Whispers Forum

The appellant, Shri Mata Prasad, sought information regarding appointment of Garden Attendant in Archaeological Survey of India. The PIO informed the CIC that the appellant is a terminated employee from the Horticulture Branch, Archaeological Survey of India and he is prejudice with the ASI officers. The information had already been provided by the PIO earlier but the appellant chose to file an appeal dated 04.05.2017 before the CIC. The CIC ruled that all information were provided to the applicant by all PIOs and a final order was passed on 30.06.2017. The PIO added that the information collected through RTI by Shri Mata Prasad are being used to blackmail and harass the officers for his ill wishes. The CIC had warned to Shri Mata Prasad to refrain from misusing RTI Act and harassing the authorities for no rhyme or reason and also advised to stop filing such infructuous application in its final order CIC/ALSOI/A/2017143727 dated 10.08.2017. After perusing the details of the case, the CIC held that sufficient information had been provided to the appellant but for the reasons best known to him, he is still not satisfied. The CIC cautioned the appellant to desist from such kind of abuse to the RTI Act and stop harassing the public authority and the CIC.
Comments
There is no provision in the RTI Act for taking any action against the abusive and repetitive RTI applications which in turn would secure the interests of genuine RTI seekers. Even the CIC has been at the receiving end in some cases. Hopefully, better sense would prevail and the RTI abusers would end the misuse of the Act which brings a bad name to the sunshine Act.
Citation: Mata Prasad v. Archaeological Survey of India in CIC/ALSOI/A/2017/145334, Decided On: 15.09.2017
Dr. Anuradha Verma (dranuradhaverma@yahoo.co.in) is the co-author of the books: RIGHT TO INFORMATION – LAW AND PRACTICE and PIO’s guide to RTI. Her other articles can be read at - Right to Information Act 2005- RTI Foundation of India

DEBATE (1) Congress
Congress needs to reinvent itself
Given the fact that the BJP President Amit Shah is a master strategist, it is time for the Congress, which is still banking on age old strategies, needs to reinvent itself
R K Upadhyay
Don’t relax standards in recruitment
In this regard it is stated that the Prime Minister in his recent interaction with the Secretaries and Additional Secretaries had expressed a view that why are we getting so much of government done through outside Consultants. By adopting such an style we are not trying to build up in-house expertise. The question of development cannot arise in feudalistic domain of Civil Services in the country wherein the Seniors refuse to give a patient hearing to their juniors and the out of box thinking of the juniors. In this endeavor the recent decision of the Government to provide 4 private staff to Secretary and 3 private personal staff to the Additional Secretary/Joint Secretary is an impediment as it facilitates the culture of feudalism and is against the principle of electronic office. The additional personal staff will not being and work of significance rather attending to the personal chores of their bosses. Secondly, we cannot have both the things i.e. no fresh recruitment on one hand and development of in-house of expertise. Then we have reservation is service wherein the expertise if compromised. What is right and what is wrong one does not know.
B B Srivastava

DEBATE (1) Congress
It is not the face but the planning that can revive Congress. The person who can guide the party in proper management and planning can revive the party. Even I can be one who can help the head of party .
Harsh Mehta.
DEBATE (2) Congress
Now only Collective Leadership
R L Tandon
DEBATE (3) CONGRESS
I do feel Jyotiraditya Madhavrao Scindia, can revive the Congress as he is well educated, comes from a good political background, has worked for masses, is a good speaker and parliamentarian.
People are looking for a strong opposition leader and Rahul Gandhi does not fit in the shoes. He is not aware of his immediate surroundings, is not all a good speaker and his talks make no sense. As long as he is at the top, Congress can forget about its revival and be rest assured of losing more seats.
Arunav Kol
Only team work
Arrogance and misconception of the ruling party that it can do no wrong. Complacency will creep in at a later stage. Last but not least, one man show is hardly sustainable in the long run, only team work matters.
Raj Kumar Thakur
“Trump’s predicament”
The US is justifiably miffed by North Korea’s policy of nuclear brinkmanship and for issuing daily threats of nuclear attack. The US is in a bind.The impasse should not be allowed to last long.
North Korea’s sixth nuclear test is a slap on US’s face besides sending wrong signals to China and Russia. Pakistan’s clandestine transfer of nuclear technology to N Korea went unpunished. The US is now paying the price of its own folly.
