Times of india, chennai edition, Reporter:Jeeva TNN, 20/7/09, page no.2
Chennai: V Gopalakrishnan, a resident of K K Nagar who filed an RTI application with the Chennai Corporation a year ago, got a reply from the civic body only a couple of weeks ago, and that too after the Tamil Nadu State Information Commission threatened to penalise its information officer. The civic body has replied to the queries of the applicant regarding government land in his area that was allegedly allotted to an individual in an unauthorised manner, but it has also asked him to pay Rs 600 to provide him the copies of documents he sought, even though the RTI Act stipulates that information should be provided free of cost if a department fails to provide it within 30 days of the receipt of application. In fact, the Act also says that the information officer, in case of failure to reply to the application within the time frame, is liable to a fine of Rs 250 for every day of delay, subject to a maximum of Rs 25,000. However, Gopalakrishnan had the last laugh on Saturday when he got a copy of the 300-page document free of cost, after the state information commission directed the Chennai Corporation to do so. Though the Central information commission and the state information commission have passed numerous orders making it clear that information officers were not entitled to ask for the cost of information if they fail to reply within 30 days, most of the departments fail to comply while many are not even aware of it. Only when they give information sought by applicants within the time frame can they can ask for extra costs such as photocopying (Rs 2 per page), Rs 50 for CD or floppy, and the actual cost of a sample or model if it is being provided to the applicant.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Complaints galore about corrupt burial ground
Complaints galore about corrupt burial ground
Julie Mariappan, TNN , Times of india,25 January 2009, 12:49am IST
CHENNAI: Ten months after the Chennai corporation announced free burial and cremation facilities in the city complaints are piling up about burial
ground caretakers demanding bribe to carry out the final rituals in several parts of the city. N Nishore, a businessman, who had give Rs 1,500 as cremation "charges" demanded by the caretaker at Kodambakkam burial ground on Wednesday said that neither he nor his relatives knew that cremation charges had been waived by the corporation. "We were asked to pay Rs 1,000 immediately after the cremation and we had no time to argue. They charged an an additional Rs 500 the next day, when we went to collect the ashes," Nishore told TOI. Later, when he came to know about the corporation's announcement through his friends, he lodged a complaint with the corporation Commissioner Rajesh Lakhoni, demanding action against the caretaker. Meanwhile, in Annai Sathya Nagar near MGR Nagar, M Leeladevi, a resident, was asked to pay Rs 500 for the cremation of his day-old baby. It was only after complaints were made to the higher-ups that the local officials turned up and sorted out the issue. "It is highly unpardonable. All caretakers have a monthly salary, and have no right to demand money from the public. No concrete action is taken against these people even when complaints are preferred to the officials concerned," says V Gopalakrishnan, a social activist. Angry residents of Pammal Nallathambi Street in MGR Nagar forced a caretaker to repay Rs 700 he had collected from a family to carry out a cremation. " There are also many caretakers wandering in the grounds and it is difficult to identify the genuine staff, as noone wears the uniform supplied by the local body. T Arumugam, a CPI activist said. In july 2008, the local body regularised the services of 183 burial grounds caretakers in the city at a monthly salary of Rs 5,445. In November 2008, Mayor M Subramanian and his vigilance team had nabbed two burial ground caretakers in Moolakothalam, while demanding bribe from a family to carry out a cremation. Both of them were later suspended. When contacted, corporatiaon Commissioner Rajesh Lakhoni said that caretakers in Mylapore and Otteri were suspended following complaints recently. "We will take necessary action to ensure that such irregularities do not happen again. Our vigilance officials are taking necessary action in the field," Lakhoni added.
Julie Mariappan, TNN , Times of india,25 January 2009, 12:49am IST
CHENNAI: Ten months after the Chennai corporation announced free burial and cremation facilities in the city complaints are piling up about burial
ground caretakers demanding bribe to carry out the final rituals in several parts of the city. N Nishore, a businessman, who had give Rs 1,500 as cremation "charges" demanded by the caretaker at Kodambakkam burial ground on Wednesday said that neither he nor his relatives knew that cremation charges had been waived by the corporation. "We were asked to pay Rs 1,000 immediately after the cremation and we had no time to argue. They charged an an additional Rs 500 the next day, when we went to collect the ashes," Nishore told TOI. Later, when he came to know about the corporation's announcement through his friends, he lodged a complaint with the corporation Commissioner Rajesh Lakhoni, demanding action against the caretaker. Meanwhile, in Annai Sathya Nagar near MGR Nagar, M Leeladevi, a resident, was asked to pay Rs 500 for the cremation of his day-old baby. It was only after complaints were made to the higher-ups that the local officials turned up and sorted out the issue. "It is highly unpardonable. All caretakers have a monthly salary, and have no right to demand money from the public. No concrete action is taken against these people even when complaints are preferred to the officials concerned," says V Gopalakrishnan, a social activist. Angry residents of Pammal Nallathambi Street in MGR Nagar forced a caretaker to repay Rs 700 he had collected from a family to carry out a cremation. " There are also many caretakers wandering in the grounds and it is difficult to identify the genuine staff, as noone wears the uniform supplied by the local body. T Arumugam, a CPI activist said. In july 2008, the local body regularised the services of 183 burial grounds caretakers in the city at a monthly salary of Rs 5,445. In November 2008, Mayor M Subramanian and his vigilance team had nabbed two burial ground caretakers in Moolakothalam, while demanding bribe from a family to carry out a cremation. Both of them were later suspended. When contacted, corporatiaon Commissioner Rajesh Lakhoni said that caretakers in Mylapore and Otteri were suspended following complaints recently. "We will take necessary action to ensure that such irregularities do not happen again. Our vigilance officials are taking necessary action in the field," Lakhoni added.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Probe against postmen for demanding ‘commission’
TIMES OF INDIA, CHENNAI EDITION, 18/07/09, PAGE NO.2.Julie Mariappan | TNN
Chennai: The postal department, following a surprise check on Wednesday, has initiated disciplinary action against two postmen for ‘demanding commission’ from pensioners near K K Nagar. The postmen were disbursing Rs 400 to the beneficiaries.
