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In age of facebook, how long does it take to enact a Bill to make our Governments – eGovt or iGovt ?
Electronic Delivery of Services Bill, 2011 has been in the making for more than a decade. It is time it becomes an Act and Indians get the benefits of this Act. It can seriously increase the speed of delivery of government services to the common man by making space for transition to online delivery of services. Delhi passed Electronic Service Delivery Act in April 2011. Jharkhand Electronic Services Delivery Act enacted in Sept 2011 has enabled e-governance facilities at the panchayat bhawans of Ranchi to issue electronically signed certificates for birth, income, residential, castes, etc instantaneously. Under this Act, all the 4,500 panchayats in Jharkhand will be connected through an electronic delivery system. The next five years in Maharashtra will witness the introduction of 100 online government to citizen (G2C) services from 44 state departments including public sector units, thanks to the Maharashtra Mandatory Electronic Delivery of Public Services Act (MMEDPS Act) that is likely to be passed in 2011.
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Can we have zero kerosene subsidy and still provide cheap fuel to poor for their home use?
Indonesia can attain zero kerosene subsidy and zero kerosene for home use while India struggles with it majorly. Why can’t we do it, even after we send our Shri R. P. N. Singh, Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas to study this in Jakarta, Indonesia ? http://pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease.aspx?relid=71460 It is quite simple. Provide one-time a LPG kit consisting of 3 kg LPG cylinder, cooking stove and pressure regulator for free to BPL and APL families. This will lead to straight savings of $4 billion/year for India in kerosene subsidies. And, yes you cynical people, the LPG subsidy will only marginally go up. So the effect will not be neutralised.
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BRT or CWG lanes!
Special lanes to quickly move athletes, officials and CWG traffic during CWG 2010 in Delhi, proved quite effective. It did not cost much to organise the CWG lanes and it actually brought in good revenues through penalties on people breaking CWG lane traffic. It costed Rs. 200 cr to build a BRT corridor between Ambedkar Nagar and Moolchand. It still cannot run without its 100+ private staff to control traffic which is costing phenomenally on daily basis to run this BRT corridor. It is a gross waste of tax payers’ funds. This BRT corridor has caused 10+ fatal accidents due to its design faults. The traffic moves awfully slow in peak hours on BRT and traffic lights are 6 minutes long causing severe delays for most vehicles. Delhi CM Sheila Dixit still continues to push for further expansion of BRT. We all want bus or public transport to move rapidly along Delhi roads. Dedicated lanes like in case of CWG in existing roads can be an effective solution which will cost next to nothing to implement and can be done in less than a month all across Delhi. It will also bring in huge revenues from penalties of those breaking the lanes. Even in the west, to move public vehicles faster, they have car pool lanes and not BRT. It serves the purpose well and it does not cause big inconvenience to other vehicles as BRT does. How about trying out dedicated bus lanes in some parts of Delhi and comparing the two solutions from effectiveness, inconvenience and cost point of view?
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Make a national ‘Public Services Guarantee Act’.
Madhya Pradesh launched Public Services Guarantee Act in Dec 2010. Bihar launched Bihar Rajya Seva Dene Ki Guarantee Vidheyak, 2011. Following suit, Uttar Pradesh has enacted a law to set deadline for public services to guarantee time bound delivery, reduce corruption, stop harassment of people and penalise the officials who do not work or delay matters in hope of getting bribe. With the Delhi (Right of Citizen to Time Bound Delivery of Services) Act, 2011 becoming a law on Sept 15, 2011, Delhites are now empowered to get compensation for delays in services rendered by 32 city departments and agencies. Right to Service Act came into effect in Punjab from Aug 15, 2011. It will ensure the delivery of citizen centric services like driving licence, arms licence, revenue record and copy of first information report etc. to the people within the stipulated time limit. The Act will help provide 67 prominent services to the citizens by the government at the right time as a right. Those violating the deadlines will have to penalties ranging from Rs 500 to Rs 5,000. Jharkhand will enact Right to Service Act from Nov 15, 2011. It is time, Central Govt follows States and enacts a National Public Services Guarantee Act that is implemented across India.
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Social audit should be allowed in all govt schemes, departments and ministries at all levels of Govt.
Social audit option in MGNREGA scheme has helped catch corruption and improved implementation of this scheme. It gives power to beneficiaries and common people to hold govt officials accountable. A Social Audit Act needs to be passed making social audit possible in every aspect of govt just like RTI. This will ensure accountability and better implementation in Govt functioning.
