Corruption cases against 664 J&K officers, ministers
Oct 05, 2010 |
More than 20 years after a disproportionate assets case was registered against a former Jammu and Kashmir minister, authorities are yet to grant sanction to prosecute him.
The case against former minister Jagjivan Lal of National Conference is among 664 corruption cases registered by the State Vigilance Organisation and Crime Branch against public servants including several IAS officers.
This was stated by chief minister Omar Abdullah in a written reply in the House to a question of CPI(M) MLA M.Y. Tarigami, who wanted details of officers and ministers involved in corruption cases, inquiry conducted and action taken against them..
The case against Lal was registered by SVO in Jammu in 1989 but he is yet to face trial even after 21 years. The office of the speaker of legislative assembly has not decided on the government's request for accord of sanction to prosecute the accused former minister.
According to the data given in the House in 2009, the government had stated that three politicians, including Lal, current agriculture minister Ghulam Hassan Mir and former Speaker Abdul Ahad Vakil, were facing charges in two decade-old cases.
However, there was no mention of the cases pending against Mir and Vakil in 2010 reply. An FIR was registered by Vigilance Organisation Jammu (VOJ) against Mir, who was then minister for law and parliamentary affairs in Ghulam Mohammad Shah-led government, and Vakil.
The two leaders were accused of misutilisation of funds on account of legal aid and making illegal appointments during their respective tenures as Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs.
PDP MLA from Pattan Moulvi Iftikhar Hussain Ansari is the only former minister to be proceeded against as the government in 2009 accorded sanction for his prosecution in an 11-year-old case.
Ansari, who was elected on a Congress ticket in 1996 elections, was housing and urban development minister in the Farooq Abdullah-led National Conference government as he was allowed to join the council of ministers by his party, which was in opposition.
While some of the IAS officers in the list of accused are facing trial, sanction is yet to be granted against the former director Health Services, Kashmir, Muzaffar Ahmad, in an 11-year-old case relating to purchase of medicines at exorbitant prices.
Ahmad continued as director, Health Services, during the tenure of four different chief ministers — Farooq Abdullah (1996-2002), Mufti Mohammad Sayeed (2002-05), Ghulam Nabi Azad (2005-08) and the incumbent.
Wishes & horses
ASHOKM.jpg
Ashok Malik
When one makes a wish list on January 1, at the start of a new year and a clean page, one also mentally draws a road map to achieve goals on that list. As India begins its journey into 2012, after a twisted and tortured 2011, its wish list for the coming 12 months must comprise just one, compelling word: governance. It needs governance, desperately. It needs leadership, political acumen, policy clarity, an administration that takes charge, a Prime Minister who does not look like he’s sleepwalking and a Cabinet that is not forever pointing fingers.
Proudly Indian
C.JPG
Amish
Urban India is in the throes of an obsessive examination of the corrupt nature of the polity and governance of our country. Anna Hazare’s movement against the corrupt has galvanised our cities into examining the state of our nation with missionary zeal. Some zealous followers of Team Anna tell us that our nation’s culture itself is corrupt. After all, don’t we sell our precious votes for bottles of liquor from a person from our “community”?
[X]
Sunday, January 1, 2012
'West Bengal govt lacks political will on Lokayukta'-reeked of hypocrisy when it came to the passage of the Lokpal Bill.1/1/12
Politics | Updated Jan 01, 2012 at 09:09am IST
'West Bengal govt lacks political will on Lokayukta'
Kolkata: Former West Bengal Lokayukta Retired Justice Samaresh Banerjee said on Saturday that the Mamata Banerjee government reeked of hypocrisy when it came to the passage of the Lokpal Bill. The TMC supported the passage of the Bill in the Lok Sabha. However, the party took a complete U-turn in the Rajya Sabha and stalled the proceedings.
The TMC refused to back the Lokpal in the Rajya Sabha saying that it encroached on the powers of the states. Shockingly, West Bengal has been without a Lokayukta since 2009.
Many other parties - including the AIADMK and the DMK - did the same. They opposed the Bill saying it threatened the federal structure of the country.
However, former West Bengal Lokayukta Retired Justice Samaresh Banerjee has said the stand taken by the parties smacked of hypocrisy.
Appointed in 2006 with the creation of the Lokayukta in Bengal, he was the only Lokayukta the state has ever had. Since 2009, the post has been lying vacant.
The former judge said, "I say it is a lack of political will. Otherwise if you are conscious, you fight in Parliament. You say, 'No, no, don't take away my right'. Your question is you don't even have to frame a new law, the law is already there but you are not appointing anybody."
With the Lokayukta's post vacant, hundreds of cases have been piling up with a department which is now defunct.
Subir Dey, Secretary, Lokayukta, West Bengal, said, "We take up cases but we can't open the files because as per law, we can only open them in front of a Lokayukta."
Popular quizmaster and TMC MP Derek O'Brein said, "Here are MLAs in our Assembly who are elected by the people. They will decide what the state will do and what kind of Lokayukta they would want."
While concerns about state's autonomy could be well founded, the real question is whether enough has been done to consolidate and strengthen the Lokayuktas that already exist in several states by the ruling parties in power.
'West Bengal govt lacks political will on Lokayukta'
Kolkata: Former West Bengal Lokayukta Retired Justice Samaresh Banerjee said on Saturday that the Mamata Banerjee government reeked of hypocrisy when it came to the passage of the Lokpal Bill. The TMC supported the passage of the Bill in the Lok Sabha. However, the party took a complete U-turn in the Rajya Sabha and stalled the proceedings.
