RTI: Do not Leave it in Lurch!

Indians got their RTI (right to Information) Act in place, which is supposed to usher a new era of transparency and accountability. That is so nice. CIC (Central Information Commission) oversees the RTI implementation all over the country. Mr. Shailesh Gandhi, Central Information Commisssioner says observes:

1. "The government has created the CIC and left it to fend for itself."
2. To a question, "How would you rate the information commissions in various states?", he quipps: very poor.

This speaks volumes of the current state of affairs of RTI. The public has to demad a better accountability of RTI itself! I look at this isisue this way: The democracy becomes effective only if there is a balance of Raj -shakti and Lok-shakti. The governemnt enacted RTI, good enough! but if the people (Lok shakti) do not wake up the realities and demand a better system, no one will deliver them. As citizens how aware and duty bound dow e feel towards our society!

Following are the excerpts of the interview with Mr. shailesh Gandhi, Central Information Commissioner, that appeared in The Tribune. Worth reading!

Central Information Commissioner Shailesh Gandhi has been promoting and teaching Right to Information (RTI) to various sections. He has conducted over 500 workshops for citizens and officers in slums, clubs, offices and colleges.

Having used the RTI to inform citizens about the Maharashtra CM’s Relief Fund, stopping misuse of over Rs 1000 crore in the redevelopment of Mumbai’s Crawford market and curbing political interference in police transfers, he is today among the six Central Information Commissioners.

In an interview with The Sunday Tribune, he discloses some thorny issues which are hindering the CIC. Excerpts:

Q: Why is the CIC lagging behind?

A: Pending cases is the main problem. There is acute shortage of staff with the Information Commissioners. We are unable to clear more than 1500-1700 cases per year. If we have adequate staff, we can settle at least 4,000 cases.

No proper systems and norms have been put in place as to how the CIC should function in the country even though more and more people are filing RTI petitions. The norms need to be identified and put in place. The commissioners and the staff also need to be trained on how to handle the cases.

Q: Should the RTI be made more stringent and its scope enhanced?

A: No. Presently, adequate number of bodies and offices are covered by it. This would mean amending the RTI Act itself, which would not be advisable. There would be no improvement as such.

Q: How is the Centre’s attitude towards the CIC?

A: The government has created the CIC and left it to fend for itself. Its response should be better to help deliver the goods. The commissioners don’t have the brief to tackle senstive issues which differ from department to department.

Q: What should the Centre do more about dissemination of information?

A: Transparency should be institutionalised. The RTI has ushered in a cultural
change and everyone should understand it. Of course, this change will come
about gradually.

Q: About four Commissioners have retired and their posts have not yet been filled. Isn’t it affecting the work?

A: Some Commissioners have been appointed. The Act provides for 10 Commissioners besides the CIC. If there were seven of them, it would be adequate to settle the cases.

Q: How many cases do you receive every month? Has the average increased
over the years?

A: Last year the CIC received about 15,000 cases. This year it would be much higher; the monthly average of cases has risen to about 1500. This will further go up if the backlog of cases is reduced.

Q: You also receive false cases. Why? How can this practice be checked?

A: It is a common problem with every law or Act and the RTI is no exception. It is a reflection of the present-day society. There are rogues everywhere and every law is misused. There is need for attitudinal change in society.

Q: How would you rate the information commissions in various states? Shouldn’t they be strengthened to become more effective?

A: Very poor. Most commissioners settle hardly 700-800 cases per year. The best disposal, outside the CIC, would be about 1500 cases per year, which reflects a very poor state of affairs.

The number of pending cases is on the rise and it is turning out to be alarming. If this continues over the next four to five years, the Act itself would be dead. The situation needs to be resolved by the government on priority.

Q: What is the CIC’s most important achievement? And how has the RTI empowered the common man?

A: The RTI has empowered the citizen in letter and spirit. He can now sit at home and seek information from the government which it is bound to provide. And the RTI’s real strength is that it is deepening the democracy in the country. Over the next three to four years, there can be a sea change in governance, provided we are able to clear the pending cases.