Condemning N Korea’s testing of nuclear fusion device and ICBM by China and Russia , is a charade. Both double crossing the US . The ground reality is just the opposite. No neighbouring country, especially China would be comfortable with a nuclearised Korean peninsula.
Against the background of all-round mistrust, China’s advice to the US for direct talk with a rogue nation , is simply laughable.
Should the superpower agree to one-on- one talk with a belligerent country like N Korea. Does N Korea deserve the courtesy of appeasement by the US ?
Economic sanctions against N Korea, have been half-hearted. Military sanctions with conventional weapons, could cause disastrous backlash to South Korea located just 50 Km away from its belligerent neighbour.
South Korea will be annihilated. It depends on who carries out the pre-emptive strike.
Direct talks between two un-equals, the US and N Korea, if ever conducted, will continue upto infinity with zero outcome. This will instead embolden N Korea to keep provoking its adversary, the most powerful nation in the world.
What is President Trump’s “fire and fury” counter- warning to North Korea ? Does he mean first strike with conventional weapons or a nuclear attack ?
North Korea’s military dictator Kim Jong, by his incessant threats , is almost begging for a War with the US. He can’t hold the World as hostage.
Enough is enough. It is now time for the US to take direct action .Let it pull out all full stops.
This will help the suppressed people of North Korea and restore democracy .
Kim Jong deserves the same fate as Saddam Hussain, Gaddafi and Osama bin Laden, former Al Qaeda chief.
The US with its much advanced technology, capability and intelligence inputs, should know better.
A K Saxena (A retd civil servant)
Press reforms
News analysis has taken an industrial proportion today. So much so that writing with vested and perverse interest including paid news analysis and news creation through exaggeration has become a remunerative profession. Now all least educated people can be found in this news business because money comes easily. Political funding for news creation is the reality of our times. All these happen in the name of Democracy. It is high time that Government (I and B Ministry?) promotes a rating agency to rank (based on clear parametres) articles, opinions, views, etc. to help readers choose from a sea of information given that a reader's time is valuable and s/he has a right to get the initial and independent feedback on the overall quality of a published item to help decide to read or ignore. The system can also extend from print to visual media. Yes, I propose something like rating agencies in the world of finance. This may help in cleansing the media from the unscrupulous lot.
Dr R Mishra

DEBATE (1) Congress
Collective leadership
Indira Iyengar
DEBATE (2) Congress
1 Priyanka Gandhi
2 Rahul Gandhi
3 Jyotiraditya Scindia
4 Shashi Tharoor
Manohar Bothra
DEBATE (3) Congress
Congress must take guidance from Pranab da, of course, behind the curtain. They must collect people like Kamal Nath, Scindia junior, Sachin Pilot, Shashi Tharoor and totally shun people like Kalmadi, Digvijay singh.Shiela Dixit and others who have slightest of Trust deficit and are perceived as TAINTED by the public.
Time has come for the Congress to rise from the ashes.Indian masses are totally disillusioned by the BJP rule. BJP has done nothing whatsoever for the poor masses. Congress must rise to the occasion. Iron is hot. Congress must take the advantage of the issues raised and promised by BJP but delivered precious little, such as Black money, Demonetization, Unemployment, poor condition of farmers.
Ravi Pipal
Modi's messages is clear
PM Modi's messages are very clear: 1. No corruption. 2. No nepotism. 3. No nonsense. 4. Work. Corrupt Ministers and IAS officers are running helter-skelter.