The TMC refused to back the Lokpal in the Rajya Sabha saying that it encroached on the powers of the states. Shockingly, West Bengal has been without a Lokayukta since 2009.
Many other parties - including the AIADMK and the DMK - did the same. They opposed the Bill saying it threatened the federal structure of the country.
However, former West Bengal Lokayukta Retired Justice Samaresh Banerjee has said the stand taken by the parties smacked of hypocrisy.
Appointed in 2006 with the creation of the Lokayukta in Bengal, he was the only Lokayukta the state has ever had. Since 2009, the post has been lying vacant.
The former judge said, "I say it is a lack of political will. Otherwise if you are conscious, you fight in Parliament. You say, 'No, no, don't take away my right'. Your question is you don't even have to frame a new law, the law is already there but you are not appointing anybody."
With the Lokayukta's post vacant, hundreds of cases have been piling up with a department which is now defunct.
Subir Dey, Secretary, Lokayukta, West Bengal, said, "We take up cases but we can't open the files because as per law, we can only open them in front of a Lokayukta."
Popular quizmaster and TMC MP Derek O'Brein said, "Here are MLAs in our Assembly who are elected by the people. They will decide what the state will do and what kind of Lokayukta they would want."
While concerns about state's autonomy could be well founded, the real question is whether enough has been done to consolidate and strengthen the Lokayuktas that already exist in several states by the ruling parties in power.
In Solar Power, India Begins Living Up to Its Own Ambitions Kuni Takahashi for The New York Times
In Solar Power, India Begins Living Up to Its Own Ambitions
Kuni Takahashi for The New York Times
Every five days or so, workers wipe down each of the 36,000 solar panels at the Azure Solar Plant in Khadoda, India.
By VIKAS BAJAJ
Published: December 28, 2011
KHADODA, India — Solar power is a clean energy source. But in this arid part of northwest India it can also be a dusty one.
A blog about energy and the environment.
Kuni Takahashi for The New York Times
Subsidies have helped installations like the Azure Solar Plant thrive in northwestern India.
Every five days or so, in a marriage of low and high tech, field hands with long-handled dust mops wipe down each of the 36,000 solar panels at a 63-acre installation operated by Azure Power. The site is one of the biggest examples of India’s ambitious plan to use solar energy to help modernize its notoriously underpowered national electricity grid, and reduce its dependence on coal-fired power plants.
Azure Power has a contract to provide solar-generated electricity to a state-government electric utility. Inderpreet Wadhwa, Azure’s chief executive, predicted that within a few years solar power would be competitive in price with India’s conventionally generated electricity.
“The efficiency of solar technology will continue to increase, and with the increasing demand in solar energy, cost will continue to decrease,” Mr. Wadhwa said.
Two years ago, Indian policy makers said that by the year 2020 they would drastically increase the nation’s use of solar power from virtually nothing to 20,000 megawatts — enough electricity to power the equivalent of up to 3.3 million modern American homes during daylight hours when the panels are at their most productive. Many analysts said it could not be done. But, now the doubters are taking back their words.
Dozens of developers like Azure, because of aggressive government subsidies and a large drop in the global price of solar panels, are covering India’s northwestern plains — including this village of 2,000 people — with gleaming solar panels. So far, India uses only about 140 megawatts, including 10 megawatts used by the Azure installation, which can provide enough power to serve a town of 50,000 people, according to the company. But analysts say that the national 20,000 megawatt goal is achievable and that India could reach those numbers even a few years before 2020.
“Prices came down and suddenly things were possible that didn’t seem possible,” said Tobias Engelmeier, managing director of Bridge to India, a research and consulting firm based in New Delhi. Chinese manufacturers like Suntech Power and Yingli Green Energy helped drive the drop in solar panel costs. The firms increased production of the panels and cut costs this year by about 30 percent to 40 percent, to less than $1 a watt.
Developers of solar farms in India, however, have shown a preference for the more advanced, so-called thin-film solar cells offered by suppliers in the United States, Taiwan and Europe. The leading American provider to India is First Solar, based in Tempe, Ariz.
India does not have a large solar manufacturing industry, but is trying to develop one and China is showing a new interest in India’s growing demand. China’s Suntech Power sold the panels used at the Azure installation, which opened in June.
Industry executives credit government policies with India’s solar boom, unusual praise because businesses usually deride Indian regulations as Kafkaesque.
Over the last decade, India has opened the state-dominated power-generating industry to private players, while leaving distribution and rate-setting largely in government hands. European countries heavily subsidize solar power by agreeing to buy it for decades at a time, but the subsidies in India are lower and solar operators are forced into to greater competition, helping push down costs.
This month, the government held its second auction to determine the price at which its state-owned power trading company — NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam — would buy solar-generated electricity for the national grid. The average winning bid was 8.77 rupees (16.5 cents) per kilowatt hour.
That is about twice the price of coal-generated power, but it was about 27 percent lower than the winning bids at the auction held a year ago. Germany, the world’s biggest solar-power user, pays about 17.94 euro cents (23 American cents) per kilowatt hour.
India still significantly lags behind European countries in the use of solar. Germany, for example, had 17,000 megawatts of solar power capacity at the end of 2010. But India, which gets more than 300 days of sunlight a year, is a more suitable place to generate solar power. And being behind is now benefiting India, as panel prices plummet, enabling it to spend far less to set up solar farms than countries that pioneered the technology.
