Wednesday 24 October 2012

Mr CM please pay attention to the Bureaucrats Habit of Self Indulgence

Dear Mr CM,

I wish to invite your attention on the issue of Ex CS Mr Ratnakar Gaikwad's self indulgence in creating beneficial facilities for their own selves. I have nothing personal against or for Mr Gaikwad, it is the issue of moral's ethics, which lays the basics of good governance. We don't know how many more bureaucrats have similarly misused the system before or may be misusing the system even now. But they have this habit of terming themselves as holy cows.

The issue of Mr Gaikwad is very simple, he occupied a house, which he was entitled to as Metropolitan Commissioner of MMRDA. But after promotion as CS he continued to occupy the same pent house ad measuring 8000 sq ft. After his being appointed as CS, the GAD issued two different allotment orders with regard to his accommodation as CS. The 1st order dt 18/01/2011 has mentioned that Mr Gaikwad is being allotted a house on JETVAN bldg in BKC and will continue to use the 8-9th floor pent house which he occupied as MMRDA commissioner till the time a new MMRDA Commissioner is appointed. Once a new MMRDA Commissioner is appointed Mr Gaikwad will have to shift to a flat on the 6th Floor in the same bldg, namely JETVAN.

After taking charge as CS, Mr Gaikwad may have used his position to modify the previous order dt 18/01/2011 and the GAD issued a fresh order for allotment on date 16/03/2011 stating that Mr Gaikwad may continue to use the flat which he was occupying as MMRDA Commissioner for further periods without having to pay rent.

It is important to note that the flat the he occupied was reserved for the person holding MMRDA Commissioners post. whereas the new order did not specify what arrangements was done for the new incumbent MMRDA Commissioner. Finally the incumbent MMRDA Commissioner was made to stay in the 6th floor flat which was allotted to MR Gaikwad.

The irony of the fact is that the MMRDA Commissioner continues to occupy the 6th floor flat, whereas Mr Gaikwad still lords over the Pent house though he has retired as CS, but it is another case that he got himself appointed as Chief Information Commissioner (CIC). The MMRDA has issued a letter cum notice to Mr Gaikwad to pay Rs 1,33,232=00 for using telephone, Internet Data card, MGL connection and electricity bill, out of which Mr Gaikwad has paid only Rs 15,536=00 out of the same.

I wish to highlight here that one should learn from Manohar Joshi (Ex CM) & R R Patil (Ex - Dy CM), who quit their official bungalows within one hour of resigning from their respective posts.

I wish to request you to kindly take a review meeting of all the activities of the bureaucrats as well as Ministers etc to maintain discipline on such issues. The concerned departments should be instructed to take strict action on the errant babu's.

Yours Faithfully,

Anil Galgali,
Chairman
Athak Seva Sangh.
MUMBAI



Friday 5 October 2012

Maharashtra RTI activist petitions PM over unfilled vacancies


Maharashtra RTI activist petitions PM over unfilled vacancies

Another Thane-based RTI activist said the delay tactics at various levels have resulted in a backlog of over 21,000 applications across the state.

Mr CM wake up & control State Info Commission




Right from the inception of the State Information Commission in 2005, the state has neglected this statutory body and damaged it. Over the last 6 months, this office has been functioning without a Secretary, severely handicapping its functioning. Our NGO Athak Seva Sangh wrote a letter in this regard to the Chief Minister, Chief secretary & Principal Secartary, urging them to fill up the vacanct posts on a priority basis.                                              
                                                                                                                                                              This letter addressed to CM & others explains that how SIC work is adversely affected by the vacancies. Today, Mumbai, Kokan & Amaravati Commissioners posts  are vacant. Near about 41 % Staff are Vacant. The Key Post of Secretary is vacant from May 2012.

State Government also not  provide a franking Machine to the eight information commissioners offices to minimize delays and costs when sending notices of hearing to public info officers, First appellate authorities and appellants. Postage charges are a heavy burden on these offices.

The lengthy wait for a second appeal hearing, often stretching 12-18 months, is actually causing lower compliance anc carelessness by PIOs, thereby causing the number of appeals to multiply. Knowing that the Hearing by Information Commissioner will take a long time, they do not give proper and timely response to RTI Applicants.