Vijay Kumar
Activists, journalists and dissenters
For good reason or no reason, the journalists try to make hue and cry. They employ their skills in making a mountain of a molehill or a molehill of a mountain. Are they above the law or the citizens? Do they enjoy “constitutional” status? Do they enjoy “privileges” akin to politicians in the legislatures? Do they alone have the right to freedom of speech, expression and thought? Are their freedom rights different from those of other citizens? From where do they derive their right to attack people, faiths, practices or pronounce judgements in murder cases acting as the investigation, prosecutor and the judge in gay abundance without any restraint and demand respect for that? Any statute, scripture, agenda? Do they not become butts of public ridicule when they take sides openly on issues for reasons of caste, creed, region, language, gender, ideology, loyalty or money? What is Senior Journalist or Senior Editor in truly “intellectual” space? Is it to frighten the citizens with high designations like Chief Secretary or 3 Star General? Does a senior journalist necessarily speak the truth and must be trusted? An article by Chidanand Rajghatta in TOI of 11th Sept 2017 (Atithi Devo Bhava) ends with the three words I have used for the title today. The reason is they give away the truth: they are activists first and journalists later; they are dissenters and use the coat of a journalist only to blackmail the rich or powerful under the garb of dissent. Their activism is nothing more than spewing hatred against their chosen targets. Instead of taking up the issues with the officials concerned locally, they start silly agitations against the Prime Minister. That earns them instant fame and other benefits. A local journalist gets suddenly raised to the level of a Senior Journalist and in her name high decibels are raised. The dalliance of the youth with the leftist rhetoric might get them elected to students’ unions but once out of the university, they are left with no alternative but deviance. Starting with deviant behavior, which was a guarantee of success on the campus, it is sexual deviance, social deviance, financial deviance, employment deviance, intellectual deviance, journalistic deviance, commercial deviance and ethical deviance. Energies of the youth have unhesitatingly been abused by political parties and their “on campus” recruiters. Many of them turn out to be notorious for their anti-social conduct and even crime. Activism, like politics, is a luxury for the well fed but not for those pursuing graduation in the hope of landing up a good job or starting some business. Dissent always may become a congenital disease. A journalist is a respected member of the knowledge society, whose few words carry more weight than tonnes of newsprint or hours of shouting in TV studios. Journalism is akin to spirituality whose foundations are independence, independence, independence & independence. Activists, as also dissenters, are compromised on intellectual integrity and independence and hence no journalist. They are entitled to pursue their activism or dissent agenda like others, but not pollute journalism. Can any activist or dissenter journalist stand up to her Editor or owner of the newspaper or TV channel and indulge in her passion freely? She will get no space for her well written pieces in the newspaper or place on TV debates, discussions or anchoring and will be jobless in no time. She will bury deep into the ground all notions of dialectic, dialectical materialism and eclecticism. Jaroori to nahi ki Masjid mein baith kar piya jaye, Peene walon ka Mayakhanon ko betabi se intzar rahata hai. No dissent allowed. No activism tolerated.
M L Gupta
Move to capture Sardar Patel Bhawan ?
National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) at present is located at Sardar Patel Bhawan very near to the market Connought Place, New Delhi. Without any reasoning & rhyme, vested interest of some officials/staff of NSCS (central location & just above metro station) there is a move to capture the entire Sardar Patel Bhawan. NSCS is a very sensitive office and needs to be far away from buzz & huzz. If some enemy country makes a desings to destroy NSCS it will be very easy in a market place. The higher ups in the Government should not keep mum as moot spectators. We should do our risk management properly and not always indulge in post mortem.
B B Srivastava

DEBATE (1) Congress
Minus Rahul Gandhi.
G Shankar
DEBATE (2) Congress
Only Nehru-Gandhi family
Vijay Tiwari
Simple methods to check rail derailment
1. Ask the Railway Board Members, Chairman and Ministers to travel periodically by train. 2. Ensure that inspections are carried out. 3. Fix responsibility and remove officers and staff found guilty of dereliction of duty. 4. Do not relax standards in recruitment of manpower.
Vijay Kumar
What is wrong with it ?
When a person is inducted into IPS or IAS and allotted a batch, there should not be any problem. Is the IAS also like the Army where a "saheb" that is a Subedar when promoted as an officer is not welcomed with open arms. The only issue can be that no senior officer should serve under a junior officer.
Somesh
What nonsense ?
What if RRs work under a promotee Officer. Is it an 8th wonder. This shows the mindset of persons. Is there a rule that RRs should work under RR only. That`s why IASs are despised by others.
RKU

DEBATE (1) Congress Party
Only GOD
R P Sharma
DEBATE (2) Congress Party
Congress can be revived if:
1. Rahul Gandhi is Congress President
2. Some one like P Chidambaram is appointed as possible PM candidate
A leader like PC can revive the Congress Party.
