MP cadre woman IAS officer wants to approach Anna Hazare; Why?

ANNA factor may no longer be as strong as it used to be, but an aggrieved woman IAS officer from Madhya Pradesh, Shashi Karnawat, has threatened to approach anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare against state chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, local media reports said. She has accused the chief minister of protecting the corrupt. No report has however carried the state government’s version.
Ms Karnawat, a 1999 batch Madhya Pradesh cadre IAS, has alleged that the state government has harassed her because she is a Dalit. She has claimed she was framed in a case of financial irregularities over a decade ago but got a clean chit. But the state government has not taken back the case as yet. She has worked as deputy secretary in the technical education department in the state.
52-year old IAS officer also said that she would take up the matter to National Commission for Women apart from approaching Hazare, reports said.

Action and Appointments

Thomson Foundation Trustees

a) A group of 11 Indian government officials are now in UK to get training on media management from Thomson Foundation. They will be trained both in London and Cardiff. Former award winning BBC presenter and investigative journalist Tim Rogers is the head of training in Thomson Foundation. The foundation is known for imparting tailor-made programmes in media management. For example, Burmese citizen journalists were trained on covert video training. In another course, broadcast executives, oil company communications chiefs from Egypt were trained on media planning.

IPS officer reviewing Anna Hazare's security is a yoga freak, friend of Baba Ramdev

Dr Satyapal Singh, Additional Director General of Police in Maharashtra and the man who is personally reviewing the security of anti-graft crusader Anna Hazare by visiting Anna’s native village in Ralegan Siddhi is an unusual police officer. His domain knowledge and understanding of Yoga, Vedas and Swami Vivekananda could make many religious experts envious.

And that has made him closer to many civil society activists and spiritual gurus over the years. Have a close look at this file photo. Satyapal Singh with his family had shared a happy moment with Baba Ramdev, Yoga guru and anti-corruption activist. The IPS officer was then Pune’s police commissioner.

Only a few days ago, Singh as additional DGP (law and order) visited Ralegan Siddhi and tried to persuade him to enhance the security cover. In the backdrop of attacks on Team Anna members, Prashant Bhushan and Arvind Kejriwal, it was originally suggested that Anna should be given Z category security which would have meant the deployment of 22 security personnel round the clock. But Anna had refused the suggestion. Finally, it was decided Anna will have 11 security men, as against the four who are being currently deployed. Metal detectors at the entrances of his home, Padmavati temple and his office were also installed.

As people close to the development say IPS Singh struck cords with Anna Hazare too. Born at Meerut, Singh was an M.Phil in chemistry from Delhi University, but he always developed a better chemistry with spiritualism and ancient India, particularly the Vedic age. While in service, Singh did his PhD in Naxalism, and an MBA from an Australian university.

In his blog, the IPS officer writes that guidance or instructions for individuals are actually provided in the Vedas in some form or the other. “Every minute and meaningful knowledge of the Universe, guidance or instructions for individuals, domestic, social, national or international harmonious, sustainable and holistic development are provided in the Vedas in seed forms… Vedas are encoded with scientific and technological insights, experiments and riddles,” Singh believes.

Action and Appointments

a) The ACC has approved the extension of Central deputation tenure of the following officers for a period of six months beyond the dates of completion of their normal tenure:

(i) Arvind Mayaram, a 1978 batch Rajasthan cadre IAS and additional secretary and financial adviser, ministry of rural development;

(ii) Sanjay Kothari, a 1978 batch Haryana cadre IAS and additional secretary, ministry of tourism.

Anna aide Arvind Kejriwal still a government servant?

IS Arvind Kejriwal, a key aide of anti-graft crusader Anna Hazare, still a government servant? According to government records, Kejriwal’s resignation submitted in 2006, was not accepted as yet, thereby making him a government servant in all technical terms.

The issue cropped up when Income Tax department asked him to pay over Rs 9 lakh as dues a week before Hazare was to begin his fast, at least two media reports said. According to official records, Kejriwal has not joined back after he went on a study leave. Kejriwal joined Indian Revenue Service officer after a short stint in Tata Group.

