Virgin Dreams: Gujarat cadre IAS Vipul Mittra joins bureaucrat-authors tribe

WITH Pyramid of Virgin Dreams yet another IAS officer Vipul Mittra has turned writer. Mittra, a 1986 batch Gujarat cadre IAS and secretary of tourism under the state industry department, has come out with a fiction presenting a glimpse into the world of promotions, hierarchies, fawning subordinates etc. The Pyramid of Virgin Dreams is his maiden book, published by Rupa.

Mittra has now joined the elite club of bureaucrats like 1995 batch Orissa cadre IAS Bishnupada Sethi and 1981 batch Indian Foreign Service officer Amarendra Khatua, who are also known as poets and writers in corridors of power.

“Pyramid of Virgin Dreams is a refreshingly original rendition of the slippery life in the bureaucracy. The book is spunky and replete with comical imageries drawn from a farcical, albeit hopeful India,” says the author’s own site.

A post graduate in industrial relations, 47-year old Mittra originally hails from Punjab and has served both under Central government and state departments.

Only over a year ago, the government allowed IAS officers to include up to 10 entries of their published books, awards etc. in ER Sheets or official bio-data.

Disha’s IAS father bears brunt

As expected, Uttar Pradesh government has shifted out principal secretary food JN Chamber out of Lucknow. Chamber has been transferred to Allahabad as member, Revenue Board and Nakul Singh, member Judicial Revenue Board, Allahabad will move to Lucknow in place of Chamber. Chamber’s daughter Disha Chamber, who was BSP youth leader, was recently asked to resign from the party.

BoI Extraa…

Various NGOs of Bihar set up over 60 stalls for the sale of items like papad, cookies, artificial jewellery etc. during a charity fest, Saras Basant , organised by the Bihar IAS Officers Wives Association at IAS Bhawan in Patna on Sunday. A number of food stalls and games stalls for kids were put up during the fest. The event was inaugurated by Jiwan Nath Narayan, chief general manager of SBI, Bihar.

Bihar Effect: Rajasthan may ask its bureaucrats to declare assets publicly

RAJASTHAN may follow Bihar in asking its bureaucrats including IAS and IPS to declare their assets publicly. It was indicated by none other than state chief minister Ashok Gehlot after a crucial cabinet meeting held on Friday. Gehlot told reporters that the issue of posting assets and liabilities of IAS, IPS officers etc. at government websites was discussed in the cabinet meeting.

The Rajasthan government is also looking at the legal issues as in some states like Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh, a handful of bureaucrats had challenged state information commissioner’s order of making their assets public in certain cases. Currently, the government officials need to declare assets, but it has not been made public so far.

A few days ago, Rajasthan government officials made enquiries at Bihar’s General Administration Department how it had asked Class I, II and III officials to furnish details about their assets and keep a deadline of February 28. Bihar government has repeatedly mentioned that it would not allow relaxation of the deadline on any ground.

SMS puts a lady IAS officer on the dock

A local court of Andhra Pradesh has directed the police to book a case against 1981 batch Karnataka cadre IAS officer K Ratna Prabha for allegedly threatening a woman of Hanumanthunipadu village near Kanigiri. The victim produced a number of SMSes sent by Ratna Prabha as evidences in the court.

According to some reports, the IAS officer suspected the role of her husband Vidyasagar, also an IAS officer in helping the woman purchase a huge piece of property. 

Action and Appointments

KTS. Tulsi, Senior Advocate has been appointed as Vice Chairman of the 19th Law Commission of India on a part-time basis. In addition to him, there are two full-time members and eight part-time members currently in position in the Commission. The 19th Law Commission of India was constituted on September 1, 2009 for period of three years. Currently, Justice PV Reddy, retired Judge of the Supreme Court is the Chairman and Dr BA Agrawal is the Member Secretary of the Commission.

Dismissed IAS officer Ramesh Thete threatens self-immolation in front of PMO

AN IAS officer of 1993 batch Ramesh Thete, who was dismissed from services in connection with a bribery case, has reportedly threatened self immolation in front of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) if he was not reinstated by February 5.
According to a section of media reports, originating from Jabalpur of Madhya Pradesh, Thete was upset as he believed he was hounded because he is a Dalit officer. The bribery dates back to 2002 when the principal of a technical institute complained against him of demanding Rs one lakh bribe. The IAS officer has now claimed that he was not reinstated even though both the Supreme Court and the High Court had acquitted him.
He had further claimed that the Union law ministry had earlier cleared his file of reinstating.

CVC recommends major penalty proceedings against 226 officers
The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) has advised imposition of major penalty against 226 officers including 50 from the department of communications, 36 from central board of excise and customs, 23 from ministry of railways, 13 from State Bank of India, 10 from Vijaya Bank, 9 from Punjab and Sind Bank, 8 from MCD, 7 from Andhra Bank, 6 from Canara Bank, 5 each from Allahabad Bank, Bank of India, Punjab National Bank, Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd and UCO Bank. Remaining 31 cases pertained to different departments of the Government of India and PSUs.

