THE 7th Pay Commission bonanza of Rs 30,748 crore was
announced with a big bang by the Narendra Modi government. As many as 34 lakh
government employees and 14 lakh pensioners were thrilled by the announcement
in June 2017. But their dreams soon shattered. Barring some central ministries,
majority of the government employees are still waiting for the increased hike
and the arrears. Most of the Central University employees were informed that
they may get the salary as per the 7th Pay Commission from May 2018 but there
is not much clarity about the allowances. The worst sufferers are the
North-Eastern states. Currently, the salary of the North-Eastern government
employee is as per the 4th Pay Commission. Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar
Deb and Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma recently met with the
three-member expert committee constituted for this purpose. Even the teachers
of the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan are still waiting for the light of the day.
There are reports that the government may actually end up providing this big
benefit to them ahead of the 2019 general elections at a higher rate than
actually recommended. The government may reportedly provide this benefit to all
employees, who get salaries from pay matrix level 1 to 5. Whenever it will
happen, it will bring cheers to all government employees. Good luck to
them.
April 17, 2018
by the way : Taking up the cudgels
ROHINI Sindhuri Dasari, an 2009-batch IAS officer of the Karnataka
cadre, may have inadvertently joined a growing list of powerful women officers
of Karnataka, including D Rope and Sonia Narang, who not only broke through the
glass ceiling but also made a mark by standing up to the senior bureaucracy and
politicians, when they came in the way of good work. The young Deputy
Commissioner of Hassan district is going up against the government for
transferring her prematurely. She believes short tenures come in the way of
development. But there’s more to the story. The fight appears to be basically
about the sanctioning of a tender worth Rs 11.75 crore by a local politician
and minister in the State, A Manju, to his favourite. Manju, along with other
Congress leaders, has complained against Dasari in the past too. But the rift
between the two deepened over the tender for the construction of a viewer’s
gallery atop Vindhyagiri for the Mahamastakabhisheka event in February. While
Manju had insisted on handing over the work to Karnataka Road Development
Corporation Ltd, Dasari had decided to hand it over to the Public Works
Department. This is not the first time she has been a victim of a premature
transfer. Her transfer from Mandya, where she was posted as Zilla Panchayat
CEO, was rather sudden too. Several like- minded individuals and organisations
had written to the Chief Minister to revoke her transfer in the interest of the
district’s development. The Congress which is fighting an electoral battle with
the BJP apparently does not have time to listen to the upright officer.
by the way : Passing the buck?
DEMONETISATION, the Chanda Kochchar controversy, absconding Vijay Mallya
and the impact of the Nirav Modi case has slowly started percolating down the
line in the banking industry. The lending scenario in the banks is the lowest
in a decade. Given rising bad loans and NPAs, the public sector banks are now
being extra careful which is resulting in low credit offtake. The Reserve Bank
of India and the Department of Banking may present a rosy picture of the
industry but the ground level scenario is dismal. Bank Chairmen and Managing
Directors of most PSU banks are scared and not pushing the lending business.
Normally, the Zonal Managers and Bank Managers are the nodal officers for the
offtake of the lending business and are constantly under pressure to meet
lending targets. In the current scenario, the smart managers have evolved a new
modus operandi. Whenever any businessmen or company approaches them for loan or
bank guarantee, they technically start processing the papers but tacitly delay
the process. In the meantime the details are reportedly passed on to private
banks. The private bank approaches the loanseeker and offers them quick
sanction without any hassles of submitting innumerable documents–for a price.
The ‘booty’ collected is shared by officials of the private bank and the public
sector bank.
by the way : Sushasan in Bihar!
EVERY day one reads news about corruption in Bihar. Former Chief
Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav is in jail on corruption charges. There is a severe
crisis of governance within the civil services of Bihar–18 IAS and 208 Bihar
Administrative Service officers (BAS) are facing departmental proceedings on
charges of corruption, misuse of office and dereliction of duty. The General
Administration Department (GAD) has prepared a list of 12 IAS officers who have
been facing departmental proceedings from the period before March 31, 2016. The
‘Sushashan’ government of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar initiated similar
proceedings against six more IAS officials between April 2016 and February
2018. Proceedings are ongoing not only against IAS officers but 145 BAS
officers also from before March 31, 2016. The State government initiated
similar proceedings against 63 more BAS officers between April 2016 and
February 2018. The maladministration in the State seems to be at all levels: 94
employees of the Bihar Clerical Service are also facing various charges of
corruption, misuse of office and deliberate negligence of duty. Approximately 320
employees are facing departmental proceedings, if the clerical staff is
included. And, 18 state IAS officials have been suspended for serious charges
of corruption against them. One of them, Sudhir Kumar, has been in jail since
February 24 last year on the charge of leaking question papers of a recruitment
examination conducted by the Bihar Staff Selection Commission (BSSC). Kumar, a
1987-batch Bihar cadre IAS official, was the BSSC chairman at that time. Three
of his relatives, including his brother’s wife and a nephew, were also arrested
in the case. Two other IAS officials under suspension are SM Raju (1991 batch)
and Deepak Anand (2007 batch). It is learnt that Vigilance Investigation Bureau
sleuths have also arrested 83 officers/employees while accepting bribe in 2017.