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Affordable healthcare for every Indian.
Employee State Insurance Scheme (ESIC) is an age old health insurance scheme which cover 5.5 cr Indians as of 31 March 2011. When we have had such an effective health insurance scheme since 1948, why does govt keep floating gimmicks like Universal Health Scheme. Currently, only employees of some organised sector can avail ESIC. Also, wage-limit for coverage under the Act at Rs.15,000/month. If ESIC is opened to every Indian citizen (poor, middle class or rich) without any wage ceilings or requirement of being an employee in organised sector, so many Indians can get affordable healthcare. Currently, ESIC insured person can only avail treatment in ESI Dispensary/Hospital/Diagnostic Centre and recognised institutions. If private clinics and hospitals are added to this list, healthcare can reach every nook and corner of this country. ESIC has been a financially sustainable scheme without any subsidies. Opening this mediclaim to cover every Indian will bring in more premium and claim ratio will be reduced further bringing in more financial sustainability.
So if we can provide healthcare to every Indian (BPL, APL and middle class) without subsidies, why are we not doing it? Only reason I can think of is that then Minister of Health and bureaucrats in health ministry will not be able to make money through bribes and embezzlement of public health funds.
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Why Congress govt at Centre, shies to pick-up good laws and schemes from state govts – just because they were launched by Opposition party ruled state govts?
Madhya Pradesh launched Public Services Guarantee Act in Dec 2010. Taking a leaf from it, Bihar is about to launch Bihar Rajya Seva Dene Ki Guarantee Vidheyak, 2011. What is holding Central Govt to make a National Public Services Guarantee Act to be followed by Central Govt as well as all State Govts in India? Is it just Party politics, since it is Congress govt at Centre and its BJP govt in MP and JD(U)+BJP govt in Bihar?
Strangely, Congress govt in Centre re-launched failed Universal Health Scheme as Rashtriya Bima Swasthya Yojana (RSBY) about 3 years ago instead of offering something like Yeshasvini health insurance scheme across India. Yeshasvini is a very successful Karnataka state govt run mediclaim policy started by Congress Chief Minister S M Krishna. Still Congress govt at Centre did not adopt this health insurance scheme. It could have saved the exchequer at least Rs. 1,000 crores in subsidies and still every Indian would have been covered fully for good healthcare. I just wonder, if Congress has forgotten that good policy makes good politics?
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Jairam Ramesh decides that law is not one for all – customizes based on … gratification received?
Jairam Ramesh declares 31 storey building – Adarsh Housing Society in Colaba, Mumbai ‘illegal’ and orders its demolition within 3 months citing violation of coastal regulation zone (CRZ) norms. But when it comes to Akshardham and bus depot made for CWG on Yamuna river bed, he admits that both projects has violated Ministry of Enviroment norms and have no enviromental clearance but they cannot be grazed to the ground. Why this favouritism? discretionary treatment? punishment to one and pardon to another for same crime? Even Jairam Ramesh has no answer to his completely opposite decisions in less than a fortnight! Of course, Sonia Gandhi and Dr Manmohan Singh are happy by-standers to this open mockery of the laws of India.
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UID and Post Office
If Nandan Nilekani had used Post Office’s wide network of 1,55,000 post-offices across India to distribute UID instead of giving private companies the contract to issue UID, there would have been several benefits as follows:
- Complete computerisation and networking of entire postal network.
- In one cost, both Post Offices would have been computerised and networked and UID issue infrastructure would have been setup, resulting in savings of at least Rs. 5,000 crores to GoI.
- No need to setup a parallel and dedicated network of computers and service providers across India only for issuing UID.
- UID will be accessible easily and on daily basis even in the remotest part of India.
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Practical guide to get your work done without paying bribe
Government babus (officials) use different tactics to extract bribe. You may take the following action to counter those tactics. These are very simple & useful. I have tried them with very successful results.
(1) Indefinite Delay: They keep on delaying your work until you go to them & offer bribe.
Solution: Don’t visit government offices. Follow up your pending work through letters. You may send letters by courier, registered post or speed post. Local speed post costs only Rs 12/-. Local couriers are available at Rs 5/-. You may also use RTI Act to know status of your work. In this case you need to spend another Rs 10/-.
(2) Demanding unnecessary papers: Sometimes they demand unnecessary papers & give hints that work can be done without those papers if you bribe.