(Backlog of RTI cases alarming: Gandhi by Girja Shankar Kaura/The Tribune March 29,09)

Election Money

After announcement of general elections all political parties have started their election campaign and as per estimates on an average constituency require two - three crores rupees funds. As per rules all the candidates needs to declare their income, assets while nominating themselves and the maximum limit for election campaign per candidate is only few lakhs rupees so their are two sides of a candidate who is fighting election.

First one is legal aspect/way which is presented in front of Society/Janta/Election Commission/other concerned.

The second aspect which is much more bigger than the previous one is the Black/Illegal aspect about his assets/budget/expenditure for election. In this second aspect a big amount of money is spent on election campaign but the question is how the money is arranged and used and why the election commission is not able to track it so that guilty / leaders opting wrong way will removed from fighting election and our Political system will become an arena of clean leaders.

The above scenario shows that a big much parallel economy is working. In general local terms we call is black money which lies in the pocket of capitalist/corporate bosses/bureaucrats/political leaders which is earned through wrong ways like corruption, scams, by not paying taxes and they they deposit this money in foreign countries banks and the resources of our nation goes to other countries so all these activities must be stopped and bring all that black / illegal money into white and when this money comes into white the prosperity will automatically comes to general common man.

To bring the black money into white we need clean politics which is again dependent on black money so it shows that a complete cycle is going for which we need weapon to break and bring the path out of this black circle.

My dear friends please suggest all the ways / ideas which you think can break this cycle and bring the new path.

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Corruption: the Major Issue for Elections

Corruption is the major issue for the upcoming LS elections, but it should not surprise the countrymen that political parties are just not talking about it. Instead, the national and regional political parties are busy aligning and re-aligning, shuffling and re-shuffling their stands! Purpose: How to increase the bargaining power so that in post-poll market, they will be able to raise the bar. Raise the bar for ideals, and principles! No, raise the bar for extracting maximum for the power-sharing.

The three fronts are emerging: i) BJP and its allies making NDA, ii) UPA now representing mainly Congress as all the allies have deserted it, and iii) Third Front: a conglomerate of various parties who do not believe in pre-poll alliance and are not ready to even guess until elections are over because they will weigh the possibilites after the results are out. Expect these self-serving parties to do the task of nation-building!

My fellow countrymen, leave your notions of party ideologies, shake the boxes of your affiliations! These are parasites who are sucking our blood, draining our (tax payers') money and just busy politicking! Not to disparage the honest and sincere political leaders, I must say that unless the whole vision of what politics is all about, our democracy will remain in peril. We need elected leaders who commit to nation building by focusing on education, health, better public and civic administration, national security and integrity, social security for the all (particularly underprivileges masses), economic security, etc. We do not elected leaders who have come to understand that politics is all about indulging in populistic measures and making false promises!

The only solution for the short term:

1. Come out and vote on the day of voting!

2. Vote for candidates based upon the track-record, performance and profile. Do not be swayed by caste and party affiliations.

3. Destroy Regional Parties: Vote for candidates who can provide clean leadership. Throw these small regional parties out of the window as they are going to pollute the post-poll environment by extracting their flesh. These regional parties should not have any stake on the national issues! They were created to fulfill local aspirations and at national level, they will at the best create instability by producing a hung parliament!

Until political reforms are brought in so that the menace of cross over (dal badal) , unholy post-poll alliance is checked and pol parties are disciplined, these short term measures will at least give some relief to stabilize our democracy.

Nano Car

Image via Wikipedia

The launch of Nano car by TATA motors is under much discussion. A hot topic of discussion. Middle class service man is eyeing on this car. The price tag of Rs.100000/- (Rs. One lakh only) is really attractive for all Indians. The daring step is initiated by Ratan Tata, the Captain of Industry and even after problems of Singur, West Bengal plant he is able to keep his promise with all Indians. Really Rattan Tata is a man of his words.