In its solar power auctions, moreover, NTPC is not creating open-ended contracts. The last auction, for example, was for a total of only 350 megawatts, which will cap the government’s costs. The assumption is that the price of solar power will continue to decline, eventually approaching the cost of electricity generated through conventional methods.
Most Indian power plants are fueled by coal and generate electricity at about 4 rupees (7.5 cents) per kilowatt hour — less than half of solar’s cost now. In this month’s auction, the recent winning bids were comparable to what India’s industrial and commercial users pay for electricity — from 8 to 10 rupees. And solar’s costs are competitive with power plants and back-up generators that burn petroleum-based fuels, whose electricity costs about 10 rupees per kilowatt hour.
“At least during daytime, photovoltaic panels will compete with oil-generated electricity more than anything else” in India, said Cédric Philibert, a senior analyst at the International Energy Agency in Paris. “This comparison is becoming better and better every month.”
In addition to the federal government, several of India’s states like Gujarat, where Khadoda is located, are also buying power at subsidized rates from solar companies like Azure Power.
Analysts do not expect India’s solar rollout to be problem free. They say some developers have probably bid too aggressively in the federal auctions and may not be able to build their plants fast or cheap enough to survive. Consequently, or because their bids were speculative, some developers are trying to sell their government power agreements to third parties, analysts say, even though such flipping is against the auction rules.
Mr. Wadhwa, of Azure Power, said a solar industry shakeout in India was almost inevitable. “Initially, a lot of new players enter the sector,” he said, “and then the market settles with a few players who have a long-term” commitment to the industry.
Neha Thirani contributed research.
This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:
Correction: December 31, 2011
An article on Thursday about the growth of solar power in India overstated the number of American homes that could have their needs met by 20,000 megawatts of solar panels, the amount that India is planning to install by 2020. Those panels would produce an amount of energy equal to the consumption of about 3.3 million homes, not 20 million.
Kuni Takahashi for The New York Times
Every five days or so, workers wipe down each of the 36,000 solar panels at the Azure Solar Plant in Khadoda, India.
By VIKAS BAJAJ
Published: December 28, 2011
KHADODA, India — Solar power is a clean energy source. But in this arid part of northwest India it can also be a dusty one.
A blog about energy and the environment.
Kuni Takahashi for The New York Times
Subsidies have helped installations like the Azure Solar Plant thrive in northwestern India.
Every five days or so, in a marriage of low and high tech, field hands with long-handled dust mops wipe down each of the 36,000 solar panels at a 63-acre installation operated by Azure Power. The site is one of the biggest examples of India’s ambitious plan to use solar energy to help modernize its notoriously underpowered national electricity grid, and reduce its dependence on coal-fired power plants.
Azure Power has a contract to provide solar-generated electricity to a state-government electric utility. Inderpreet Wadhwa, Azure’s chief executive, predicted that within a few years solar power would be competitive in price with India’s conventionally generated electricity.
“The efficiency of solar technology will continue to increase, and with the increasing demand in solar energy, cost will continue to decrease,” Mr. Wadhwa said.
Two years ago, Indian policy makers said that by the year 2020 they would drastically increase the nation’s use of solar power from virtually nothing to 20,000 megawatts — enough electricity to power the equivalent of up to 3.3 million modern American homes during daylight hours when the panels are at their most productive. Many analysts said it could not be done. But, now the doubters are taking back their words.
Dozens of developers like Azure, because of aggressive government subsidies and a large drop in the global price of solar panels, are covering India’s northwestern plains — including this village of 2,000 people — with gleaming solar panels. So far, India uses only about 140 megawatts, including 10 megawatts used by the Azure installation, which can provide enough power to serve a town of 50,000 people, according to the company. But analysts say that the national 20,000 megawatt goal is achievable and that India could reach those numbers even a few years before 2020.
“Prices came down and suddenly things were possible that didn’t seem possible,” said Tobias Engelmeier, managing director of Bridge to India, a research and consulting firm based in New Delhi. Chinese manufacturers like Suntech Power and Yingli Green Energy helped drive the drop in solar panel costs. The firms increased production of the panels and cut costs this year by about 30 percent to 40 percent, to less than $1 a watt.
Developers of solar farms in India, however, have shown a preference for the more advanced, so-called thin-film solar cells offered by suppliers in the United States, Taiwan and Europe. The leading American provider to India is First Solar, based in Tempe, Ariz.
India does not have a large solar manufacturing industry, but is trying to develop one and China is showing a new interest in India’s growing demand. China’s Suntech Power sold the panels used at the Azure installation, which opened in June.
Industry executives credit government policies with India’s solar boom, unusual praise because businesses usually deride Indian regulations as Kafkaesque.
Over the last decade, India has opened the state-dominated power-generating industry to private players, while leaving distribution and rate-setting largely in government hands. European countries heavily subsidize solar power by agreeing to buy it for decades at a time, but the subsidies in India are lower and solar operators are forced into to greater competition, helping push down costs.
This month, the government held its second auction to determine the price at which its state-owned power trading company — NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam — would buy solar-generated electricity for the national grid. The average winning bid was 8.77 rupees (16.5 cents) per kilowatt hour.
That is about twice the price of coal-generated power, but it was about 27 percent lower than the winning bids at the auction held a year ago. Germany, the world’s biggest solar-power user, pays about 17.94 euro cents (23 American cents) per kilowatt hour.
India still significantly lags behind European countries in the use of solar. Germany, for example, had 17,000 megawatts of solar power capacity at the end of 2010. But India, which gets more than 300 days of sunlight a year, is a more suitable place to generate solar power. And being behind is now benefiting India, as panel prices plummet, enabling it to spend far less to set up solar farms than countries that pioneered the technology.