I-T department demanded Kejriwal to return two years’ salary amounting to Rs 3.50 lakh and interest accumulated so far of Rs 4.16 lakh apart from Rs 1 lakh for a computer loan with interests, according to a Times of India report. Kejriwal defended his position saying that he had not violated any conditions in government bond.

He joined the service after he went on study leave. Finally, he resigned in 2006. In earlier communication, Kejriwal had also asked the department to deduct his dues towards the computer loans from his General Provident Fund, according to reports.

Kejriwal’s wife Sunita is also an Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer working with the same I-T department which has slapped the notice on Kejriwal.

Also Read

10 things you must know about Arvind Kejriwal

All India Judicial Service a reality

The government has said that “it is seized of the matter of creation of an All India Judicial Service under article 312 of the Constitution.” Giving this information in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha, law minister Salman Khurshid said that this creation requires a Resolution to be passed by the Rajya Sabha enabling the Parliament to enact necessary laws.

Action and Appointments

a) Pinuel Basumatary, a 1983 batch Indian Audit and Accounts Service officer, has been appointed as Executive Director (North East Region) at the level of joint secretary in the Food Corporation of India at Guwahati. Basumatary will have a five-year term.

Om Puri’s anti-politician comment gives “backhand compliments” to IAS, IPS

ACTOR Om Puri’s allegedly “derogatory and defamatory” language against politicians might have made Members of Parliament utterly angry and upset, some bureaucrats have quietly expressed their happiness about a part of the comment, if not in entirety. The babus who along with politicians have now been under fire from civil society activists on the issue of corruption, say it was a “backhand compliment” to them. None of the bureaucrats have, however, said anything on record.

Standing next to anti-graft crusader Anna Hazare at Ramlila Ground on last Saturday, Puri told a gathering that he felt ashamed to see “an IAS or IPS officer salute a ganwaar neta (illiterate politician)”. The Bollywood actor did not stop there. He said: “Yeh anpadh hain, inka kya background hai? Aadhe se zyaada MP ganwaar aur nalaayak hain (They are uneducated; what’s their background? More than half of the MPs are illiterate and useless).” Puri later apologised for his statements, saying the comments were made in the heat of the moment. There were allegations that Puri was drunk when he made those comments. Puri denied allegations that he was drunk then.

Meanwhile, Parliament accepted Privilege notices against actor Om Puri and former IPS offiicer Kiran Bedi for using “derogatory and defamatory” language against politicians. An MP in Rajya Sabha accused lawyer activist Prashant Bhushan for reportedly saying that legislations are passed by Parliament after taking bribe.

The MPs who took the initiative to bring Privilege motion included PL Punia, Jagadambika Pal, Ramashankar Rajbhar, Lalchand Kataria, Mirza Aslam Beg, Praveen Aron and Shailendra Kumar.

Action and Appointments

a) The government has decided to crack the whip on over 200 IAS officers who have not submitted their immovable property returns despite many reminders. The last date is January 1 every year. V Narayanasamy, minister of state for personnel told media that all cadre authorities were told to call for explanation of officers, who had not submitted their returns.

b) The Central government has approved extension of inter-cadre deputation of PB Salim, a 2001 batch West Bengal cadre IAS from West Bengal to Kerala cadre for a period of six months December 15, 2011.

Anna's Jan Lokpal makes stringent provisions to punish bureaucrats, an outline

AS the Indian Parliament is expected to debate various versions of Lokpal drafts including Jan Lokpal Bill prepared by Team Anna Hazare on Saturday, here are a few excerpts of Hazare’s Jan Lokpal draft that are directly related to bureaucrats. For the record, these provisions are at the proposal stage, and the standing committee may not accept all of those in totality. Also, the government has so far accepted the inclusion of Group A officers into Lokpal, but the civil society members are emphasizing the lower bureaucracy to be brought under the ambit of Lokpal.

