PrajaNet Newsletters

Death of another whistle blower
Posted on 11/23/2005 10:28:08 AM
A 27-year-old Area Sales Manager of Indian Oil Corporation Limited, Manjunath, was shot dead in Gola Gokrannath in Lakhimpur Khiri district of Uttar Pradesh, reportedly after he blacklisted a petrol pump for stocking adulterated oil.  [Read More]

Effort to subvert RTI Act
Posted on 9/4/2005 9:49:27 AM
The RTI Act which comes into effect from Oct 12th is under last ditch efforts by the bureaucracy to subvert it. Read this article to see the deperation with which the babus are trying to make this a failed Act. -Praveen  [Read More]

Coke bottling plant in Kerala asked to shut down
Posted on 8/19/2005 2:26:47 PM
The Kerala Pollution Control Board on Friday asked soft drinks major Coca-Cola to close down its bottling plant in Palakkad district immediately. The board's chairman G Rajmohan said Coke had been asked to shut the plant for failing to comply with pollution regulations. -Praveen  [Read More]

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Governance News

How To Exercise Right To Information
Posted by Amitra sudan chakrabortty  on 6/9/2010 4:09:45 AM
Its a brief analysis of Rights available and the procedure to enforce that Right under Right To Information Act,2005  [Read More] [Report]

In the red tapisim of executives.
Posted by maqsood ahmed  on 2/4/2009 4:16:47 PM
Date : 19.01.2009 RTI Act 2005 In the red tapisim of executives. True democracy is Govt. Functions must be transparent and executives should be prevented from deceiving people. Simultaneously, by the close interpretation of the Act. Freedom of speech is the lifeblood of democracy. The free flow of information & ideas inform political debate. It is a safety value; people are more ready to accept decisions that go against them if they can in principle seek to influence them. It acts as a brake on the abuse of power by public officials. It facilitates the exposure of errors in the governance and administration of justice of the country. Freedom of expression constitutes one of the essential foundations on society. The reason why the right to free expression is regarded as fundamental is familiar and has a merit restatement in the context of right to information as a statutory right. Modern democratic govt. means as stated above govt. of people, by the people & for the people. But there can be no govt. by the people if they are ignorant of the issues to be resolved, the arguments for & against different solutions and the facts underlying those arguments. The business of govt. is not an activity about which only those professionally engaged are entitled to receive information and express opinion. It is, or should be a participatory process. But there can be no assurance that govt. is carried out for the people unless the facts are made known & the issues publicly ventilated. Sometimes inevitably those involved in the conduct of govt., as in any other walk of life, are guilty of error, incompetence, misbehavior dereliction of duty, even dishonesty & malpractises. Those concerned may be very strongly wish that the facts relating to such matters are not made public. Publicity may reflect discredit on them or their predecessors. It may embarrass the authorities. It may impede the process of administration. Experience, however, shows, in this country & elsewhere, that publicity is a powerful disinfectant. Where abuses are exposed, they can be remedied. Even where abuses have already been remedied, the public may be entitled to know that they occurred. The Act was framed and as per the Act every office has to appoint PIO so that information as early can be given to the applicant & a time frame of 30 days is given it has been noticed & the information which can be given within few minutes by giving Xerox copies can be delivered or withhold nearly for 20-25 days. Sometimes information is not provided & give applicant has to go in 1st appeal. Another, 30 days he has to wait for his appeal to be decided, even though if it is not given he has to go for a second appeal, again he has to wait for couple of months & years for to be decided. By just imposing a fine of Rs.250/- per day is not sufficient or maximum 25,000/- because the vested interests of the PIO or executives are misleading the in formations even informing the other dept. that information is being asked is working & very big rackets especially at the time of tenders for eg. I am providing some of the information to RTI applicants that how the officers are in collusion with the contractors or in concerned dept. & with hold the information to help the contractors in the name in the name of third party even though while laws are being violated they are passing on the applications which has nothing to do with the concerned dept. which shows their malafied & vested interest. Hope necessary changes are brought & information are not with hold in the name of IIIrd Parties & people are empowered to bring out the corruptions. Due you hope, the APIO, PIO’s appellate authorities in the last 60 years have tried to conceal the information & have given the information so easily. Something should truly be done in this regard & a most should take place for a better tomorrow. And the concerned are punished for misleading with malafied intentions. From : Maqsood Machhiwala Quraish Nagar, Kurla (E), Mumbai –400070. Mob : 9867480507   [Read More] [Report]