In its solar power auctions, moreover, NTPC is not creating open-ended contracts. The last auction, for example, was for a total of only 350 megawatts, which will cap the government’s costs. The assumption is that the price of solar power will continue to decline, eventually approaching the cost of electricity generated through conventional methods.
Most Indian power plants are fueled by coal and generate electricity at about 4 rupees (7.5 cents) per kilowatt hour — less than half of solar’s cost now. In this month’s auction, the recent winning bids were comparable to what India’s industrial and commercial users pay for electricity — from 8 to 10 rupees. And solar’s costs are competitive with power plants and back-up generators that burn petroleum-based fuels, whose electricity costs about 10 rupees per kilowatt hour.
“At least during daytime, photovoltaic panels will compete with oil-generated electricity more than anything else” in India, said Cédric Philibert, a senior analyst at the International Energy Agency in Paris. “This comparison is becoming better and better every month.”
In addition to the federal government, several of India’s states like Gujarat, where Khadoda is located, are also buying power at subsidized rates from solar companies like Azure Power.
Analysts do not expect India’s solar rollout to be problem free. They say some developers have probably bid too aggressively in the federal auctions and may not be able to build their plants fast or cheap enough to survive. Consequently, or because their bids were speculative, some developers are trying to sell their government power agreements to third parties, analysts say, even though such flipping is against the auction rules.
Mr. Wadhwa, of Azure Power, said a solar industry shakeout in India was almost inevitable. “Initially, a lot of new players enter the sector,” he said, “and then the market settles with a few players who have a long-term” commitment to the industry.
Neha Thirani contributed research.
This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:
Correction: December 31, 2011
An article on Thursday about the growth of solar power in India overstated the number of American homes that could have their needs met by 20,000 megawatts of solar panels, the amount that India is planning to install by 2020. Those panels would produce an amount of energy equal to the consumption of about 3.3 million homes, not 20 million.
‘Our system encourages people not to behave in the right way’
‘Our system encourages people not to behave in the right way’
December 31, 2011
N.R. Narayana Murthy
What you must do, do it quickly, says N.R. Narayana Murthy, the founder of Infosys, in a year-end interview to S. Raghotham. Otherwise, he warns, in five years, ‘I’ may not stand for India, but Indonesia
What did you think of the discussion on the Lokpal Bill in Parliament?
December 29 was a very depressing day for me. First, we saw India lose to Australia in the Test match. A nation of 1.2 billion cannot produce 11 men who can beat a team from a nation of 19 million people. You can rationalise it in any way you like, but the point is: Did you do it? That’s all that matters. Then, I watched the Rajya Sabha proceedings. I am not depressed about the outcome. But the unruly behaviour, the noise, everybody talking at the same time, that was depressing. It was an important discussion. It should have been done with data and arguments.
As a nation that aspires to be a leader of the world, we have to conduct ourselves in a way that our youngsters can be proud of. I have watched the US Senate and House of Representatives. One person speaks, and there is pin drop silence. Everybody else listens. I think the biggest problem of our nation is the lack of discipline, whether it is the conduct of our wise men and women, or youngsters driving on our roads. If they had conducted the discussion using objective arguments, in a civilised manner, they would have come to a meaningful conclusion.
What are your thoughts for India as we enter a new year?
We are ending the year on a negative note, unfortunately, whether it is Parlia-ment, or cricket. I only pray that God gives us the wisdom and competence to reverse this in the New Year. I also hope we find a satisfactory resolution to the Lokpal Bill, which will make the hearts of all well-meaning Indians glad by arriving at a law that indeed intends to mitigate corruption.
What worries you about the economy?
Even a seven per cent growth in these difficult times is not bad. What is important at this time is for all of us to realise our potential by taking quick decisions, by putting the interests of the country above our personal interests, by demonstrating integrity of philosophy and thought. I hope our parliamentarians, on both sides of the aisle, will realise this and exercise their vote based on integrity of philosophy and thought rather than on the basis of party affiliations. If we take quick decisions, we can grow faster.
The IT industry looks set for a year of uncertainty and slow growth. It’s a part of life, it’s a matter of business cycles. I don’t worry about such things. Difficult days are good, because without them you cannot truly appreciate good days. Why do you think our elders said we must eat both jaggery and neem on Ugadi? It is to say that in the new year, we will encounter both good and bad times, but it is important to take both with equanimity. I am not depressed by difficulties, I am depressed by (bad) behaviour. So what if IT has a good year or not?
I believe that you must do what you have to do, and do it quickly. My deadlines are all in hours. You know, my children complain that sometimes when they say something, it gets done immediately, even before they realise that they didn’t mean it. I am built like that. Unfortunately, we are a nation of apathy. I was shocked to hear from an academic recently that the Bill on a national science and engineering board was passed by Parliament six years ago, and yet nothing has happened. We started debating the Lokpal in 1968!
What are the most urgent reforms needed?
There are so many things that we have been waiting for years. We must decide upon them quickly, whether it is higher education, retail, insurance, banking, labour flexibility, coal for our power plants or creating a fair and proper platform for infrastructure creation. All have to be decided upon as if we have no tomorrow. We have to act as if today is the only day we have to achieve our goals.
Do you see a role for yourself on a larger public canvass?
Each one of us will have to contribute in our chosen areas. It’s not necessary that we all go into the corporate world, or we all go into politics. What’s important is we must bring openness to new ideas, meritocracy, speed, innovation and excellence in implementation.