Some Excerpts of Jan Lokpal Draft

* For any act of corruption, the punishment shall not be less than six months of rigorous imprisonment and may extend up to imprisonment for life. If the beneficiary of an offense is a business entity, in addition to the other punishments provided for under this Act and under the Prevention of Corruption Act, a fine of up to five times the loss caused to the public shall be recovered from the accused and the recovery may be made from the assets of the business entity and from the personal assets of its Managing Directors, if the assets of the accused person are inadequate.

* If a public servant is convicted under the Prevention of Corruption Act, such public servant shall stand removed from his office.

* The Special Court will pass an order for the confiscation of all the assets and properties which it has found to have been acquired by the corrupt acts of the convicted public servants as well as the subsequent accruals on these assets.

* The Special Court would also determine whether apart from the above the accused person by his corrupt acts has also caused any loss to the exchequer or any other person and determine the amount of loss so caused. The Court shall make an order levying a fine on the accused persons so convicted for the recovery of the entire loss which his corrupt acts have caused and shall also apportion this amount among the various convicted accused persons to be recovered from them as fines.

* Every public servant shall within 3 months after the commencement of this Act and thereafter before the 30^th June of every year submit a statement of his assets and liabilities and those of the members of his family which shall include their sources of income, in the format prescribed by the Lokpal. Family of a public servant means the spouse and

such children and parents of the public servant and such other people as are dependent on him.

* The Head of each public authority shall ensure that all such statements are put on the website by 31^st of August of that year. If it is found that the public servant owns some property which was not disclosed in his statement of assets, that property would be liable to be confiscated by the Lokpal.

Government fields Maharashtra IAS Umesh Sarangi to deal with Anna Hazare

An Anna supporter

FOR the last few days, Umesh Chandra Sarangi, a 1977 batch Maharashtra cadre IAS and state’s additional chief secretary (home) has been engaged in back-channel talks with anti-graft crusader Anna Hazare’s key aides to end the current stalemate over Hazare’s fast over Jan Lokpal draft bill. Sarangi, a former principal secretary to Maharashtra’s ex-chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, has been personally known to Hazare for over 10 years. It’s believed that Sarangi was called to Delhi mainly to minimize the trust deficit between government and Team Anna.

Sarangi is however not the first bureaucrat to hold unofficial talks with civil society members with an intension to defuse a serious crisis involving civil society. Only three months ago, then CBDT chairman and 1973 batch Indian Revenue Service officer Sudhir Chandra was fielded by the government to persuade Baba Ramdev for not going ahead with the proposed fast. But the strategy did not work.

Hailing from Orissa, 59 year-old Sarangi has reportedly handed over a new version of the Lokpal draft bill, but Hazare’s team-mates did not find that impressive as it was almost the same with that of the government’s version of Lokpal.

Sarangi is one of the few bureaucrats who worked in Maharashtra’s agriculture and co-operatives department for many years right from mid-1990s, and that’s where Sarangi dealt with Hazare issues. The government is now banking on Sarangi’s earlier experiences of dealing with Hazare.

Action and Appointments

a) The Centre has approved the extension of inter-cadre deputation of Narendra Bahadur

Singh Rajput, a 1999 batch Orissa cadre IAS from Orissa to Madhya Pradesh cadre for a period of two years.

b) The government has extended Central deputation tenure of Ajit Kumar, a 1980 batch Bihar cadre IAS and joint secretary in the ministry of food processing industries for a period of three months beyond September 17.

Team Anna: 10 things you may like to know about ex-IRS officer Arvind Kejriwal

ONE of Team Anna Hazare’s key aides, Arvind Kejriwal, was an Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer who worked as Additional Commissioner of Income Tax in Delhi before opting for a quiet exit of his high profile government job. A crusader for stringent anti-corruption laws in India now, Kejriwal once met Mother Teresa in Kolkata and worked for her for two months. He started his NGO Parivartan informally even when he was in the Income-Tax department. Here are 10 things you may like to know about Kejriwal, a Ramon Magsaysay Award winner and a confidante of Anna Hazare.