Action and Appointments
a) Amit Cowshish, a 1977 batch IDAS officer, presently additional financial advisor in the ministry of defence (finance) has been appointed as Financial Advisor (acquisition) and Member (Defence Procurement Board) and additional secretary, ministry of defence in the rank of pay of additional secretary in place of S Chandrasekaran, a 1975 batch IRAS.
b) The government has decided for premature repatriation of S Chandrasekaran, a 1975 batch IRAS, Financial Advisor (acquisition) and Member (defence procurement board) to his cadre with immediate effect.
c) Ramesh Krishnamurthi, a 1992 batch IRS-IT, has been appointed as director in the Department of Economic Affairs, New Delhi.
d) The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the repatriation of Madhav Lal, a 1977 batch JK cadre IAS, presently additional secretary and development commissioner in the ministry of micro small and medium enterprises to his cadre.

Mayawati set to handpick 1978 batch IAS Desh Deepak Verma as UP chief secretary

Desh Deepak Verma, a 1978 batch UP cadre IAS and additional secretary in Union ministry of food and public distribution, is likely to be the next chief secretary of Uttar Pradesh as incumbent Atul Gupta, a 1974 batch IAS, is retiring on March 31. UP chief minister Mayawati, who has been focusing on governance and better delivery ahead of the next year’s crucial assembly polls, has shot off a letter to repatriate Verma from the Centre, raising speculations that Verma is the personal choice of Mayawati.

An MSc in physics and MBA in international business from an Australian university, Verma was principal secretary in charge of transport and then food and drugs before moving on to a Central deputation in April 2010. In Delhi, he is known for his five-year stint (between 2001 and 2006) as joint secretary in Union environment and forest ministry.

Mayawati who is looking for doing a Nitish Kumar in UP is keen to get Verma as chief secretary thanks to his administrative skills and innovative ideas. Over a month ago, Mayawati roped in former urban development secretary and 1972 batch retired IAS, M Ramachandran as advisor, infrastructure, giving him a cabinet minister’s rank.

Read

Ramachandran poached by Mayawati

Declaration of Bihar bureaucrats’ assets by February 28

Deputy chief minister of Bihar Sushil Kumar Modi reiterated that all Grade I to Grade III officers including IAS and IPS have been asked to submit the details of the assets to the state government by February 28. Earlier reports quoted the deadline as January 31. Two IAS officers of 2005 batch, Kuldip Narayan and Balamurugan D set the ball rolling by declaring their assets and liabilities including minor details such as buying of televisions and mobile phones and placed those in official websites.

Check out

Assets of 2 IAS officers

Action and Appointments

a) Dr Noor Mohammed, a 1977 batch UP cadre IAS, presently Member Secretary, National Capital Region Planning Board has been appointed as secretary, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) under the ministry of home affairs.

b) More than 10 years after IAS officer Sanjib Kumar Ray, now retired, was booked on charges of amassing wealth disproportionate to his known sources of income, a special court in Bhubneshwar sentenced him to three years’ rigorous imprisonment.

BoI Extraa…

Watched the Republic Day Parade? The camera zoomed not just at politicians and foreign dignitaries but at some of the top bureaucrats of the country. Four senior bureaucrats sitting on a front row were repeatedly captured by DD camera. They were cabinet secretary KM Chandrasekhar, NSA Shiv Shankar Menon, Planning Commission member secretary Sudha Pillai and her husband and Union home secretary GK Pillai.

Brajesh Mishra, Surendra Singh and Shyam Saran among prominent civil servants winning Padma awards

HERE are some of the prominent Indian civil servants who have received the Padma awards, India’s highest civilian awards, announced on the eve of the Republic Day.

Brajesh Mishra: Won Padma Vibhushan. Mishra, a former Indian Foreign Service officer, was the country’s first National Security Advisor under former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He was the first non-IAS principal secretary to the Prime Minister of India.

Surendra Singh: Won Padma Bhushan. An IAS of 1959 batch, Singh retired in 1996 as cabinet secretary. He had also served as secretary (industry) and secretary (company affairs), special secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office and special secretary in the ministry of commerce. After retiring from the IAS, Singh served as Executive Director on the Board of the World Bank.

MN Buch: Won Padma Bhushan. An IAS of 1957 batch, Buch held a number of senior posts under the state government in the state of Madhya Pradesh and in the Centre.

Shyam Saran: Won Padma Bhushan. A 1970 batch Indian Foreign Service officer, Saran was foreign secretary in the Government of India. He had also served as Indian Ambassador to Nepal, Indian Ambassador to Indonesia and Indian Ambassador to Myanmar, High Commissioner to Mauritius, joint secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office, Deputy Chief of Mission in Tokyo and Counsellor in the Indian Embassy in Beijing.

Narayan Singh Bhati from Andhra Pradesh and PK Sen from Bihar have won the Padma Sri in civil services category. 