What do we need to do in 2012 to move away from crony capitalism and sweetheart deals towards a more just and fair society?
We must all learn to live by a certain code of conduct, whether we are politicians or in the corporate sector. The question to ask is: Why is it that we have a system that encourages people not to behave in the right way?
The reasons are very clear. In India, we don’t have a speedy justice system; we don’t have punishment that’s many times the benefit one derives from wrongdoing; there’s no encouragement to honest bureaucrats and politicians. Other societies have done this a long time ago. But we are not a nation that believes in action, speed. I was talking to the CEO of a Fortune 20 company the other day, and I happened to mention the word “think-tank” for some reason. The CEO said, “May I say something. What India needs are not think-tanks, but action-tanks.”
Is there a specific economic mantra that you think we need to adopt?
There is no specific economic mantra. What we need is objective data and facts-oriented, honest discussion, with integrity of philosophy and thought, quick and firm decision-making, quick and efficient implementation. Do these three things and everything will fall in place. We have to improve the quality of people in public life.
So, on those measures, how do you rate the performance of the UPA-2 government so far?
I am not going to give you ratings. But those things that I mentioned are for all of us to embrace. We need a national coming together of minds. There is huge expectation from India. For the first time in many centuries, we have some hope of eliminating poverty in India. This period — the next 15 years — is very important. If we lose this time, we may not get another chance.
Right now the world thinks highly of us, but in five years the world won’t have time for us. As someone said, in five years, “I” may not stand for India, but Indonesia.
What you are saying is important, because we probably have a small window when we can beat even China.
Let us first make this a country where the poorest person has access to decent healthcare, food and other basics. Then we can think of beating other nations.
Do you think the Food Security Bill is a step in that direction? Is that how you would go about it?
If it is implemented as intended, and it can address the basic needs of the poorest of the poor, then I think it might be a good thing.
December 31, 2011
N.R. Narayana Murthy
What you must do, do it quickly, says N.R. Narayana Murthy, the founder of Infosys, in a year-end interview to S. Raghotham. Otherwise, he warns, in five years, ‘I’ may not stand for India, but Indonesia
What did you think of the discussion on the Lokpal Bill in Parliament?
December 29 was a very depressing day for me. First, we saw India lose to Australia in the Test match. A nation of 1.2 billion cannot produce 11 men who can beat a team from a nation of 19 million people. You can rationalise it in any way you like, but the point is: Did you do it? That’s all that matters. Then, I watched the Rajya Sabha proceedings. I am not depressed about the outcome. But the unruly behaviour, the noise, everybody talking at the same time, that was depressing. It was an important discussion. It should have been done with data and arguments.
As a nation that aspires to be a leader of the world, we have to conduct ourselves in a way that our youngsters can be proud of. I have watched the US Senate and House of Representatives. One person speaks, and there is pin drop silence. Everybody else listens. I think the biggest problem of our nation is the lack of discipline, whether it is the conduct of our wise men and women, or youngsters driving on our roads. If they had conducted the discussion using objective arguments, in a civilised manner, they would have come to a meaningful conclusion.
What are your thoughts for India as we enter a new year?
We are ending the year on a negative note, unfortunately, whether it is Parlia-ment, or cricket. I only pray that God gives us the wisdom and competence to reverse this in the New Year. I also hope we find a satisfactory resolution to the Lokpal Bill, which will make the hearts of all well-meaning Indians glad by arriving at a law that indeed intends to mitigate corruption.
What worries you about the economy?
Even a seven per cent growth in these difficult times is not bad. What is important at this time is for all of us to realise our potential by taking quick decisions, by putting the interests of the country above our personal interests, by demonstrating integrity of philosophy and thought. I hope our parliamentarians, on both sides of the aisle, will realise this and exercise their vote based on integrity of philosophy and thought rather than on the basis of party affiliations. If we take quick decisions, we can grow faster.
The IT industry looks set for a year of uncertainty and slow growth. It’s a part of life, it’s a matter of business cycles. I don’t worry about such things. Difficult days are good, because without them you cannot truly appreciate good days. Why do you think our elders said we must eat both jaggery and neem on Ugadi? It is to say that in the new year, we will encounter both good and bad times, but it is important to take both with equanimity. I am not depressed by difficulties, I am depressed by (bad) behaviour. So what if IT has a good year or not?
I believe that you must do what you have to do, and do it quickly. My deadlines are all in hours. You know, my children complain that sometimes when they say something, it gets done immediately, even before they realise that they didn’t mean it. I am built like that. Unfortunately, we are a nation of apathy. I was shocked to hear from an academic recently that the Bill on a national science and engineering board was passed by Parliament six years ago, and yet nothing has happened. We started debating the Lokpal in 1968!
What are the most urgent reforms needed?
There are so many things that we have been waiting for years. We must decide upon them quickly, whether it is higher education, retail, insurance, banking, labour flexibility, coal for our power plants or creating a fair and proper platform for infrastructure creation. All have to be decided upon as if we have no tomorrow. We have to act as if today is the only day we have to achieve our goals.
Do you see a role for yourself on a larger public canvass?
Each one of us will have to contribute in our chosen areas. It’s not necessary that we all go into the corporate world, or we all go into politics. What’s important is we must bring openness to new ideas, meritocracy, speed, innovation and excellence in implementation.
What do we need to do in 2012 to move away from crony capitalism and sweetheart deals towards a more just and fair society?