It is to be seen, whether action against these officers and employees will have
a deterrent impact.
Bric a brac : Technocrat at the helm?
IMAGINE the day when India is governed by a technocrat. Of late,
technocrats have expressed their willingness to be Prime Minister, President
and Vice-President of the country. In the past, technocrats have served as
Secretary Power, Vice-Chairman of Planning Commission, and Secretary Finance.
The main founder of a Bengaluru-based technology giant planted a story about
himself being considered for the post of President. One
technocrat-turned-election manager of the NDA and UPA is annoyed with the BJP
and the Congress for not sending him to Rajya Sabha. But aspirations never die.
There is a sudden uneasiness in the Congress about the resurgent role of a
technocrat who already commands considerable clout in the party. He has
reportedly deputed his technical team in the data centre of the party. Rahul
Gandhi has unflinching trust in his administrative capabilities. It is being
surmised that a 2004-like ‘coalition’ situation is possible in 2019 and
everybody may claim to be a prime ministerial candidate. Rahul Gandhi would not
like to be Prime Minister in a chaotic political scenario. The Congress may,
and in all probability will, have an alternate name to be proposed for the
coveted post. And he naturally be a trusted and able candidate.
Bric a brac : Piyush Goyal out of the race?
CHARTERED accountant-turned-politician Railway Minister Piyush Goyal is
one of the smartest ministers in the Narendra Modi cabinet. Modi also has high
expectations from him irrespective of his alleged financial aberrations. He has
recently been very active and played an important role in the UP Rajya Sabha
elections. UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was also impressed by his working
style. Goyal is close to ailing Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. Many in the
BJP’s ruling clique had thought that in Jaitley’s absence, charge of the
Finance Ministry would be given to Piyush Goyal. But everything is never as it
seems. Before the move could materialise, it was reported by a news website
that Goyal is allegedly connected with Mumbai-based laminates maker Shirdi
Industries which has defaulted on Rs. 650 crore. The timing of the news was
important. Sources disclosed that a newly nominated Rajya Sabha member hinted
of the scam to the news website. It’s also disclosed that the said Rajya Sabha
member desires to be the new Finance Minister, a dream which he has nurtured
for the last two years. Modi seems unfazed by the turn of events but the buzz
is that Modi will keep the Finance Ministry himself and will manage with
efficient officials of the ministry. Goyal for the time being is out of the
race.
Bric a brac : West Bengal, ahoy
FOR all those who desire to enter Parliament, the BJP has become the new
breeding centre. People from all walks of life are aspiring to be candidates in
the 2019 parliamentary elections. And many are looking at West Bengal. This is
not surprising as the BJP does not have candidates for all 42 parliamentary and
295 assembly seats in the State. This has created an opportunity for
opportunist and uncouth young boys who have somehow managed to penetrate the
system of BJP and Amit Shah. Some of these young boys, who hail from Bihar,
Odisha and eastern UP, have located parliamentary constituencies in West Bengal
and are regularly visiting the area. As these boys already have access to the
BJP’s central office through its many departments, they pose as central office
representatives which gives them an edge and access to the negligible
leadership. Some of these boys have also rented accommodation in Kolkata. To
get further, some have even hired the services of Bangla language teacher to be
able influence the voters by claiming themselves as local politician. So, if
you don’t have any seat to contest and are eager to enter the BJP bandwagon,
rush to West Bengal and choose a constituency, who knows you may be an MP soon!
Bric a brac : The rise of Baluni
THE selection of Rajya Sabha candidates by the BJP has bewildered many
in the ‘saffron-camp’. The BJP has even accommodated politicians who were
persona non grata for the RSS. Narendra Modi and Amit Shah seem to have
selected candidates as per the latter’s utility as a politician. Also, many
were surprised when RSS’ prominent face Ram Madhav’s name was not in the list
whereas an unknown face like Anil Baluni from Uttarakhand scored a position in
the Upper House. Baluni was once a stringer to minor newspapers like Kuber
Times and JVG Times. With time, both the newspapers shut down and Baluni began
visiting the BJP and RSS’ Delhi offices. Here he came in touch with Sunder
Singh Bhandari. When Bhandari became the Governor of Gujarat, he made Baluni
his Officer on Special Duty. This was sometime around 2001. It was the same
time when Modi took over as Gujarat Chief Minister. Baluni then played a role
of the medium of communication between Modi and Bhandari. Unfortunately,
Bhandari passed away and a grieved Baluni reached out to Modi. Modi then
appointed Baluni as the spokesperson of Uttarakhand BJP. When Modi came to
power at the Centre, Baluni too emerged as the national spokesperson of the
BJP. Modi, it is known, never forgets his trusted aides and as a testimony to
that, Baluni was obliged with a Rajya Sabha seat. In an aside, veteran leader
of Uttarakhand BC Khanduri must be bemused to see Baluni’s rise, a man he
snubbed when he was the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand.