Two young IAS officers of 2005 batch set the ball rolling by declaring assets including jewellery, cars, TV and mobile

AS Bihar government’s January 31 deadline for all officers to declare their assets drawing near, two IAS officers of 2005 batch, Kuldip Narayan and Balamurugan D set the ball rolling by declaring their assets and liabilities including minor details such as buying of televisions and mobile phones.

Significantly, Saran district magistrate Kuldip Narayan and Gopalganj district magistrate Balamurugan D have put up their declaration in official websites for public view. Hailing from UP, Narayan is a mechanical engineer from IIT Kanpur whereas Balamurugan D from Tamil Nadu is an agriculture graduate.

In his four-page declaration, Narayan mentioned about the current valuation of his mutual funds at Rs 1.15 lac and shares worth Rs 40, 069. Neither he nor his wife possesses any agriculture land. Narayan has Rs 5.85 lac in PPF whereas his wife has Rs 2.47 lac in PPF account. He has also mentioned the valuation of his wife’s gold ornaments, a Samsung TV and even a mobile handset.

Balamurugan D, another 2005 batch Bihar cadre IAS, mentioned in his publicly displayed return how his father and his younger brother have not divided their properties in their ancestral house in Tamil Nadu. Balamurugan D too gave details about cash in hand (mere Rs 1,160) and deposits in bank account (Rs 32,534) accounted up to January 19, 2011.

In April 2007, Kuldip Narayan, a Brahmin, hogged the limelight when he got married an Indian Economic Service official, Renulata who happens to be an OBC. The media highlighted the marriage as it defied Bihar’s caste logic in matrimonial and political alliance. (In Picture: Kuldip Narayan and Renulata, 2007)

Whereas it’s much easier for these two young officers to declare their assets publicly, it remains to be seen whether those who have amassed wealth would find it comfortable to do the same.

The Nitish Kumar government in Bihar has asked all officials not just to declare assets of self and immediate relatives but to put those in public domain. This has further put pressure on other state governments and even the Central governments to issue such dictates amid allegations of corruption in public life.

View

Kuldip Narayan’s property return

Balamurugan D’s property return

FM presents Presidential Awards to revenue officials; list includes officials from CBEC, DRI and High Commission of London

ON THE eve of the Republic Day, Union finance minister Pranab Mukherjee presented the Presidential Awards to the officers of the Customs and Central Excise and Directorate of Enforcement for exceptionally meritorious service.

While appreciating their role, Mukherjee gave a few lessons to revenue officials. “As our country strives to become a global economic power in a constantly changing world, the guardians of economic frontiers and revenue officials would need to be efficient and friendly with those who comply with the law. They would need to be equally vigilant and swift in dealing with those who hoodwink the system for their personal gains,” FM said. (In picture: FM with the winners in New Delhi)

Whereas Satish Hari Kulkarni, Inspector, Customs Commissionerate of Pune won the award for exceptionally meritorious service rendered at the risk of life, New Delhi-based Additional Director General Debi Prasad Dash and Commissioner (Central Excise), Central Board of Excise and Customs Ajay Jain won awards for specially distinguished record of service.

The other officers who also won Presidential award of appreciation certificate include Navneet Goel, Director (Drawback), CBEC, MK Singh, First Secretary (Trade), High Commission of India, London, Subhagata Kumar, Additional Director, Directorate General of Systems and Data Management, New Delhi, Sunil Tated, Additional Director, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Suresh Kumar, Additional Commissioner, Customs Air Cargo Complex, Bangaluru, Manish Kumar Sinha, Additional Commissioner, Central Excise Commissionerate, Pune-III, SD Chand, Deputy Director, Directorate General of Valuation, Mumbai, R Ravikumar, Deputy Director, Directorate General of Central Excise Intelligence, Chennai, SM Mani, Assistant Director, Directorate of Enforcement, Zonal office, Chennai, Dharmvir Singh, Officer on Special Duty, TRU, CBEC, New Delhi, G Gururaghavendran, Superintendent, Directorate General of Systems and Data Management, Chennai, VS Syed Mohammed, Senior Intelligence Officer, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Regional Unit, Cochin, Jayaraj PG Nair, Senior Intelligence Officer, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Zonal Unit, Mumbai, Surinder Singh Dangi, Senior Intelligence Officer, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Zonal Unit, Ahmedabad, I Ramalingeswara Rao, Superintendent, Central Excise Commissionerate, Vishakhapatnam-II, Prabir Kumar Bhadra, Senior Intelligence Officer, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Sub-Regional Unit, Berhampore, KC Meena, Senior Intelligence Officer, Directorate General of Central Excise Intelligence, Regional Unit, Jaipur, Manish Immanuel, Senior Intelligence Officer, Directorate General of Central Excise Intelligence, Regional Unit, Ludhiana, Bijender Singh Yadav, Superintendent, Central Excise Commissionerate, Delhi-III to name a few.