P V Rajeev
Structure of bureaucracy
The suggestion of AK Saxena (A retd civil servant) in the whispers dated 8 September 2017 to give good bye to top heavy structure of bureaucracy at the Centre and the States is a welcome suggestion. I remember in the 1970s the structure of bureaucracy was that one US level officer will handle two sections; a DS/ Director level officer will look after two USs and a JS level officer will handle two or more DS/ Director level officers. In the Section also, the LDC, UDC and Assistant had a specialized role. If this system is re-introduced, it will give a receipt or a proposal proper examination at each level and will help the JS/ AS/ Secretary to take a well thought decision. This will require reorganization in the Ministry from Section level. It will give a strong base and a pyramid structure to bureaucracy. ….
Pradeep Kumar
New Railway Minister starts on the right track
The new Railway Minister Piyush Goyal has started on the right track by setting replacement and renewal of track as his top priority. Everyday the trains are derailing leading to casualities.The other day there were three derailments one of Rajdhani train near Minto bridge. Mercifully no one was injured except one person as the train was moving slowly.all these derailments are taking place because the track has been stressed out because of too many trains and higher speeds leaving no time for repairs and maitenance .It is high time Indian Railways follow strict schedule for maitenance of track by stopping traffic in between.Track renewal has to be done on war footing before starting high speed projects.
Aarti Khosla

DEBATE (1) Corruption
Intentions of PM Modi are very good. Corruption is worldwide .
Nitin Harne
IAC’s First Field Test
The WIC carried a post on August 24, 2017 under the title “After the Kamraj, JP, Anna Hazare, it is the Modi Plan Now !” referring inter alia to the activists of the India Against Corruption and the Delhi Jal Board. The Delhi Chief Minister is reported to have taken charge of the DJB formally on September 4, 2017. He will confront corruption first hand for the first time and the limitations on the executive to deal with it. The DJB, like many other government offices, has a large number of ‘ghost employees’ drawing salary and other benefits but not marking attendance. Many simply exist on paper and others have been deployed for private service at the residences, businesses and Farms of Delhi’s high & mighty. It is all evidence of corruption with impunity and nonchalance. The worst part of it is the practice of “modern slavery”. The employees working at homes or businesses (e.g. stealing DJB water & selling bottled water/ turnover of more than 100 crores) or Farms are treated like slaves, working round the clock, tending to cows and other animals and horticulture or rave parties. It is not the employee alone but his whole family. They are born in poverty, illiteracy and backwardness and also kept in darkness. Their poverty and indebtedness back home in the villages, makes them do what the employers want for a pittance. They are unlikely to get even their full monthly salary. Same is the case of the Mali or Gardner. A Corporator in Delhi’s Najafgarh had reportedly called an assistant director of the Horticulture Deptt. to her residence and got him beaten by her goons. If the activists of the IAC (India Against Corruption) take on corruption head on, others too will get spurred to act.
M L Gupta
Decision be made known to the public
The section 4 requires that the basis of decision made by the public authority should be made known to the public. Transfer is a public duty. It is strange that in almost all the government offices, the rationale of making the transfer is never made public.
Sushant
Reign on media channels
There is a need on the part of the Government to reign on those media channels, who for no reason of rhyme criticize the Prime Minister of the country so vehemently causing a face loss for no reason. If the Prime Minister knows somebody through the party organization and regularly interacts with the latter regularly, then it does not mean that the Prime Minister is a party to the latter misdeeds on a later date.
BBS

Debate(1) Corruption
If Prime Minister Narendra Modi undertakes to eliminate corruption, he has to begin charity at home. He should set an example by taking action against his party and party men in various States facing corruption charges. Media reports of and often point out at corruption by none other than senior party people as high as Chief Minister and Ministers. First they should be taken to task.
Anchal Kumar
Government doing excellent job
This government has been doing an excellent job of investigating first and then taking action against the politicians, bureaucrats etc. on corruption. It is also the first time that the image of the govt is not just intact, but improving among the people. However this is all the more reason, that the government should also be acting fast in implementation whether developmental efforts or bringing the corrupt elements under prosecution and punishment. Only strong and bold action against jihadists and anti nationals will reassure the people. We should not forget that Rajiv Gandhi lost his tremendous goodwill in two years and VP Sing in just 10 months. Of course they lost it because of anti people actions, bofors and mandal. This govt should quickly bring to quick conclusion all the corruption cases and implement development on the ground so that their image is enhanced and vastly improves, and they continue to get full people support for at least the next 12 years, after which the situation will become irreversible. We all wish the govt all the best in their endeavor.