In the Coffers of Govt. Officers
Posted by maqsood ahmed  on 1/28/2009 1:19:58 PM
In the Coffers of Govt. Officers Small Baby of RTI The RTI Act is the second independence for the people in a practicing democracy. It’s a weapon to through out the corruption from the society. In the name of third party information is being concealed in the coffers of Govt. Offices. In collusion of contractor’s/bidder’s. How come the information received or conditions mentioned in the tender’s for qualifying become third party information. As per R.T.I. Act its expected that they provide as much information suo motu to public at regular interval’s through various means of communications, including internet, so that the public have minimum resort to use of this act to obtain information. Hope same steps are taken to save the RTI Act by standing committee for personal, public grievance and law and justice in near future, and see that suo moto they take action for good governance. Some of the suggestions Every public authority maintain separate register’s which would reflect how many RTI application before his, are pending for disposal. It should be mandatory to give information if it only involves of Xerox copies. Which are available at their disposal. It has been noticed that Xerox copies at their disposal are also given after twenty to twenty five days. Hence it can be given in two parts what ever is available immediately and the rest in time frame of 30 days as per Act. The writer is an activist of R.T.I. Thanking you, With regards Signature Cell No. : 9867480507 Email : a_classic_dust@yahoo.com   [Read More] [Report]

In the red tapisim of executives.
Posted by maqsood ahmed  on 1/19/2009 11:55:03 AM
Date : 19.01.2009 RTI Act 2005 In the red tapisim of executives. True democracy is Govt. Functions must be transparent and executives should be prevented from deceiving people. Simultaneously, by the close interpretation of the Act. Freedom of speech is the lifeblood of democracy. The free flow of information & ideas inform political debate. It is a safety value; people are more ready to accept decisions that go against them if they can in principle seek to influence them. It acts as a brake on the abuse of power by public officials. It facilitates the exposure of errors in the governance and administration of justice of the country. Freedom of expression constitutes one of the essential foundations on society. The reason why the right to free expression is regarded as fundamental is familiar and has a merit restatement in the context of right to information as a statutory right. Modern democratic govt. means as stated above govt. of people, by the people & for the people. But there can be no govt. by the people if they are ignorant of the issues to be resolved, the arguments for & against different solutions and the facts underlying those arguments. The business of govt. is not an activity about which only those professionally engaged are entitled to receive information and express opinion. It is, or should be a participatory process. But there can be no assurance that govt. is carried out for the people unless the facts are made known & the issues publicly ventilated. Sometimes inevitably those involved in the conduct of govt., as in any other walk of life, are guilty of error, incompetence, misbehavior dereliction of duty, even dishonesty & malpractises. Those concerned may be very strongly wish that the facts relating to such matters are not made public. Publicity may reflect discredit on them or their predecessors. It may embarrass the authorities. It may impede the process of administration. Experience, however, shows, in this country & elsewhere, that publicity is a powerful disinfectant. Where abuses are exposed, they can be remedied. Even where abuses have already been remedied, the public may be entitled to know that they occurred. The Act was framed and as per the Act every office has to appoint PIO so that information as early can be given to the applicant & a time frame of 30 days is given it has been noticed & the information which can be given within few minutes by giving Xerox copies can be delivered or withhold nearly for 20-25 days. Sometimes information is not provided & give applicant has to go in 1st appeal. Another, 30 days he has to wait for his appeal to be decided, even though if it is not given he has to go for a second appeal, again he has to wait for couple of months & years for to be decided. By just imposing a fine of Rs.250/- per day is not sufficient or maximum 25,000/- because the vested interests of the PIO or executives are misleading the in formations even informing the other dept. that information is being asked is working & very big rackets especially at the time of tenders for eg. I am providing some of the information to RTI applicants that how the officers are in collusion with the contractors or in concerned dept. & with hold the information to help the contractors in the name in the name of third party even though while laws are being violated they are passing on the applications which has nothing to do with the concerned dept. which shows their malafied & vested interest. Hope necessary changes are brought & information are not with hold in the name of IIIrd Parties & people are empowered to bring out the corruptions. Due you hope, the APIO, PIO’s appellate authorities in the last 60 years have tried to conceal the information & have given the information so easily. Something should truly be done in this regard & a most should take place for a better tomorrow. And the concerned are punished for misleading with malafied intentions. From : Maqsood Machhiwala Quraish Nagar, Kurla (E), Mumbai –400070. Mob : 9867480507   [Read More] [Report]