IAS officers’ wives celebrate winter carnival

Members of IAS Officers Wives Association, or IASOWA gathered in New Delhi’s Chanakyapuri on Saturday to celebrate the annual winter carnival with much extravaganza of fun and frolic. According to reports, thousands of people thronged the venue that saw setting up of 70 stalls. The sunny morning made everyone spirited. Significantly, it raised funds for Prerna School meant for children of daily wage earners and Thyagraj Stitching and Computer Training Centre for the needy, both of which are being run by IASOWA.

Shunglu committee spots CWG officials with fat salaries; check out complete list

VK Shunglu committee investigating the affairs of Delhi Commonwealth Games has indicated that several officials involved in the preparation of the Games received more salaries than they deserved. What’s more, many of those appointed for the preparation of the mega sports event were either relatives or acquaintances of VIPs or office bearers of the Organising Committee.

In first of its actions, the High Level Committee under former Comptroller and Auditor General of India VK Shunglu, has published information about 2100 persons appointed by the Organising Committee of Commonwealth Games, 2010. A press release issued by the ministry of youth affairs and sports said that the committee had received representations and information that “several of the persons appointed were paid salaries not commensurate with their qualifications and that some of them were relatives/acquaintances of VIPs or office bearers of the Organising Committee.”

Just a day after the Commonwealth Games were over, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh appointed a high-level committee headed by former CAG and 1962 batch retired IAS, V K Shunglu to go into allegations of corruption related to the mega sporting event. Shunglu, who was the Comptroller and Auditor General between 1996 and 2002 and has been a trail blazer in ongoing crusade of forcing civil servants declaring their assets, was asked to prepare a report in three months. Later, ex-DoPT secretary Shantanu Consul joined the committee as its Member.

Click Below

Complete list of 2100 officials, salaries

Real Games: Who is VK Shunglu

Action and Appointments

a) Bira Kishore Misra has been appointed as an Additional Judge of the Orissa High Court.

b) Arup Kumar Goswami has been appointed as an Additional Judge of the Gauhati High Court.

c) Justice Jaya Roy has been appointed as Judge of Jharkhand High Court.

d) Prashant Kumar and Pradeep Kumar have been appointed as Additional Judges of Jharkhand High Court.

e) Gurijala Krishna Mohan Reddy and Kolla Surya Appa Rao have been appointed as Additional Judges of Andhra Pradesh High Court. 

Ex-RAW official strips in Court room

Nisha Bhatia, a former Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) official, caused a stir in Delhi High Court on Thursday when she attempted to undress twice before a High Court judge. Former director in cabinet secretariat claimed that she was frustrated at the frequent adjournments in a human trafficking case against her. 

Bhatia, wearing a jacket and trousers, went into the court room and bared her chest before she was forcibly taken away by women police constables.

The ex-RAW official in her 40s has claimed that her seniors in India’s external intelligence agency levelled false allegations against her after she had lodged complaints against them for sexually harassing her in August 2008. Earlier, she also made a suicide attempt in front of Prime Minister’s Office.

ED sends notices against crorepati IAS couple

Enforcement Directorate has issued a notice against the suspended Madhya Pradesh cadre IAS couple, Arvind and Tinoo Joshi, after it was discovered that they violated the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) and bought 100 acres of agricultural land in Madhya Pradesh in the name of Arvind Joshi’s two NRI sisters without informing the Reserve Bank of India. Those properties could now be confiscated.

Action and Appointments

a) Maharashtra Governor on Thursday suspended the state Information Commissioner and former IAS Ramanand Tiwari whose name had cropped up in the Adarsh Housing Society scam. Another former IAS, Subhash Lalla, was forced to resign earlier for his alleged involvement in the scam.

b) Mona Singh, a 1990 batch IRS (I-T) has been appointed as Director in the department of personnel and training (DoPT), New Delhi, for a period of five years.

c) The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved premature reversion of Ashok Kumar Sharma, a 1981 batch IFS, presently working as Senior Directing Staff(joint secretary level) in the National Defence College under the ministry of defence to his parent cadre by the end of December, 2010. 

Why suspended IAS couple Arvind and Tinoo Joshi chose Guwahati to reportedly purchase 18 flats?

SUSPENDED IAS couple of 1979 batch, Arvind and Tinoo Joshis’ reported amassing of assets worth Rs 300 crore has been the talking point among bureaucrats across the country on Wednesday, but what has intrigued many is why this Madhya Pradesh cadre IAS couple with stints at New Delhi and Bhopal chose to purchase 18 of out of 25 flats in far-flung North-East city of Guwahati? What’s their Assam connection? Or has Guwahati with its new property boom become a safe route to park unaccounted money of politicians and bureaucrats? No wonder, Guwahati’s property market witnessed a boom even when there was a dip across major metros thanks to global downturn and economic uncertainty.

According to a 7,000 page Income-Tax report that was submitted to Madhya Pradesh chief secretary Avni Vaish and Lokayukta PV Naolekar recently, Joshi couple have properties, investments and valuables worth at least Rs 300 crore. They allegedly have exposure to agriculture, real estate and stock market. According to the I-T report, the couple purchased agricultural or non-agricultural land in places like Kanha and Bandhavgarh national parks, Raisen, Balaghat, Sehore and Bhopal. Also, they allegedly bought six flats in Bhopal and one in New Delhi.