We must all learn to live by a certain code of conduct, whether we are politicians or in the corporate sector. The question to ask is: Why is it that we have a system that encourages people not to behave in the right way?
The reasons are very clear. In India, we don’t have a speedy justice system; we don’t have punishment that’s many times the benefit one derives from wrongdoing; there’s no encouragement to honest bureaucrats and politicians. Other societies have done this a long time ago. But we are not a nation that believes in action, speed. I was talking to the CEO of a Fortune 20 company the other day, and I happened to mention the word “think-tank” for some reason. The CEO said, “May I say something. What India needs are not think-tanks, but action-tanks.”
Is there a specific economic mantra that you think we need to adopt?
There is no specific economic mantra. What we need is objective data and facts-oriented, honest discussion, with integrity of philosophy and thought, quick and firm decision-making, quick and efficient implementation. Do these three things and everything will fall in place. We have to improve the quality of people in public life.
So, on those measures, how do you rate the performance of the UPA-2 government so far?
I am not going to give you ratings. But those things that I mentioned are for all of us to embrace. We need a national coming together of minds. There is huge expectation from India. For the first time in many centuries, we have some hope of eliminating poverty in India. This period — the next 15 years — is very important. If we lose this time, we may not get another chance.
Right now the world thinks highly of us, but in five years the world won’t have time for us. As someone said, in five years, “I” may not stand for India, but Indonesia.
What you are saying is important, because we probably have a small window when we can beat even China.
Let us first make this a country where the poorest person has access to decent healthcare, food and other basics. Then we can think of beating other nations.
Do you think the Food Security Bill is a step in that direction? Is that how you would go about it?
If it is implemented as intended, and it can address the basic needs of the poorest of the poor, then I think it might be a good thing.
In Delhi Government unveils measures to check bureaucratic corruption-11/10/11
Government unveils measures to check bureaucratic corruption
Mere retirement will not be a ground for dropping proceedings against corrupt government servants who will now face a 10 per cent cut in pension in case of minor penalty.
The present major penalty of compulsory retirement with full benefits will be changed hereafter with a cut of 20 per cent in pension.
The new rules will be effective under decisions made in the first report of the Group of Ministers on Corruption headed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee.
In a bid to tackle corruption and to fast track cases of public servants accused of graft, the GoM has decided to eliminate certain tiers in consultation process.
These steps are part of a series of measures accepted by the government for immediate implementation following the recommendations made.
The government's decisions come in the wake of Anna Hazare's anti-corruption campaign for a Lokpal Bill that would also cover bureaucratic graft.
Until now, a government servant on the verge of retirement can escape proceedings for minor penalty. The GoM has now decided mere superannuation should not be a ground for dropping proceedings for minor penalty.
A cut in pension upto 10 per cent may be imposed in case of minor penalty. This cut will have a ceiling of five years as a life-long reduction in pension would come under the category of major penalty.
The existing major penalty of compulsory retirement with full benefits may be changed to compulsory retirement along with a provision that the competent authority may impose upto 20 per cent cut in pension.
However, there would be no no cut in pension in those cases of compulsory retirement of officers being weeded out for non-performance.
The GoM has also decided to make the departments and ministries to primarily use serving officers as Inquiry and Presenting Officers in one of the steps towards speeding up the inquiry proceedings.
In important cases, the officers may request the Central Vigilance Commission to appoint their Commissioner of Direct Inquiries as IO.
The GoM is also of the opinion that CVC may also maintain a panel of IOs and POs from among retired officers after screening and empanelment. They could also be engaged on the advice of the CVC.
Taking into account that delays in sanction of prosecution of public servants, the GoM says that it was imperative that sanction should be decided expeditiously and within the prescribed time-frame of 3 months.
The GoM has recommended that in all cases where the investigating agency has sought sanction for prosecution and submitted a charge sheet along with it, the competent authority will have to take a decision within three months from the receipt of the request and pass a 'speaking order' with reasons.
If the permission is refused by the competent authority, the request should go to the next higher authority and if it is the minister and he too refuses he should submit the order within seven days to the Prime Minister.
The Secretary of each ministry and department will monitor all cases where a request has been made for permission to prosecute and submit a certificate every month to the Cabinet Secretary to the effect that no no case is pending for more than 3 months. Reasons for pendency of a case for more than 3 months should be explained.
Mere retirement will not be a ground for dropping proceedings against corrupt government servants who will now face a 10 per cent cut in pension in case of minor penalty.
The present major penalty of compulsory retirement with full benefits will be changed hereafter with a cut of 20 per cent in pension.
The new rules will be effective under decisions made in the first report of the Group of Ministers on Corruption headed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee.
In a bid to tackle corruption and to fast track cases of public servants accused of graft, the GoM has decided to eliminate certain tiers in consultation process.
These steps are part of a series of measures accepted by the government for immediate implementation following the recommendations made.
The government's decisions come in the wake of Anna Hazare's anti-corruption campaign for a Lokpal Bill that would also cover bureaucratic graft.
Until now, a government servant on the verge of retirement can escape proceedings for minor penalty. The GoM has now decided mere superannuation should not be a ground for dropping proceedings for minor penalty.
A cut in pension upto 10 per cent may be imposed in case of minor penalty. This cut will have a ceiling of five years as a life-long reduction in pension would come under the category of major penalty.
The existing major penalty of compulsory retirement with full benefits may be changed to compulsory retirement along with a provision that the competent authority may impose upto 20 per cent cut in pension.
