in everything – beds, oxygen, doctors. Today the entire world is caught unaware on what has went wrong with India.
Girdhari
Two hoots for suggestions to effectively prevent outbreak/spread of epidemics
The Third report of the Second Administrative Reforms Commission was on the subject of 'Crisis Management'. The Chapter No.10 of the Report is on the subject of 'Epidemics'. The following were the recommendations and accepted by the Government for implementation in the year 2008:- (i) To more effectively prevent outbreak/spread of epidemics, it is imperative that a comprehensive revised 'model' legislation on public health is finalized at an early date and that the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare systematically pursues its enactment by the states with adaptations necessitated by local requirements. (ii) The Union legislation governing Public Health Emergencies be introduced for final consideration in the light of feedback received from the states at any early date. (iii) Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has to ensure that requisite plans envisaged under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, are drawn up in respect of epidemics also and that the role of the district administration finds explicit mention in the Public Health Emergency Bill. The structure created by the Disaster Management Act, 2005, should be utilized for managing epidemic also. (iv) While surveillance and management of epidemics are the responsibilities of public health professionals, it is clear that a particularly severe outbreak could overwhelm the capacities of the 'line organizations'. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the State Governments must ensure that 'standard operating procedures' are devised to assign roles and responsibilities of agencies and personnel outside the line organizations wherever a situation so warrants. (v) State level handbooks and manuals concerning disaster management should have a chapter on "epidemics-related-emergencies". A model chapter may be circulated by the Ministry of Health & Family for guidance of states. It may be useful to document the past handling of epidemics like the Plague (Surat) and Japanese encephalitis (Easter UP) to facilitate standardization of response mechanisms. If relevant and timely had been taken by the selfish Central and State Government officials and Ministers, we would have not faced the present catastrophe of Covid-19 in such a miserable manner. The UPA Government did not do anything as they were busy in earning money. Mr. Modi with his 'mai' attitude put all the recommendations of the second administrative reforms commission into the garbage bag. A lot of tax payers money is spent on Committees/Commissions. The Committees/Commission make their recommendations. But the lazy government officials do not take any pains to implement the accepted recommendations. Everybody is busy is passing through his tenure without having had to put to hassles.
Bimal Bahadur Srivastava

Institutions for the welfare of underprevileged flounder
It is very surprising to see even the institutions set up for the welfare of underprevileged such as the National Commission for the SC not taking pro-active steps for the disclosure of information. I have been watching this column and have a couple of cases where it is seen that the National Commission has floundered. By not making suo-motu disclosure, they are failing in terms of their statutory duty as well as moral duty. It may not be an exaggeration to say that these Commissions have failed to bring out a real change and their action is restricted to merely making more sound and giving TV presentations.
Samar

Appellant had taken a home loan and asked the Bank why there is a difference of amount between OS (Outstanding Amount) and DP (Drawing Power) and a related question. The PIO informed that difference in drawing power and outstanding amount occurred on account of interest accrual over a period of time due to delayed repayment or due to interest rate change. The CIC directed the PIO to revisit the RTI application and provide revised information including copy of the calculation sheet of the appellant’s loan account.
Comments
The RTI Act includes providing the existing information and does not involve creating information. A citizen cannot expect a PIO to create a fresh information to satisfy his query.
Citation: K. Subbramaniyan v. State Bank of India in Second Appeal No. CIC/SBIND/A/2019/106076, Date of decision: 16.04.2021
Dr. Anuradha Verma (dranuradhaverma@yahoo.co.in) is an expert on RTI matters and has co-authored the books RIGHT TO INFORMATION - LAW AND PRACTICE and PIO’s guide to RTI. Apart from her weekly article here, her other articles can be read at the website of RTI Foundation of India at the link: www.rtifoundationofindia.com