Read

Joshi couple’s date with key Delhi ministries

Maya reviews bureaucratic hurdles

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati has said that bank accounts of the beneficiaries of welfare schemes should be opened and the fund be credited directly into their accounts, bypassing corrupt bureaucracy. This adverse remark against bureaucracy came during a review meeting on Tuesday to take a stock of development work. Divisional commissioners, district magistrates and district police chiefs among others attended the review meeting.

Action and Appointments

a) Ms Sheela Thomas, a 1985 batch Kerala cadre IAS has been appointed as chairman of Rubber Board, Kottayam, Kerala at the rank of a joint secretary. She will replace Sajan Peter, a 1983 batch Kerala cadre IAS.

b) SC Sharma, a 1979 batch Central Secretariat Service officer has been appointed as Deputy Director General in the department of telecommunications. Sharma is presently working  as joint secretary in the ministry of development of North Eastern region.

c) Prakhar Viplava Gupta, a 2000 batch IRS(I-T) officer has been appointed as deputy

secretary in the department of higher education. 

MAYAJAAL: Disha Chamber’s art of politics puts her IAS father’s job at risk

WHEN 1980 batch Uttar Pradesh cadre IAS JN Chamber’s daughter Disha was appointed as Youth Congress’ Lucknow president two and half years ago, state chief minister Mayawati did not take the episode kindly. Just in two days, Disha’s father was shifted as the additional resident commissioner to Delhi. JN Chamber was a blue eyed boy of Mayawati holding all-powerful portfolio of principal secretary (home) till April, 2008 but was shifted to a less important rural development department in the state after it was noticed that his daughter led a protest against the CM at Hazratganj on April 8, 2008. Later, Disha, a product of Delhi’s Lady Sri Ram College, left Congress to join BSP and moved fast in the hierarchy to become vice-chairperson of the Uttar Pradesh Scheduled Castes Finance and Development Corporation.

Now, 25 year-old Disha was robbed off the post and expelled from the BSP after it was noticed that she had reportedly pressurized officials in the state thanks to her father’s influential position. One report suggests that Disha resigned from the BSP as she found she could not do much in the party. She told a section of media that she still had high regards for Mayawati. It now remains to be seen whether Mayawati extends her anger to JN Chamber too who is retiring only in 2014. For the record, JN Chamber is an LLB and doctorate in economics and has an MBA degree from Yugaslavia.

Read

Mayawati poaches Centre’s babu

Govt transfers diplomat for misbehaviour

After 1989 batch IAS Anil Verma was recalled from Indian High Commission in London for assaulting his wife, here is yet another case of Indian diplomat getting a premature transfer to India. Alok Ranjan Jha, a 2002 IFS officer and first secretary in the permanent mission in New York, has been asked to return to Delhi for allegedly misbehaving with a passenger on an Air India flight to New York on January 7.

Action and Appointments

a) Rakesh Garg, a 1980 batch UP cadre IAS, presently joint secretary in department of food and public distribution has been appointed as additional secretary in the ministry of culture against the newly created post.

b) Sudhir Mittal, a 1978 batch Punjab cadre IAS, presently in the Organising Committee of the Commonwealth Games 2010, has been appointed as additional secretary in the ministry of corporate affairs in place of PD Sudhakar, a 1976 batch UP cadre IAS who is retiring on January 31, 2011.

c) Suspended union home ministry officer Ravi Inder Singh, a 1994 batch West Bengal cadre IAS, sought bail from the Delhi High Court after lower court had rejected the plea. Singh is accused of leaking sensitive information to unauthorized people though he has denied it. 

2G Spectrum: Ex-telecom officials DS Mathur and Manju Madhavan to appear before PAC

TWO former telecom ministry officials DS Mathur and Manju Madhavan who reportedly refused to toe ex-telecom minister A Raja’s dictates on 2G spectrum allocations, would appear before the Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee to present their views on the issue. The PAC headed by BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi asked former telecom secretary DS Mathur and former member (finance) in Telecom Commission Manju Madhavan, a 1971 batch IRS officer to appear before it on January 21 to give their viewpoints on the irregularities on awarding licenses three years ago.

Mathur, who retired as secretary only on December 31, 2007, had claimed while interacting with media later that minister Raja was determined to grant licenses despite several irregularities were spotted.

Mathur further claimed that he refused to sign the files, and the allocations were done only days after he had resigned. In fact, Siddhartha Behura, a 1973 batch UP cadre IAS who joined the ministry as the telecom secretary on December 31, 2007, signed the controversial 2G licences announced on the second week of January, 2008.

On November 19, 2010, BoI (babusofindia.com) wrote how 1971 batch IRS officer Manju Madhavan flagged the 2G scam over three years ago. She actually mentioned in a note that proposed prices were too low if compared to the prevailing market forces.