However, there would be no no cut in pension in those cases of compulsory retirement of officers being weeded out for non-performance.
The GoM has also decided to make the departments and ministries to primarily use serving officers as Inquiry and Presenting Officers in one of the steps towards speeding up the inquiry proceedings.
In important cases, the officers may request the Central Vigilance Commission to appoint their Commissioner of Direct Inquiries as IO.
The GoM is also of the opinion that CVC may also maintain a panel of IOs and POs from among retired officers after screening and empanelment. They could also be engaged on the advice of the CVC.
Taking into account that delays in sanction of prosecution of public servants, the GoM says that it was imperative that sanction should be decided expeditiously and within the prescribed time-frame of 3 months.
The GoM has recommended that in all cases where the investigating agency has sought sanction for prosecution and submitted a charge sheet along with it, the competent authority will have to take a decision within three months from the receipt of the request and pass a 'speaking order' with reasons.
If the permission is refused by the competent authority, the request should go to the next higher authority and if it is the minister and he too refuses he should submit the order within seven days to the Prime Minister.
The Secretary of each ministry and department will monitor all cases where a request has been made for permission to prosecute and submit a certificate every month to the Cabinet Secretary to the effect that no no case is pending for more than 3 months. Reasons for pendency of a case for more than 3 months should be explained.
In Delhi Govt unveiled her five-point action plan to tackle corruption, begins to fast-track action against corrupt bureaucrats-11/10/11
Govt begins to fast-track action against corrupt bureaucrats
Nine months after Congress chief Sonia Gandhi unveiled her five-point action plan to tackle corruption, the government has acted on her idea of fast-tracking action against corrupt bureaucrats. They have also withdrawn discretionary powers of ministers in the allotment of land, telephone and petrol pumps.
Accepting the recommendations made by a Group of Ministers (GoM), which was set up after Sonia's announcement at the 83rd Congress Plenary Session at Burari on December 20 last year, the government on Wednesday made it mandatory for a prosecution sanction request to be decided within three months.
Concerned secretaries to the government and ministers will now have to explain any delay in writing to the cabinet secretary and the Prime Minister respectively. Necessary follow up action for implementing these decisions, by way of amendment of rules, is expected soon, the government said.
In the case of ministers' discretionary powers, only the home minister and the defence minister retain theirs to grant compensation to victims of Naxal violence and war widows respectively.
Babus compulsorily retired from service will now also face up to a 20 per cent cut in their pension.
However, the government has decided against summarily dismissing a blatantly corrupt official without giving him a chance to defend himself. Thus Article 311, which gives this right to a government servant, will remain untouched for now.
The government has decided to bring an all encompassing public procurement Bill in Parliament by the end of the current year, which was promised by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Independence Day. To ensure timely delivery of public services, the government will bring in a national-level citizen's charter Bill soon, it was announced. The issue of electoral reforms such as the right to recall and keeping chargesheeted persons away from elections will be discussed by the PM with political parties soon, the government said.
When asked if these measures were being taken as a result of the Anna Hazare agitation, personnel minister V. Narayanswamy and law minister Salman Khursheed clarified that the GoM on corruption was set up on January 6, much before Anna's protest.
The step towards speedier prosecution sanctions is significant because according to the CBI and CVC, as on July 31, there were as many as 164 corrupt government servants regarding whom sanctions were pending for over three months, stopping the investigative agencies from chargesheeting them. In fact, there are cases where requests are pending for over two years - the oldest case is of January 2009 - where government departments have been sitting on prosecution sanction requests.
Many IAS, IPS and Group A officers feature in this list. The Supreme Court guidelines in the Vineet Narain case saying sanctions must be decided within three months were being violated. The government has decided to fix responsibility for such delays.
"In all cases where the investigating agency has requested sanction for prosecution, it will be mandatory for the competent authority to take a decision within a period of three months.
In the event of refusal of sanction to prosecute, the competent authority will have to submit its order including reasons for refusal, to the next higher authority for information within seven days. Wherever the minister-in-charge of the department is the competent authority and he decides to deny the permission, it would be incumbent on the minister to submit to the PM the reasons for denial, within seven days of passing such an order," the government said.
It will be the responsibility of the secretary of each department or ministry to monitor all such requests and submit a certificate every month to the cabinet secretary to the effect that no case is pending for more than three months.
As many as 1,282 CBI cases are pending trial for over 10 years in courts while 22 cases are pending trial for over 20 years.
Nine months after Congress chief Sonia Gandhi unveiled her five-point action plan to tackle corruption, the government has acted on her idea of fast-tracking action against corrupt bureaucrats. They have also withdrawn discretionary powers of ministers in the allotment of land, telephone and petrol pumps.
Accepting the recommendations made by a Group of Ministers (GoM), which was set up after Sonia's announcement at the 83rd Congress Plenary Session at Burari on December 20 last year, the government on Wednesday made it mandatory for a prosecution sanction request to be decided within three months.
Concerned secretaries to the government and ministers will now have to explain any delay in writing to the cabinet secretary and the Prime Minister respectively. Necessary follow up action for implementing these decisions, by way of amendment of rules, is expected soon, the government said.
In the case of ministers' discretionary powers, only the home minister and the defence minister retain theirs to grant compensation to victims of Naxal violence and war widows respectively.
Babus compulsorily retired from service will now also face up to a 20 per cent cut in their pension.
However, the government has decided against summarily dismissing a blatantly corrupt official without giving him a chance to defend himself. Thus Article 311, which gives this right to a government servant, will remain untouched for now.