Solution: If they can offer to do your work without additional papers with bribe, it means that those papers were definitely unnecessary. (i) Ask babus to demand those papers in writing and record the conversation. (ii) Write a letter stating that you demanded these papers. Are they really mandatory as per law? You can also use RTI Act here. (iii) Use RTI Act to find out whether he demanded those papers from other applicants. (iv) Whatever paper he demands, send by post. Never deliver anything without receipt.
Remember no officer will complete your work without mandatory papers. He will keep his file perfectly clean.
(3) They advise you to pay bribe so that you pay less tax / penalties. Many times they demand higher amount for penalties than prescribed under laws.
Solution: (1) Check laws if you can (2) Record conversation & tell them that you are going to report to Anti-Corruption Bureau. (3) Use RTI Act to find out how much was paid by others under similar circumstances.
(4) When the babu is not available in office.
Solution: Write a letter that I came to your office on say, 1st August at 11 AM but you were not available. Your assistant Mr. Rama Rao told me to come again on 5th August. This letter will make him take special care of your work.
(5) If nothing works, try this.
When you don’t have any option, record the conversation, pay money & get your work done. After your work is completed, meet that babu and demand your money back. Tell him that you are going to complaint, if he does not return your money. Tell him about Jago party. Take some Jago pamphlet or advertisement copy with you. This will most likely make him return your money.
(6) Develop the habit of complaining.
Whenever you see crime & corruption, send written complaints to head of that department, ACB / CBI, local newspapers & Jago Party.
(7) Don’t be submissive.
Call babus by their names. Don’t call them “sir”. Be polite but don’t show unnecessary respect. Be firm and confident. Talk about RTI Act & Jago party. Babus are always afraid of knowledgeable people.
These methods may sound unbelievable but try it at least once to discover their power.
Remember, “Smallest action is much better than the noblest intentions”. Please forward this to all your friends.
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Jago Party promises Rs. 2.5 lakhs for each Indian family and no taxes for Indians for 30 years
Jago Party is demanding that money stashed by Indians in tax havens across the world should be brought back to the country. The black money and corruption money lying in bank accounts in Switzerland and other countries could be used to eradicate poverty and illiteracy in India.
There are many estimates as to how much of Indian money is lying in such accounts. According to popular belief, it would be in the region of Rs. 72,80,000 crores ($1,456 billion). This amount should be brought back to India and used for development and nation building efforts.”
Former Union law minister Ram Jethmalani has demanded setting up of a special investigation team to probe unaccounted money of Indians, estimated to the tune of 1,500 billion dollars, lying in Swiss and other foreign banks.
If this money is brought from foreign banks to India, every family in this country would get nearly Rs two-and-a- half lakhs, national debt will be liquidated and for 30 years continuously the people would get a tax free budget, Jethmalani claims.
Jethmalani and some others has filed a petition in the Supreme Court to seek recovery of this money, which is likely to come up for hearing in July but the Union Government had filed an affidavit saying that though it had received information about these accounts, it could not disclose them as it was given under the condition of confidentiality.
Swiss govt is ready to help Indian govt trace this money but Indian govt has not replied to Swiss govt’s 3 year old letter asking whether Indian govt wants details of Indian bank holders in Switzerland under a tax evasion investigation or money laundering investigation.
Baba Ramdev’s Swabhiman Manch, which is a NGO turned political party, is also demanding that corruption and black money sitting in foreign banks of Indian politicians and businessman rightfully belongs to the people of India. Jago Party will ensure that this money is brought back to India in its 1st year of forming the central govt and distributed to Indians.
A Supreme Court Bench headed by Chief Justice KG Balakrishnan will hear the PIL filed in this regards by Ram Jethmalani, KPS Gill and four other prominent citizens on July 28, 2010. According to the petition, the Income Tax Department had served notices on one Hasan Ali Khan of Pune and his co-conspirators, demanding a tax of Rs 40,000 crore and Rs 20,580 crore, respectively. The petitioners said the black money was siphoned off between 2002 and 2006. Half of this period pertained to the NDA rule and the remaining part to the present UPA government.
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Common Agenda and Party Manifesto for India
- Eliminate all subsidies.
- Eliminate all reservations in education, elections, jobs and anywhere else.
- Implement market pricing for all petroleum products including petrol, diesel, kerosene, naptha, natural gas, cooking gas.
- Same income tax laws for all citizens including farmers.
- No loan waivers to anyone including farmers.
- No govt – central, state or city/village level should be allowed to give free or low cost rice, wheat, sugar, television or any other product.