A doctorate of psychology, Manju Madhavan attended a programme on fiscal de-centralization and financial management of regional and local governments at Harvard University, and then a management development programme at IIM, Bangalore. Both Manju Madhavan and then telecom secretary DS Mathur reportedly objected to then telecom minister A Raja’s decision to deliberately determine the cut-off date for receiving applications as October 1, 2007.”

Also Read

Did I-T official Manju Madhavan falg the scam?

The bureaucrat who signed 2G files

Centre defends CVC appointment

The Central government has once again defended the appointment of 1973 batch Kerala cadre IAS PJ Thomas, facing a corruption case in a two-decade-old corruption case, as Central Vigilance Commissioner. In an affidavit in the Supreme Court, Thomas was termed as an “outstanding officer” with “impeccable integrity”. The affidavit said that Thomas’ suitability for the post should not be decided by the apex court, and it should be left to the wisdom of the appointing authority. 

British media report drags deputy high commissioner into Anil Verma - Paromita domestic violence case

A BRITISH media report which broke that 1989 batch IAS officer Anil Verma’s wife Paromita had gone into hiding to continue staying in UK with her five-year-old son, has also dragged in Indian deputy high commissioner to UK and 1980 batch IFS Rajesh N Prasad into the controversy as it claimed that Prasad tried to influence Paromita Verma (In picture) to go back to India after the news came out in public that she was beaten up by her husband Anil Verma, the third senior most diplomat in Indian High Commission in London.

Meanwhile, Verma who also had served as private secretary to Pranab Mukherjee when the latter was the foreign minister during UPA-I, is recalled from London. Verma, a West Bengal cadre IAS, was appointed as minister (economic), in high commission of India, London in June 2009 for a three year term.

According to the report published in British tabloid The Mail on Sunday, Paromita Verma was persuaded by Indian high commission officials to come back to India after it refused to waive off the diplomatic immunity of Verma. The report said that after the incident, deputy high commissioner Prasad visited the Vermas at their home on two occasions – on December 13 and on January 3, and even berated Paromita Verma for letting the incident go beyond the family. The report, however, did not accommodate Prasad’s clarification, if any, about the allegation. The Indian high commission in London issued a statement saying that “the incident involves sensitive and personal issues -pertaining to the individual. It is premature to make any further comments at this stage.”

Prasad who had earlier served as joint secretary in India’s ministry of external affairs, hogged the limelight ahead of the Delhi Commonwealth Games in October, 2010, when he wrote a letter to the sports ministry about UK government’s allegation that 25,000 pounds sent from the CWG in India to a company, AM films, in UK, is unaccounted for.

Bihar Shows The Way: On January 31 Nitish govt to make bureaucrats' assets public

THERE is nothing unofficial about it. Nitish Kumar government of Bihar has asked its bureaucrats to compulsorily submit details of their assets which would be made public by January 31. That’s not all. Those who fail to declare their assets may not get their salary too, media reports said.

Already politicians of the country need to declare their assets every time they file their nominations for contesting any elections. Now, bureaucrats in Bihar will have to file the details moveable, immoveable assets along with property details of their spouses and children. With 242 IAS officers in the state, Bihar will be the first state to publicly declare the assets of bureaucrats.

On its guidance for 2011, BoI (babusofindia.com) wrote on December 31 that sooner or later, Indian bureaucrats may have to place the movable and immovable assets in public domain in the same way as Indian politicians currently do. “The latest salvo has come from Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar who with a renewed mandate is determined to bring in transparency and accountability to administration. Remember Nitish Kumar is the flavour of the season, and his direction to the state’s IAS officers to declare their assets and those of there kin by January 31, may have ripple effects in other states too,” BoI report said.

In fact, during the beginning of 2010, senior bureaucrats in Delhi had a brainstorming on the subject, but the consensus remained a firm “no” to disclosure. But the question is how long bureaucrats will say “no” to it?

Action and Appointments

a) Ramanand Tiwari, a 1972 batch retired IAS and chief information commissioner of Maharashtra government continues to attend office even after the state government had recommended his suspension and reportedly barred him from remaining present in office till the inquiry into Adarsh scam gets over.

Now, Russian bureaucrats to learn English

RUSSIAN bureaucrats are likely to be more fluent in English among other foreign languages as the government has decided to send federal bureaucrats abroad to study foreign languages. The policy of making bureaucrats learn English was outlined in a report last month. According to a report of The Moscow Times, it’s a part of the government’s push to make at least 20 percent of federal officials fluent in a foreign language by 2020.

Also, it has planned that fluent English will become a requirement for newly hired Russian civil servants starting in 2012. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is one of the few politicians in the country who can speak English reasonably well. When Russia won the right to host the 2018 World Cup, sports minister Vitaly Mutko said, “Let me speak from my heart in English”. The Moscow Times report says it took him two weeks to memorize the speech but that YouTube video of Mutko speaking English in a thick accent became a mega hit with more than one million views.