The government has decided to bring an all encompassing public procurement Bill in Parliament by the end of the current year, which was promised by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Independence Day. To ensure timely delivery of public services, the government will bring in a national-level citizen's charter Bill soon, it was announced. The issue of electoral reforms such as the right to recall and keeping chargesheeted persons away from elections will be discussed by the PM with political parties soon, the government said.
When asked if these measures were being taken as a result of the Anna Hazare agitation, personnel minister V. Narayanswamy and law minister Salman Khursheed clarified that the GoM on corruption was set up on January 6, much before Anna's protest.
The step towards speedier prosecution sanctions is significant because according to the CBI and CVC, as on July 31, there were as many as 164 corrupt government servants regarding whom sanctions were pending for over three months, stopping the investigative agencies from chargesheeting them. In fact, there are cases where requests are pending for over two years - the oldest case is of January 2009 - where government departments have been sitting on prosecution sanction requests.
Many IAS, IPS and Group A officers feature in this list. The Supreme Court guidelines in the Vineet Narain case saying sanctions must be decided within three months were being violated. The government has decided to fix responsibility for such delays.
"In all cases where the investigating agency has requested sanction for prosecution, it will be mandatory for the competent authority to take a decision within a period of three months.
In the event of refusal of sanction to prosecute, the competent authority will have to submit its order including reasons for refusal, to the next higher authority for information within seven days. Wherever the minister-in-charge of the department is the competent authority and he decides to deny the permission, it would be incumbent on the minister to submit to the PM the reasons for denial, within seven days of passing such an order," the government said.
It will be the responsibility of the secretary of each department or ministry to monitor all such requests and submit a certificate every month to the cabinet secretary to the effect that no case is pending for more than three months.
As many as 1,282 CBI cases are pending trial for over 10 years in courts while 22 cases are pending trial for over 20 years.
STOP open Bribe - Receiving Gift Packets in Government of NCT of DELHI Offices.
Stop open bribe - receiving gift packets in government of nct of delhi offices.
IT IS OPENLY WITNESSED BY CITIZENS OF DELHI THAT GOVT.OF NCT OF DELHI OFFICERS AND THEIR SUBORDINATE STAFF RECEIVE ATTRACTIVE .....
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Delhi
Posts: 8 | 0.07 Per Day
Arrow STOP open Bribe - Receiving Gift Packets in Government of NCT of DELHI Offices.
IT IS OPENLY WITNESSED BY CITIZENS OF DELHI THAT GOVT.OF NCT OF DELHI OFFICERS AND THEIR SUBORDINATE STAFF RECEIVE ATTRACTIVE GIFT PACKETS FROM THE PUBLIC IN THE OFFICE. THAT IS A SORT OF ACCEPTING BRIBE. A GIFT PACKET MIGHT BE PACKED BY CURRENCY NOTES OR BY OTHER STUFFS.
RECEIVING ANY GIFT BY A PUBLIC SERVANT IN THE GOVT.OFFICE IS VIOLATION OF THE CENTRAL CIVIL SERVICES (CONDUCT)RULES,1964. IT MUST BE STRICKTLY STOPPED BY THE LAW ENFORCING AGENCIES. BECAUSE IT LEADS TO OPEN BRIBE.
DEEPAWALI IS A FESTIVAL OF JOY & LIGHT.THE CITIZENS SHALL BE MORE DELIGHTED IF ANY ADMINISTRATOR OF THE DELHI GOVERNMENT ISSUES A PROHIBITORY NOTE ON RECEIVING A GIFT-PACKET IN THE OFFICES OR TAKES ACTION AGAINST THOSE WHO RECEIVE GIFTS. -------- Remove Corruption> DT. 19-10-2011
'SATYAMEV JAYTE' satyavrat1984@gmail.com
IT IS OPENLY WITNESSED BY CITIZENS OF DELHI THAT GOVT.OF NCT OF DELHI OFFICERS AND THEIR SUBORDINATE STAFF RECEIVE ATTRACTIVE .....
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Delhi
Posts: 8 | 0.07 Per Day
Arrow STOP open Bribe - Receiving Gift Packets in Government of NCT of DELHI Offices.
IT IS OPENLY WITNESSED BY CITIZENS OF DELHI THAT GOVT.OF NCT OF DELHI OFFICERS AND THEIR SUBORDINATE STAFF RECEIVE ATTRACTIVE GIFT PACKETS FROM THE PUBLIC IN THE OFFICE. THAT IS A SORT OF ACCEPTING BRIBE. A GIFT PACKET MIGHT BE PACKED BY CURRENCY NOTES OR BY OTHER STUFFS.
RECEIVING ANY GIFT BY A PUBLIC SERVANT IN THE GOVT.OFFICE IS VIOLATION OF THE CENTRAL CIVIL SERVICES (CONDUCT)RULES,1964. IT MUST BE STRICKTLY STOPPED BY THE LAW ENFORCING AGENCIES. BECAUSE IT LEADS TO OPEN BRIBE.
DEEPAWALI IS A FESTIVAL OF JOY & LIGHT.THE CITIZENS SHALL BE MORE DELIGHTED IF ANY ADMINISTRATOR OF THE DELHI GOVERNMENT ISSUES A PROHIBITORY NOTE ON RECEIVING A GIFT-PACKET IN THE OFFICES OR TAKES ACTION AGAINST THOSE WHO RECEIVE GIFTS. -------- Remove Corruption> DT. 19-10-2011
'SATYAMEV JAYTE' satyavrat1984@gmail.com
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