Acting on a tip-off, the postal deparment deputed two assistant superintendents to conduct the check at Pulithevan Street in MGR Nagar. The postmen, delivering pension to at least 15 persons, had demanded Rs 20 from each.
Under the Indira Gandhi National old-age pension scheme, people above 65 years of age and those below the poverty line are eligible for a pension of Rs 200 from the Centre. The state government gives another Rs 200 to the eligible beneficiaries. This amount is delivered by postmen.
“We will take action against the offenders.The sum involved is low but the staff will face punishment as per conduct rules,” said a postal officer.
Postmen demanding and taking ‘commission’ from pensioners is common these days, said social activists. “They collect it openly. At times, near post offices,” said V Gopalakrishnan of FACT-India, a nongovernment organisation.
Pension to at least 18 lakh senior citizens, physically handicapped, widows, agricultural labourers, destitute/deserted wives, and unmarried, incapacitated poor women of 50 years and above is disbursed through special tahsildars in each district. “We have been receiving complaints about postmen. The department is considering electronic clearance system for pension disbursal,” social welfare minister P Geetha Jeevan told TOI.
Probe against postmen for demanding ‘commission’
Julie Mariappan | TNN
Chennai: The postal department, following a surprise check on Wednesday, has initiated disciplinary action against two postmen for ‘demanding commission’ from pensioners near K K Nagar. The postmen were disbursing Rs 400 to the beneficiaries.Acting on a tip-off, the postal deparment deputed two assistant superintendents to conduct the check at Pulithevan Street in MGR Nagar. The postmen, delivering pension to at least 15 persons, had demanded Rs 20 from each.
Under the Indira Gandhi National old-age pension scheme, people above 65 years of age and those below the poverty line are eligible for a pension of Rs 200 from the Centre. The state government gives another Rs 200 to the eligible beneficiaries. This amount is delivered by postmen.
“We will take action against the offenders.The sum involved is low but the staff will face punishment as per conduct rules,” said a postal officer.
Postmen demanding and taking ‘commission’ from pensioners is common these days, said social activists. “They collect it openly. At times, near post offices,” said V Gopalakrishnan of FACT-India, a nongovernment organisation.
Pension to at least 18 lakh senior citizens, physically handicapped, widows, agricultural labourers, destitute/deserted wives, and unmarried, incapacitated poor women of 50 years and above is disbursed through special tahsildars in each district. “We have been receiving complaints about postmen. The department is considering electronic clearance system for pension disbursal,” social welfare minister P Geetha Jeevan told TOI.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Authorities can't ask for money to give info, says CIC
Authorities can't ask for money to give info, says CIC
CHENNAI: In a significant order, the Central Information Commission (CIC) has ruled that public authorities cannot demand cost of manpower andMadhav had filed an RTI application at the Southern Railway headquarters here on February 25, 2008, seeking details about different quotas available on train tickets, including information on quotas for agents, tatkal and emergency, and the number of tickets booked under each quota on the Pandian Express from January 10 to 20, 2008.
In its reply, Southern Railway said the applicant would have to pay Rs 750 to obtain the information since
the details sought were four months old. The railways further said that the existing reservation system was dynamic and that reservation records were available only for the last 5 days, which could be generated instantly. Hence, details pertaining to the earlier period had to be accessed from the main hard disc of the computer. Thus, the applicant needed to pay the amount, considering the use of different infrastructural devices such as hard disc, MIS application, CPU power, besides maintenance of equipment and eight man hours taken to compile the details, the railways told the applicant.
In his appeal before CIC, the applicant argued that the public authority was not entitled to ask the amount as it was beyond the purview of the Act.
After hearing the case, CIC in its order said: "The Commission agrees with the contention of the applicant that the RTI Act has no provision for charging any fees towards manpower and maintenance and accordingly directs the Southern Railway to provide the information, which has already been compiled by the respondents, free of cost.''