S S Chatterjee

DEBATE (1)
Cabinet and officials to see that corruption does not takes place in their respective domains. Any single person can never bring about a change until and unless he gets cooperation of his team members and followers.
Dev Malik
DEBATE (2) Corruption
There is poverty in the country because of corruption. Education and Health Services are very expensive because of corruption. We expect Modi to do something for this evil.
Ganga Tiwari
Chatterjee played his innings well
T Chatterjee played his innings very well and God too has been very gracious to him . Very rare that a man who could not become Joint Secretary at the Center straight comes to take over as Secretary to Govt of India with Environment to fit into. I recall our old association when he was posted as Registrar at NIFT. Broad minded, sensitive to hardship and problems of the lower strata of society he would go all out alleviating the issues to the best of his capabilities and have always drawn a big round of applause even from his critics. A positive and versatile personality with magnetic force facilitating access to one and all without fear and favour in the areas of his domain ensuring percolation of the benefits of development and growth down the line. I wish him best of luck and long healthy life .
O P Sharma
“A Wise decision that must be replicated across the board”
Some Media reports promptly enhance the feel-good factor. Sample this one on PM Modi’s Good Governance.
20 Joint Secretaries in Union Ministry of Home Affairs have been delegated substantial financial and administrative powers in matters of executing works , land purchases upto Rs 50 crores, full powers incurring administrative expenses, hiring accommodation, TA, LTC and related cases in the ministry.
A prudent step to responsibilise the army of JSs in MHA.
The decision must be replicated in all union ministries.
An effective mechanism of checks and balances by way of submitting monthly returns to respective Financial Advisors and union Secretaries must be evolved.
Now is the time to abolish posts of Special Secretaries and Addl Secretaries in GOI in a phased manner as these would become redundant.
This will result in huge savings in expenditure from public exchequer.
Let the State governments follow suit.
Give a good buy to top heavy structure of bureaucracy at the Centre and the States.
A K Saxena (A retd civil servant)

DEBATE(1)
In this materialist world, corruption is a part of life. It can only be controlled.
Vijay Tiwari
DEBATE (2) corruption
One big element of corruption is the misuse of officer perks & facilities (especially burning of petrol for personal purpose and having personal staff much more than entitlement by the Ministers & Bureaucrats. I don't know why PM is keeping quite and also the public persons, who are honest tax payers. The legislature and executive, who have a feudalistic mentality and misusing office perks & facilities are causing great harm to the country. They should be eliminated from the scene for the betterment of the country and for the benefit of the poor.
BBS
Presidential government in the offing ?
After 2019 general election and likely two-third majority in Lok Sabha and in the Rajya Sabha shortly thereafter, Modi will move - well before anti-incumbency hits him - to change the form of government to Presidential. And the Constitution may get abridged to about 10-15 pages like that of the US. In fact our Constitution by its sheer size makes the country ungovernable and makes the governance a lawyer's paradise and judges' bastion.
Dr R Mishra
1 % Mightier Than 99%
Ever since the Reserve Bank of India revealed the figures of 99% currency in the denomination of 500/1000 having been received back, the opposition parties have been going gung-ho & gaga. They have declared the demonetization a failure. They have called the Prime Minister a liar. They have certified that there is no black money in India. They have certified themselves to be honest. They have the support of the Trin Mool Congress of Mamata Banerjee and her arch rivals- Marxists. They are all either colour blind or deluding themselves. Whoever thought that black money was stashed in the form of currency notes alone? Only the ordinary citizens unfamiliar with the crafty ways of the crooked white-collar criminals would subscribe to that view. Others have a fairly good inkling of what form does the black money take in India. It is in the form of gems, jewels, gold, silver and jewellery. Indian intelligence is known for its selective vision. How else can somebody explain the mystery of the missing 11 kg solid gold Nazarana coin of the Nizam of Hyderabad or the pearl carpet of Baroda or the heirlooms of Kashmir or the treasures of the old state of Gwalior and other princely states or even the tonnes of silver seized from Choti Sadari, gold from the Moti Doongri and elsewhere? Black money is black only due to evasion of tax, otherwise it is as white as the dead 1000/500 notes. The parallel economy has cocked a snook at the Modi establishment. After all, the Indian economy is as old as the country’s civilization and is a superior management school than Harvard or LSE. Cash was needed for real estate business because the market practice was to pay in the ratio of 60:40, meaning through banking channels 60% and cash 40%. Bribes were transacted in cash, gold and real estate according to the status of the beneficiary. Non-banking channels were used to stash cash or other assets in tax havens abroad. The black economy/parallel economy is trying to portray demonetisation as a failure, but it is the biggest success of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The facts are as follows: 1. The black economy has been crushed for