Removing of Hazardous Chemical Waste, which is settled / collected in common Septic Tank at SEEPZ Premises, situated behind Gems Jewellery Complex, SDF II & III
Posted by maqsood ahmed  on 12/14/2008 12:51:57 PM
From : Maqsood Ahmed Abdul Mabood Siddiqui, 21,22 Bhimabai Kapse Bldg, Qureshi Nagar, Kurla (East), Mumbai –70. Date: 8th December 2008 To, The Development Commissioner, SEEPZ – SEZ, Andheri (East), Mumbai-400093 Sub: Removing of Hazardous Chemical Waste, which is settled / collected in common Septic Tank at SEEPZ Premises, situated behind Gems Jewellery Complex, SDF II & III Madam, I regret to inform you that, MIDC Officer’s are hand in Glove with the Garbage Contractor. I am informing you that the Garbage contractors are in syndicate with other Contractors. Last contract was awarded to Bidder who was on third position. With the help of MIDC Officers causing about Rs. 4,00,00,000/- loss to Govt. Exchequer. Bidder No.1 has offered of Rs. 11,24,00,000/-, Bidder No.3 offer was Rs. 7,86,92,000/- as all this is done in connivance of MIDC Officers. Neither the contractor has permission or Licences to handle hazardous waste for recycling, transporting as required by MPCB & CPCB, pollution boards. Last year in reply to my query of R.T.I., P.I.O. of MIDC, Thane has said that it is the contractor’s who is handling the hazardous we are not concerned to it, I am surprised as all the requisites, permissions are to be taken by the contractor as mentioned in the tender document and terms condition. At present also the contractor doesn’t have any sort of permission to handle transport or recycle hazardous sludge containing various metals as such precisions metal, Gold, Silver, Copper, Zinc, Lead, etc. which requires the permission of MPCB and CPCB as per the rules framed for handling hazardous waste. At present the contractor M/s. Goodluck Trading Corporation, LBS Marg, Kurla (W), Mumbai, have submitted consent to operate which is meant for non-hazardous and not for hazardous chemicals sludge, etc. The said consent to operate submitted by the contractor and address mentioned of the plant there is’nt any sort of plant or unit as mentioned. I have already written to your good self in this regard which is acknowledged by your office, hence I am forwarding you the R.T.I. replies received in this regard for your perusal and necessary action as all this hazardous waste is taken out and dump in open space which is causing heavy toxic pollution in the environment. You are therefore requested you to take necessary steps to stop all these. With regards. Maqsood A.A.M. Siddiqui   [Read More] [Report]

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PrajaNet Press Releases

Governance reforms - the path to development
Posted on 12/8/2003 3:07:51 AM
By Rima Shah : Jagdeep Chhokar is optimistic. “While the (political) situation (in India) is terribly bad, there is also great hope,” said Chhokar in a talk last Friday at Stanford University. Association for India’s Development (AID) and PRAJA Net organized the talk. Perhaps it was this optimism and hope that led Chhokar, a professor at the Indian Institute of Management in Ahmedabad, and 10 others to create the Association for Democratic Reforms in India, a nonpartisan and nonpolitical group dedicated to electoral reforms and “improving governance and strengthening democracy in India.” Empowering the ordinary citizen of their right to information and greater transparency of those in power are some of the other objectives of the association, which was founded by professors and an alumnus of the IIM and professors of the National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad.  [Read More]

Connecting with causes large and small
Posted on 12/8/2003 3:06:14 AM
By Mike Cassidy, Mercury News , Posted on Fri, Feb. 21, 2003 : Millions of people around the globe take to the streets to protest the United States' march to war. A dozen people in a San Jose family room take to the Web to organize a fast in protest of government secrecy and alleged corruption in India.  [Read More]

Bay area volunteers launch PRAJA Net to aid development in India
Posted on 12/8/2003 2:52:54 AM
San Francisco, Feb. 7, 2003 - The swelling ranks of the diaspora in the past decade have given rise to a host of India oriented grassroots organizations, many with the specific aim of furthering economic development. An average Indian in the US is estimated to donate about $300 per year to such groups. Considering an estimated 1.7 million NRI´s, this is a lot of money. The Indian Government budget for rural development is 90 billion Rupees, equivalent, probably, of 15 billion dollars in actual buying power! Yet, even a passing knowledge of Indian rural scene would reveal how little there is to show for all this. The culprit, as we all know, is the complete lack of accountability with regards to the public services. As the former PM Rajiv Gandhi noted in his now famous quote, less than 15% of this money actually reaches the beneficiaries.  [Read More]

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