GLOBE SCAN : China’s Belt Road – Great opportunity for India
EVEN as the military stand-off between India and China at Doklam was
amicably resolved on India’s terms last year, much of the media and many
strategists in India have continued to express serious apprehensions about
China’s growing hegemonic ambitions in the region. The recent news of the
Communist Party of China (CPC) endorsing Xi Jinping’s term as President for
Life has given a fillip to these apprehensions in the politico-diplomatic
circles throughout the world, but more so in India. Ever since Xi came to power
in 2013, he has embarked upon revamping the government machinery, including
purging the military and the Party of corrupt leaders.
GOVERNANCE : The omniscient bureaucrat
YOU love them, you hate them; you praise them, you decry them; but, you
can neither be rid of them nor ignore them. Welcome to the universe of
bureaucrats. It spans governments, corporates, banks and financial institutions
the world over. They are like the framework around which is woven the fabric of
administration of the entity they are a part of. Entire structure supports,
feeds and, at higher echelons, executes with a view to fulfilling the
objectives of the organisation. In India, the civil services man the top
echelons of government, after being duly selected by the Union Public Service
Commission (UPSC).
STATESCAN : Delhi govt just in name
THE scary and sordid episode of Delhi Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash
being subjected to physical violence in Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s office
at the ominous hour of midnight on February 19 is shocking and scandalous
beyond belief. He was called by the Chief Minister at that unearthly hour
purportedly in a matter of earth-shaking importance, namely, issuing full-page
supplements to newspapers on completion of glorious three years of Kejriwal
government! The sleep-disturbed head of the State bureaucracy entered the CM
office blinking. He was made to sit between two burly, volatile legislators. He
had no clue why he had been summoned at the dead of night.
STATESCAN : New empress of MP
BARELY two months into the job, Madhya Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel
has firmly ensconced herself as a parallel power centre in the State vis-a-vis
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. She asks bureaucrats with complete
authority to comply with her instructions in time-bound manner, she meets
delegations with aplomb and unambiguously raises questions on the State
government’s inapt handling of sensitive issues such as malnutrition, safety of
girl-child, law and order and incomplete development projects. Her unmistakable
assertiveness has left the Chief Minister flabbergasted. On the other hand, Shivraj’s
detractors within and outside the party are rejoicing the governor’s growing
dominance over the Shivraj rule.
GOVERNANCE : Regulating wealth
WHEN US President Donald Trump announced a reduction in corporate tax
rate from 35 per cent to 21 per cent, there was almost universal clamour in
India for getting similar reduction during the budget exercises of 2018.
Ultimately, the corporations succeeded in getting corporate tax rate reduced
from 30 per cent to 25 per cent for companies having an annual turnover of up
to Rs. 250 crore, which comprised 99 per cent of the total corporate strength
in tax net, leaving the tax structure for individuals and others untouched.
GOVERNANCE : The fuel dilemma
IN December 2016, India’s apex environmental body Environment Pollution
Control Authority (EPCA) released a 14-page study about the ill-effects of
Furnace Oil (FO or HFO) and petcoke on the air quality of NCR region, entitled
“Mandating acceptable fuel to be used in NCR for air pollution control”. The
EPCA body comprises of members from civil services, academia, industry and NGO
representatives, among them being Sunita Narayan, Director General Centre of
Science and Environment (CSE), India’s leading environmental NGO that made the
highly publicised findings of pesticide residues in popular aerated drinks.
COVER STORY : Public loss, private gains
Acivil servant, generally, is a Master (pardon the gender bias) of
Manipulation. She (bias corrected) is, generally, adept at the art of using
arguments, sometimes bizarre and sometimes inept, to convince her critics. This
is beautifully done in Pradip Baijal’s book, Disinvestment in India: I Lose and
You Gain. He was associated with the disinvestment process for over a decade
(1993-2003), as the secretary in the disinvestment ministry, and was
well-known, along with his minister, Arun Shourie, during NDA-1’s regime for a
string of controversial “strategic sales”.
COVER STORY : Fly-by-Sire – Yes, Mr Minister
GORDON Gekko has emerged as one of those movie characters that some
people love, but hate to love. The rest, of course, loathe him. The
manipulative, blackmailing, conning, corrupt, in-your-face and unlawful
takeover specialist does all the wrong things possible on Wall Street. He
hustles managements, bustles stock traders, tussles competitors, and even
susses loyalists. In the Hollywood flick, Wall Street (1987), Gekko’s name is
forever intertwined with greed—money, more wealth, profits through any means.
From the Editor
WHAT are the real implications of the entrenched era of Fake News, or
Fake Information (FI)? How did it begin and where will it end? How can it harm
society in general, apart from its immediate impacts on the country’s polity
and economy? To answer such critical questions, it is important to understand
the two facets of FI. The first is an initial vacuum, which resulted from
media’s abdication of its responsibility-to put the people and public interest
first. The mainstream media forgot about what the common man wanted to know,
and the masses vanished from the mediated information.
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