long. It will take several decades to come to exercise the power it had done till 9 November, 2016; 2. It is the 1% that was ruling the 99% in the twisted Indian democracy which acquired the public contempt as the government of the corrupt, by the corrupt and for the corrupt; 3. The RBI says only 1% of the invalidated currency of about Rs. 9000 crores approximately has not come back to the bank. The Opposition is using it to justify their misplaced opposition to demonetisation. They are terribly wrong and again trying to fool the people. This amount is enough to buy parliament election for the corrupt, organize terror strikes in several places in the country, create demons of fugitive cowards of criminals taking refuge in enemy country, run anti-national outfits like Naxals/Maoists, promote NGOs under cover of social, cultural, educational, environmental or such other veneer but actually indulging in religious conversions and stoking strife in society in the name of right to freedom of speech or privacy or some such thing. They have failed to come to power on the flawed economic calculations that demonetisation has slowed down the economy; 4. The real economy has registered a very healthy growth but the black economy operation having registered a fall have slowed down construction industry till a fair regime takes place. The RERA (Real Estate Regulatory Authority) is going to deliver that as the old formula of 60:40 is going to be replaced by legal and transparent transactions. It is welcome that the black money generating parallel economy working has been dealt a death blow by a single act of demonetisation. The people do not feel sorry for it. Only the shenanigans of the black economy are feeling upset and crying like Gurmeet Singh RR of Sirsa (Haryana); 5. The opposition killed so many people only to stop the process of smooth demonetisation by paying their old or sick supporters, who need not have stood in the queue at all, unless they were to be exploited for political gains. The people of India did not suffer a single casualty. Had it been the case, there would have been mass scale riots in the country. But the people cooperated whole heartedly and did not complain of a single death; 6. The kind of unqualified support the people gave to demonetisation shook the entire opposition, which has still not recovered from the trauma of suddenly losing billions of black money and the power they wielded with its help. The rout of these parties from UP or elsewhere disoriented them. They are carrying their tirade against the Prime Minister and the government on ground of fall in GDP rate in the current quarter. It was bound to happen this way only for a short time. The economy will register double digit growth in less than one year, but then these leaders will turn enigmatically quiet; 7. The most valuable gain of demonetisation was the return of public trust in the government. A simple comparison between the complete lack of trust in the UPA-I & II governments of Man Mohan Singh and full trust in the Modi led NDA/BJP government tells it all. Economic data can wait- for the moment a recuperating India is more important than anything else. The economy is on the right course and its rejuvenation is not far away; 8. The Prime Minister has added several feathers in his cap since last November: he has his nominees in the positions of the President of India and the Vice-President of India. He has his party’s government in Assam and UP for the first time. He has made gains in several other territories under the opposition. The rout of the opposition in every territory is a sign of the decline and loss of faith in any others because Modi promises what he delivers. His government’s social welfare schemes are benefiting the deserving beneficiaries in a transparent way- something many had not seen for decades; 9. The inflation run to the North without any market logic, as under the previous government, was tamed only by the Modi government; 10. Fear of the law was drilled into the looters. The end of their operations brought to an end the market manipulations affecting all spheres of the economy and brought some discipline in the market. The Congress and all other political outfits with the word Congress attached to their identity tag, should stop wasting time in criticizing the Prime Minister and his government. If they adopt a positive approach to politics as a means to serve the people and not themselves, they will use the opportunity to think better and better than the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. Else their future is sealed and they will sink before the present government gets the mandate for another term.
M LGupta
Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) in abeyance
PESB is an important Institution catering to the requirement of senior managerial positions at Public Sector undertakings. Since the transfer of its earlier Chairman as Secretary to the President of India , this position has remained vacant for over a month now giving impression of insignificant role that PESB plays in selection of executives. This does not behove well to the reputation and credibility that this Government enjoys in actions and deliveries. While the PM may be right in concluding the unsuitability of the existing Members to qualify the criteria enshrined for Chairmanship, the longer the delay goes the beginning of the attitude of complacency goes around which otherwise is completely devoid of the style of present dispensation and suicidal for governance of the public sector undertakings. Placing a professional of integrity enjoying reputation shall be an exercise in the interest of PESB and government undertakings rather than providing heavenly abode to retirees.