During the Soviet times, the government handed out bonuses to bureaucrats if they could muster English and other foreign languages. Those who spoke German, French or English got 10 percent bonuses, while Asian languages like Japanese fetched 15 percent bonuses.

Action and Appointments

a) ACC has approved the proposal for in-situ upgradation of the post of Director of Census Operations, Rajasthan (Director level) under the ministry of home affairs, presently held by Ms Shubra Singh, a 1989 batch Rajasthan cadre IAS to the level joint secretary.

b) Civil servants have a huge contribution to the governance of the country and government jobs have wider scope to perform than the private sector service, said former Central Chief Vigilance Commissioner N Vittal while inaugurating an IAS Academy in Chennai.

c) Radha Raman Jha, a 1979 batch Central Secretariat Service officer has been appointed as joint secretary in the ministry of home affairs in place of AK Yadav, a 1987 batch Sikkim cadre IAS on completion of his tenure on January 22, 2011.

Babus in Demand

It is proposed to fill up the post of Chairman, Spice Board, at Kochi at the level of joint secretary with a pay band of Rs 37400 to Rs 67,000 with a grade pay of Rs 10,000. For details click DoPT Circular

Maharashtra government may frame one-bureaucrat-one flat rules

IN WHAT could be described as direct fallout of Adarsh Society scam, the government of Maharashtra has been mulling over framing new rules that will allow a bureaucrat to apply for only one flat under government schemes. There are suggestions that a blanket ban should be imposed on the allotment of apartments or land to bureaucrats’ relatives under any government’s concessionary scheme.

Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar suggested that IAS or state officials would have to follow the one-bureaucrat-one flat norm, according to media reports. Under the current rules, one bureaucrat having a flat in Mumbai can also apply for flats in Navi Mumbai, Pune etc. under the government scheme as current rules allow a bureaucrat or politician to apply for a second flat in another district. In case of Mumbai, restrictions are limited only to the city.

In the wake of Adarsh scam, chief minister Prithviraj Chavan asked the JA Patil committee to submit recommendations to make the process of allotment of government land to housing societies more transparent.

11 IAS officers fail to disclose assets

After revealing the names of 851 Central Secretariat Service officers who failed to submit the annual Immovable Property Returns (IPR) for 2009, names of IAS officers have also cropped up for the same reason. Eleven senior IAS officers, including Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) commissioner and 1986 batch IAS officer Siddaiah, have failed to submit the assets and liabilities report for 2009-10, according to Karnataka chief minister BS Yeddyurappa’s written reply in Assembly.

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Govt reveals names of 851 defaulting officers

Can an IAS officer’s note create rift between PM and Sonia?

NO SENIOR bureaucrat in Delhi would like to be associated with this headline: “Babu hand in Sonia-PM rift”. But Arvind Mayaram, a 1978 batch Rajasthan cadre IAS has hogged the limelight for his reported objections to a hike in minimum wages paid under the flagship NREG Scheme after interpreting Pranab Mukherjee’s Budget speech. That’s not all. A note by Mayaram, additional secretary in rural development ministry, formed the basis of Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh’s rejection to Sonia Gandhi-led NAC’s recommendations that minimum wages for NREGA workers be enhanced, according to a report in Hindustan Times. But the rural development ministry finally hiked the wages and sent out a press release last week giving details about the hike of minimum wages for NREGA workers in different states. The Hindustan Times report further said Mayaram to be close to 10 Janpath.

Over a year ago, CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat obtained the minutes of a meeting called on July 10, 2009 to discuss the policy of revising the wage rates where Mayaram reportedly interpreted what finance minister Pranab Mukherjee said about the hike of NREGS wages during the General Budget. It was probably the first such instance of a senior politician obtaining the details of an internal meeting of officers by filing an RTI application.

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Brinda Karat's RTI on Mayaram's view

Action and Appointments

a) The Supreme Court has allowed the Kerala government to go ahead with the trial in the palmolein oil scam involving chief vigilance commissioner and 1973 batch Kerala cadre retired IAS, PJ Thomas. CVC Thomas will now have to face trial in the case. Former Kerala CM K Karunakaran and seven officials including Thomas were chargesheeted in 2000. Thomas was then the Kerala food secretary. The then chief secretary of the state, additional secretary and Kerala state civil supplies corporation’s MD GG Thomas were also named as accused in the FIR.

b) Govind Mohan, a 1989 batch Sikkim cadre IAS, has been appointed as the joint secretary in the Cabinet Secretariat for a period of six months. He has been a director and then a joint secretary in department of economic affairs under finance ministry.

c) New vice-chairman of DDA, GS Patnaik, a 1980 batch IAS officer of Union Territory cadre, has spelt out the reforms that he would be undertaking soon. Creating land record would be one of his priorities. Patnaik would further like to make changes in the field of design innovation of DDA flats. 