- Implement Goods and Services Tax (GST) at standard rate of 5% for all products and services. Custom duty standardised at 5% for all products. No surcharges to be allowed.
- Remove all classifications such as OBC, SC, ST, Other castes, Tribal. Treat everyone equally.
- No one older than 70 years to be allowed to contest elections.
- Remove all tax sops including those given to STPI, BPO, ITES, SEZ.
- Strengthen RTI and implement anti-corruption measures more strongly.
- Make electricity the central matter and privatise electricity production, transmission and distribution completely across the country.
- Allow 100% FDI in all industries.
- Make INR 100% freely convertible.
- Computerise all govt offices at all levels – central, state and city/village level. Connect all govt offices through networking and make data easily available to all arms of govt.
- Train entire govt staff in English and Computers.
- Dismiss corrupt officers immediately. Reward good officers with cash awards and fast-track promotions. Appoint good officers as District Collectors across the country.
- Repeal FCRA.
- Non-charitable schools and hospitals should not be allowed to register as NGOs. All privately run schools and hospitals must convert into for-profit company registrations immediately and pay taxes.
- Disinvest all central and state govt owned companies on stock exchanges.
- Govt should get out of the business of running business completely and only create laws and regulate the business world.
- Privatise railways by selling of different types of services to different players.
- Make land and property a central matter. Reduce property tax across the country to 5%.
- Allow free import and export of services and products.
- Strengthen Judicial system by complete automation, more qualified manpower, extensive training, bringing in more transparency and accountability.
- Improve law and order situation by cleaning up Police force across the country.
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What will I do for People of India if they vote me to Lok Sabha?
If People of India (more specifically, people of New Delhi or Jalore, Rajasthan constituency) vote me to be their Member of Parliament, my strategy to bring about a large scale sustainable change across India will be as follows:
I will select 1,000 straight forward, best of the cream, well-intended, non-corrupt, intelligent, smart, results oriented, driven bureaucrats and appoint them as collectors of Districts, Chairman & MD of central or state govt corporations, head of govt departments and so on. I will make sure that they are appointed in positions of influence, power and where the impact for people is the most. I will ensure that they do not face any political interference in their work. A good officer can change the entire district or dept, can eliminate corruption, can ensure that all the govt staff works properly, that govt services are delivered in a timely fashion and proper customer service.
It sounds very simple and easy. It sounds like I will do nothing. But it is the biggest thing I can do for India. It is the bureaucrats that run this country, not Ministers, no MPs, not elected Govt. You will say, then why they are unable to run our country properly. Answer is corrupt politicians and political interference in the work of bureaucrats. That is what I want to remove. Also, important posts are given away to bad bureaucrats. I want to give it to good bureaucrats who have proven time and again that they are not corrupt and they can do a lot for India.
Here is a live example of how a good bureaucrat can bring about positive changes in an entire corporation in a very short period of time – Bihar’s bridges, way to a new work culture
A few good bureaucrats who are already on my list are:
Surinder Jeet Kaur, SHO, Kamla Market station, New Delhi
Dr R Anandakumar, Collector, Erode, Tamil Nadu
Anurag Sharma, ITO, Ward 3(2), C R Bldg, ITO, New Delhi
Krishan Kumar, Director General of Punjab School Education, IAS, 1997
Rigzin Samphel, District Magistrate, Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh, IAS, 2003
Purna Chandra Kishan, Collector, Dungarpur, Rajasthan
Dr.V.K.Shanmugam, I.A.S., Collector, Krishnagiri District, Tamil Nadu
Anil Swarup, Director General of Labour Welfare & Head of Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY)
Dr A Ravi Shankar, Public Information Officer (PIO), Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), Hyderabad
Ranjit Raj Kakde, Chief Public Information Officer (CPIO), Nuclear Power Corporation India Ltd (NPCIL)
Dr Atul Fulzele, Superintendent of Police (SP), Kangra Dist, Himachal Pradesh
Dr Lalit Narayan Mishra, PIO, Dist Inspector of Schools (DIOS), Dehradun, Uttarakhand
K Raju, IAS, Kerala
T K Jose, IAS, Kerala
S M Raju, Bihar
Pratyaya Amrit, IAS, 1991
S R Rao
Sushil Solanki, Commissioner, Customs – Nhava Shiva (Exports)
M N Prasad
Sudeep Jain
Gagandeep Singh Bedi
Pratyaya Amrit