1. Hailing from Haryana, 43 year-old Kejriwal is an engineer from IIT-Kharagpur.

2. Worked for the Tata Group before joining Indian Revenue Service in 1995.

3. Before leaving the Tata and joining the IRS, he met Mother Teresa who asked him to work at Kalighat in Kolkata. Kejriwal worked for Mother Teresa for two months.

Spot Kejriwal: IRS officers of 1995 batch 

4. He also traveled inside Bodoland of Assam when militancy was at its peak.

5. Kejriwal thought he would be a misfit in the IRS service, but did not leave the job immediately.

6. Started his NGO Parivartan informally even when he was an Income Tax officer. Received Rs 50,000 donation from his relatives to begin the process. The idea was to appeal people that “don’t pay bribe in the tax department, get your work done through Parivartan”.

7. Won the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Emergent Leadership in 2006.

8. Played a key role in lobbying for the Right To Information Act passed.

9. Kejriwal’s wife Sunita is also an Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer. They have two children.

10. He lives at Kaushambi in Ghaziabad district of Uttar Pradesh. It’s just at the outskirts of Delhi.

Government’s Lokpal to give 3 layers of protection to corrupt officials, says Team Anna Hazare

Anna with Kejriwal and Kiran Bedi

Anna Hazare's team that has also included two former bureaucrats, 1972 batch IPS Kiran Bedi and 1995 batch Indian Revenue Service officer Arvind Kejriwal, has chosen to term the government version of Lokpal draft as ‘Protection of Corrupt Public Servants Bill, 2011’. Anna Hazare and his core team have been ridiculing the government’s version of the draft as Jokepal after the Union government chose to ignore the civil society’s version of the draft bill and introduced its own version in Parliament to decide. Now, a standing committee is scrutinizing the merits and demerits of the draft Bill.

On Tuesday morning, Delhi police detained Anna, Bedi, Kejriwal and advocate Prashant Bhushan among others for their proposed plan to protest without getting requisite permission. There was an apprehension that the protests would disrupt normal life in India’s capital city. But many common men were annoyed to witness Delhi police’s crackdown on Anna Hazare.

Bhushan has been arguing in news channels that government’s Lokpal Bill would in fact shield corrupt officials. Here is his argument. The draft Bill has a provision to bring 30 lakh NGOs across the country under the ambit of Lokpal but only 60,000 Class I officers and above would come under the Lokpal. Team Anna’s further contention is that the punishment for false complaint is two years imprisonment while the punishment to corrupt officers is only six months under the government version.

“In case any complaint is lodged against a public servant, there is provision for a counter case of ‘false complaint’ which will start immediately in the special court but the corrupt officer will get three layers of protection even before a chargesheet can be filed by the Lokpal,” Bhushan told a news channel.

DoPT races ahead of Hazare: Officers’ properties will now be on public domain

IT seems to be a mere coincidence, but Indian government’s circular stating that immovable property returns of IAS and other Group A officers would be placed in public domain, came a day before Anna Hazare began a “fast unto death” for a stringent anti-corruption law. On April 5, 2011, Hazare began his fast to exert pressure on the government to enact a Jan Lokpal Bill, a law that will establish an ombudsman with powers to deal with corruption in public offices.

Incidentally, DoPT’s circular came on April 4, 2011 asking IAS officers to submit the immovable property returns as on January 1, 2011 with a clear tag saying that annual property returns of IAS and other Central government officers would be placed in public domain.

Though all officers need to file these returns, many of those don’t care much. Also, till now, these returns were kept confidentially. Now, according to the DoPT circular, officers failing to file such returns would be denied vigilance clearance leading to the stalling of their promotion and empanelment.

That’s not all. If an officer fails to submit the return by the stipulated date of April 20, 2011, his or her name will be made public under the list of defaulting officers, the circular added.

Circular for CVC post

Can a non-government person with impeccable integrity directly apply for the post of CVC? The circular does mention about it, but it’s not clear how he can apply for the post.

Read the DoPT CIRCULAR, dated April 5, 2011