So many variants of Nano will be available and booking forms are available from TATA Group of Companies. But what is the future of Nano, some of the points attached to this car is :-

1. Will it help in increasing demand of cars and a weapon to break the recession period

2. What about the traffic problems.

3. Is it environment friendly and will not contribute to increasing pollution

4. Will be successful on Indian Roads like other vehicles of TATA Motors ?

5. Renovation of taxi/auto standards of general passenger(lower class)

6. For how much time the price tag of Rs.100000/- (Rs One lac) is maintained.

7. Question of Reliability as many parts of this car is not made up of metals which raises a question of reliability and total life of vehicle.

Educational Loans

We all know about the facility of educational loans available through public/private banks in India. In last 10 years a number of peoples have availed this facility for arrangement of quality higher education for their children's especially middle class service personnel's by mortgaging their personal saving/assets in the hope that on completion of education when their wards will get good job and they will be able to repay the liability of educational loan. Currently due to global meltdown/financial crisis all the good companies have stopped their recruitments and withdrawn appointment / offers given to freshers. Today news of Satyam for deferring joining dates 9000 freshers came to picture. it is leading to unemployment and frustration for all candidates and their families. they are worried about the repayment of loan.

The most important point is that if their are no opportunities available for our young educated force what measures/policies government has framed. I think that government must give them some relaxation and private banks must be instructed that they do not use wrong methods of recovery and must give some relaxation time for repayment of loans.

If the relaxation is not provided and something goes wrong with these family/candidates then it may lead to diversion of youth into wrong / unlawful / criminal activities which will be biggest blunder for our society. We all knows very well about the danger of terrorism. Many terrorist organizations are working on their strategy to engage / recruit the trained youth for the terrorist activities so to stop and save the society Government must act fast and provide some means and ways for relaxation / repayment of loans availed by them.

Ragging

Ragging is a growing cause of concern in higher educational institutions of India. although the laws and rules had been made but enforcement is the area where we lost our all wickets. college authorities, staff and student representatives must work to save new/junior students from harassment. Recently the death of a medical students in ragging case at Dr. Rajendra Prasad Medical College at Himachal Pradesh had broken to sleep of concerned authorities, media, government, NGO and society. It is the most hot topic for Media. NGO's, government authorities and everyone common man is discussing about ragging issue. Even court has issued directives in this regard. UGC says the donations will be less for the institutions who will fail to stop ragging. The main thing is that after few months everyone will forget about ragging. I think solution of this problem is not in taking steps one time and sleep till the next case happens but following steps must be implemented in all higher education institutions. They are as follows :-

- Spread Awareness among students especially the seniors

- Formal introduction meet organized by college authroties under their supervision

- Parents should inculcate good ethics in their wards against ragging

- A common national anti-ragging website where anyone can report the matter and counselling is available for him

- National toll free anti ragging helpline

- All colleges must invite inspection committees from other colleges/government departments/NGO's to check the anti ragging measures in their campus and hostels.

AT LAST I SAY THAT ALL THE STEPS MENTIONED ABOVE NEEDS REVISION EVERY YEAR.

IPL Matches

Since the announcement of General Elections, IPL matches are point of discussion for everyone. It is a hot topic for electronic and print media also. Home Ministry advised IPL authorities to change the schedule due to non availability of security agencies. Revised schedule submitted by IPL is also not okayed by Home Ministry and it had asked report from the concerned state. some of the states have said that they will manage it while other states views are not clear. In view of recent attack on Sri Lankan Cricket team in Pakistan every cricketers and fans of cricket is saying that security must be of very high level for IPL matches. So All the franchisees, IPL organizers and cricketers are working hard to manipulate that IPL happens on time even if it disrupt fair election practice because it brings lot of money to them. They may give bribes to each & every concerned.

The big question is that whether money is important or election.

I think election is the most important thing and everyone concerned must look for alternative way to organise IPL match .