O P SHARMA
Getting back to drawing board for quality outcomes
What is common in the case of Gorakhpur death of children due to lack of oxygen supply/ suffering from acute Encephalitis, the two rail accidents --- for lack of communication between the repair/maintenance agency and poor level performance of Government run public sector undertakings or bodies. The common factor is the employees have forgotten the importance of SOPs the standard operating procedures.
“After the first level of investigation, we can claim that the deaths did not take place due to disruption of gas supply. The discussions happened in detail, but issue of gas supply that should’ve come to light didn’t come up,”
A "traffic block" is required when a line needs to be locked against movement of vehicles for maintenance work. Such a block is granted by the section controller, who in this case is stationed in the Delhi divisional regional manager's office. "The station master had asked the controller for the block but it was denied. This is a big negligence,"
In Management if we talk of TQM (total Quality Control) or motivation programmes the first important input is zero tolerance of quality at each step of work supplemented by the sequence and drill and only that makes the holistic success. The accidents and poor performance is taking the routine work as burden and treated in casual way and not visiting drawing board again to identify mistakes and do corrections is the real factor of the accidents and poor performance.
If anyone has observed working of Udapi restaurants or Sushi bar, every day in morning the drill is discussed and in the evening the supervisor points out the mistakes done by each member. Even a gardener spends time to make a circle perfect. It may look mundane or unimportant but that is the way for perfection. This is how the character of country is moulded, the character ensures everything is done perfect – whether the task is small or bid. In India, it is important to inculcate revisiting drawing board and focus on standardization and strict follow of operating procedure.
Aruna Sharma

DEBATE (1) Corruption
Modiji's dream for corruption elimination should be actively supported by Chief Ministers. Here it is to mention that public or common man are mostly interfaced and serviced by state govts. and there is rampant corruption in services provided by them like Police, Development Authorities, Muincipal Corporations, Power Corporations, Land Registrations, issuance of driving licenses/ration cards etc. The state govts should do their best for e-governance and make things simpler and transparent. The Chief Minister
should also allow CBI for checking anti corruption activities in their states suo-motto otherwise Modi through act of parliament should extend jurisdiction of CBI upon bribery cases of state goverments. This will have a very good impact upon common man.
Prasun Banerji
DEBATE (2) Corruption
Corruption in India is an issue that adversely affects the country's economy and the credibility of central, state and local government agencies. But modi is doing at its best.
Shiv Ranjan
Is Demonitisation a failure ?
Agreed that about 99% of the demonitised notes have been returned to the banking system. The quantum of counterfeit currency was not as much as somebody had expected. Does that mean demonitisation was a failure? RBI has only said that 99% of the notes have been returned to the banks. Does depositing unaccounted black money in bank make it white money? If the loot of the past years is deposited in bank in small tranches, does that absolve one of all the ills? Then, how can one say that there was no black money in the system? Only time and Income tax department will tell that. Now the counterfeit currency! Do you expect those with known counterfeit currency to go to the bank and deposit it? The account of counterfeit money given by RBI is only the notes deposited by those gullible public who unknowingly went to the bank and deposited. No sane person will knowingly go to a bank with large quantity of counterfeit currency. Those who had such money, have destroyed them. Do terrorists operate without financial support? The politicians who have ruled this country for the past 70 years ought to know. How does terrorism thrive? They also need money to survive and that money is unaccounted because terrorists and their supporters and sympathisers do not file income tax returns and show their accounts and profit & loss. Those who declared there was not a single paisa loss to the exchequer in the 2G scam are today shouting that demonitisation caused loss and damage to the economy. Some turbulence was expected when you undertake such a massive corrective measure unheard of anywhere in the world. At least the present government did not loot lakhs of crores like they did in 2G, Coal and scams. No gain without pain. If in the process of cleansing the mess/loot accumulated over the past seven decades we are put to some inconvenience, we should suffer it. True, some people died standing in queue during the demo process. We are all here to die one day. They were destined to die and would have in any case died standing in some other queue, ie Railway reservation counter, OPD of govt hospitals. In this country, we have stood in line for everything right from buying a Kg of onion in the nineties, overnight lines for railway reservation during summer vacation. Go to the OPD of RML/Safdarjung hospital in the capital or numerous health centres through out the country in urban/rural areas. The hale and hearty people will fall sick standing in queue at these places. Those shouting at TV discussions visit these places only to inaugurate these places in front of media. We are where we are because of the creepy, corrupt rulers we had for very long years. We have totally failed to exercise our right to choose honest and capable leaders. It is essential that rulers should not only be honest themselves but capable too. Otherwise, they fail in their duty to protect the country and its resources from being looted by others. A PM should not merely be honest but should keep a watch over the system so everybody else also remain honest and let the country prosper. This was compromised during the previous regime, resulting in many scams.