Government reveals names of 851 bureaucrats after they fail to furnish their property returns

WHAT could be termed as a possible fall-out of the recent scams that have rocked the government, the ministry of personnel, public grievances and pensions has revealed the names of 851 officers who failed to submit the annual Immovable Property Returns (IPR) for 2009 despite several reminders. The defaulters’ list comprising the Central Secretariat Service officers above the rank of under secretary has some of secretary equivalent officers too.

As Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh himself handles the personnel ministry now, a section of media reports have suggested that PM is angered at the reluctance of many bureaucrats to declare their assets, and putting the names of the defiant bureaucrats in public domain is just a baby step in this direction.

In a DoPT circular dated December 31, 2010, the ministries are requested to obtain the Immovable Property Returns for 2009 from all defaulting officers. In another circular dated January 6, 2011, all Central Secretariat Service officers are requested to furnish IPRs for 2010 (upto January 1, 2011) by the end of this month. They need to furnish all immovable properties including land, building etc. either owned by them or by their close relatives. The income from those properties, if any, should also be given.

Read

List of defaulting officers

Action and Appointments

a) CMD of National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC), Dr HP Kumar received the Icon of the Year Award, for implementing various innovative schemes for the promotion and development of MSME sector in the country. The award was presented by R Bandhopadhaya, secretary, ministry of corporate affairs at the 52nd National Convention of ICWAI held in Chennai.

b) There are reports saying that Arjun Munda-led Jharkhand government is delaying granting approval to CBI to prosecute Pradeep Kumar, IAS, in connection to a Rs130-crore health scam in the state.

Continued slowdown triggers downsizing of bureaucracy across countries; pay cuts suggested

IN India, bureaucracy has always been an elite service. The bureaucrats are rich, highly privileged and in many ways more powerful than most politicians in the country. During the recent economic downturn, the Indian bureaucrats with a 6^th pay commission-given bonanza remained highly secured whereas those in private sector including top CEOs went through a harrowing time.

As India is chasing a double digit growth story, no one has raised the issue of an ever increasing number of bureaucrats and even the inflated kitty to sustain them. But Indian bureaucrats must not ignore the global trend of downsizing of bureaucracy and regular objections to their fat salaries.

Here is a classic example of how Western media has handled this subject. A recent report in a respected newspaper in Britain said that top bureaucrats of the local authorities should be paid less to save money which could be used for better disposal of garbage. The waste generated by the Christmas celebrations triggered the recent debate whether reducing bureaucrats’ salary could be a way out to manage the bin service better!

In Russia, President Dmitry Medvedev disappointed many bureaucrats when he recently ordered cuts in the bloated bureaucracy which could result in 20 percent reduction of officials in the next three years. The downsizing of Russia’s federal bureaucracy is expected to save USD 1.3 billion. In Canada too, high salaries of top bureaucrats has generated debate.

According to reports, the average salary of a bureaucrat working in New York is about Rs 5 lakh if the amount is converted into Indian rupee. The highest paid bureaucrat, according to a Reuters report, works for Roswell Park Cancer Institute Corporation with a cool pay package of $580,000 (or Rs 2.6 crore) per annum.

Even the Chinese government has recently issued strict guidelines of austerity as the cost of the bureaucrats’ foreign junkets including trips to Las Vegas amount to about USD 60 billion per year.

Story about “bloated” UN bureaucracy

NOW, United Nation's bureaucracy is getting flak for its size and inefficiency. As more and more experts are voicing for reforms and the need to create a smarter workforce for this global body, The New York Times has published a very interesting insight of this entire debate in an article titled, “A Bloated U.N. Bureaucracy Causes Bewilderment”.

After all, the UN has five big centers — New York, Geneva, Rome, Vienna and Nairobi in addition to many more small centers. According to the article, in Geneva alone, the United Nations held 10,000 meetings in 2009, offered 632 training workshops and translated 220,000 pages of documents for its yearbooks, reports, and working papers. “But in these difficult economic times, as many countries reduce their own services, critics are asking whether there is a case for putting this army of civil servants to work in a smarter, more streamlined manner,” it argues.

What’s probably needed today is an improved version of former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan’s initiative of late 1990s to reduce staff, cut administrative budget and weed out patronage.

Read: NY Times Story

Action and Appointments

a) G Balachandran, a 1977 batch West Bengal cadre IAS and currently additional secretary and financial advisor in the Department of Space, has been appointed as Advisor in Inter State Council Secretariat in place of Shashi Prakash, a 1976 batch MP cadre IAS who has retired.

b) Former additional chief secretary of Karnataka AKM Nayak has been selected as the state chief information commissioner of Karnataka. A three-member committee, headed by chief minister BS Yeddyurappa chose him for the top post of the Right to Information watchdog in the state. Ex-IAS officer D Thangaraj and ex-IPS officer MR Poojar have also been selected to be information commissioners.

c) An RTI activist has written to the Prime Minister and the CBI questioning the appointment of Ratnakar Gaikwad as the chief secretary of Maharashtra. It was alleged that Gaikwad was the commissioner of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) when it gave the Adarsh building in Mumbai an occupation certificate (OC) on September 16, 2010.