Kamal

DEBATE (1) Corruption
Narendra Modi can not eradicate corruption.No one can check it reason is simple “Corruption is still undefined “.
Girja Shankar
“ Will Modi’s dream of eliminating corruption come true?”
My honest opinion : No way.
This will remain a pipe dream despite PM Modi’s best intentions.
Let us be realistic, not idealistic. Corruption is a universal malaise. Its complete elimination is a myth. It can, however, be mitigated depending upon the political Will.
First , corruption in local bodies having large public interfaces that impact the common man. Mumbai floods are a classic case of BMC’s insensitivity, inefficiency and political corruption.This is the position in 3255 urban local bodies in India. Police is compromised.
Even, legitimate claims are allowed only after greasing the palms of Inquiry officers, SHOs and their cronies in Police and clerks, engineers, Commissioners of corporations in local bodies. Encroachment on government lands,is a permanent source of income for beat constables, hawaldars, sub-inspectors ,engineers and commissioners. Extortion is considered a matter of right. Due to brazen interference by the political class, responsive mechanism is non-existent and supervision lax.
Public is not the stake holder. No feed back mechanism. No fear of compromised police and corporations officials.
Right to Service Act is in the limbo. Public officers are duty bound to perform their duties within the stipulated time with no other option to avoid penalty. But, no one is penalised in the normal course except. Passage of Lokpal Bill is in cold storage. Concept of Zero tolerance to corruption remains a political rhetoric. Statutary audit and IT raids on local bodies officials are not conducted regularly.
India is a federal democracy, but, not a co-operative federalism. Eliminating corruption is a joint venture that needs joint efforts of the Centre, States and local bodies. State governments ruled by political dispensations different from the one at the Centre, work at loggerheads at different wavelengths and priorities. CMs of states like West Bengal, Kerala and Karnataka, behave like CEOs of “Sovereign, Independent Republics “
Decisions are taken under political pressures rather than on merit. Mediocrity thrives. Pliable bureaucrats consider it safer to prostrate before the political class. Grievance redressal mechanism has failed for the poor .
Big ticket scams of UPA era did not get the attention, they deserve.
PM Modi’s honesty and incorruptibility, is beyond doubt. He has no personal axe to grind. His commitment to India’s development, is unquestioned. Rampant corruption has stunted India’s development. PM Modi’s series of bold initiatives to reduce corruption index like : Demonetization, benami assets etc are notable. But, efforts made to fast-track conviction of the accused involved in Congress-led UPA scams, are not are extremely slow. Loan defaulters and money launderers are having free runs in the country or abroad.
Raids on suspects by IT, ED, CBI and other enforcement agencies must be increased.
A K Saxena (A retd civil servant)
Now a chorus has started
It seems that our secular parties and presstitutes will catch at any straw to beat the govt with. So now a chorus has started ,even among so called economists that since 99% of demonetised notes have been returned, demo was a failure! Wahat convoluted arguments! Of course the notes were supposed to return, as the government had announced two amnesty schemes, where people could retain 50% by paying the rest as tax. The idea was to bring all money into circulation , and not penalise people, except in case of drugs and money laundering. Also scrutiny is going on and those who deposited cash will be investigated and made to pay up taxes with penalty. Soon these same elements will start a chorus that the poor tax evaders are being harassed! Well these secular elements have lost all credibility, and more they shout, the more people will shun them! Let them keep up their impotent rage, till they are annihilated in next election! People cannot be fooled all the time in the name of caste and religion!
S Chatterjee
Award the officials
Power Ministry should also award the officials of their Ministry who mulches the public sector undertakings the most.
BBS