The Commission also "advised'' the applicant not to seek voluminous information that causes disproportionate diversion of the resources of the public authority.
CIC's order has evoked a welcome response among RTI activists. "It is a very good order as this sort of demand by public authorities will ultimately dilute the RTI Act. The Central government should communicate this order to all its departments forthwith,'' said V Gopalakrishnan, a resident of K K Nagar who has filed several applications under the RTI Act.
Corpn turns blind eye to shops, hotels eating into public space
Corpn turns blind eye to shops, hotels eating
| | |
CHENNAI: As law enforcement agencies fail to keep a constant watch on public spaces meant for pedestrians and vehicle users, encroachers thrive
along arterial roads. And as corporation officials and the police force display little enthusiasm to restore public space to the city's citizens, anti-socials, backed by political clout, often take over. Regaining encroached land is not easy, as social activists will tell you.
Take the example of the three permanent sheds that suddenly cropped up last week on more than half a ground of land, off the Mambalam canal near Saravana Bhavan in KK Nagar. Until then, there was at the site a notice board put up by corporation authorities that suggested the land was owned by them. Today, the boards have been uprooted and can be seen near the canal, even as government officials move about in the area, ostensibly to provide various welfare measures'. "It is shocking," says K Pugazhenthi, an advocate who has complained to the local body about the encroachments.
On the road adjoining the canal there are more than 140 traders selling timber. The traders had earlier encroached on pavements near the ESI Hospital on Anna Main Road. It was only at the behest of the Tamil Nadu Housing Board that they were relocated to the present site. Instead of confining themselves to the earmarked space, they extended their outlets on to the road, shrinking further the narrow road space available.
"Traders have beeen pleading for a permanent site to be allocated by government. We have to wait and see whether the state regularises such encroachments," says V Gopalakrishnan, a social activist. Currently, the market rate for a small shop here is a whopping Rs 10 lakh.
On Anna Main Road, eateries have sprung along the roadside. Some have even built concrete structures near Metrowater's sewage treatment plant in Nesapakkam. Not a single corporation vehicle has come to demolish the structures, residents say. Hundreds of vehicles use the road to reach Virugambakkam and Porur, but that has not goaded authorities into initiating action against the offenders. Helping the eatery business thrive is a TASMAC outlet nearby.
The local body has also hardly shown interest in clearing encroachments on government-owned land in Soolaipallam, near the Adyar river. An Anganwadi (No. 784) has been running here for years, but now a portion of it has been encroached on by a neighbour. The remaining open space has been taken up by parked vehicles, huge garbage bins and construction material.
When contacted, concerned authorities said that they would soon initiate action and get rid of encroachments. "We have intimated the local police also," a senior official said.
Take the example of the three permanent sheds that suddenly cropped up last week on more than half a ground of land, off the Mambalam canal near Saravana Bhavan in KK Nagar. Until then, there was at the site a notice board put up by corporation authorities that suggested the land was owned by them. Today, the boards have been uprooted and can be seen near the canal, even as government officials move about in the area, ostensibly to provide various welfare measures'. "It is shocking," says K Pugazhenthi, an advocate who has complained to the local body about the encroachments.
On the road adjoining the canal there are more than 140 traders selling timber. The traders had earlier encroached on pavements near the ESI Hospital on Anna Main Road. It was only at the behest of the Tamil Nadu Housing Board that they were relocated to the present site. Instead of confining themselves to the earmarked space, they extended their outlets on to the road, shrinking further the narrow road space available.
"Traders have beeen pleading for a permanent site to be allocated by government. We have to wait and see whether the state regularises such encroachments," says V Gopalakrishnan, a social activist. Currently, the market rate for a small shop here is a whopping Rs 10 lakh.
On Anna Main Road, eateries have sprung along the roadside. Some have even built concrete structures near Metrowater's sewage treatment plant in Nesapakkam. Not a single corporation vehicle has come to demolish the structures, residents say. Hundreds of vehicles use the road to reach Virugambakkam and Porur, but that has not goaded authorities into initiating action against the offenders. Helping the eatery business thrive is a TASMAC outlet nearby.
The local body has also hardly shown interest in clearing encroachments on government-owned land in Soolaipallam, near the Adyar river. An Anganwadi (No. 784) has been running here for years, but now a portion of it has been encroached on by a neighbour. The remaining open space has been taken up by parked vehicles, huge garbage bins and construction material.
When contacted, concerned authorities said that they would soon initiate action and get rid of encroachments. "We have intimated the local police also," a senior official said.
TNEB staff fined for denying information
TNEB staff fined for denying information
Julie Mariappan | TNN times of india, 11/07/09 page no.5
Chennai: The State Information Commission (SIC) has imposed a penalty of Rs 25,000 on the public information officer (PIO) of the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) for not supplying information to a petitioner last week. This is the maximum penal amount which can be imposed under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
R Natarajan, an RTI activist wanted to know the irregularties involved in billing a private firm located in North Chennai in 2007. However, the petitioner received the copy of the anti-power theft squad report alone, which recommended departmental action against seven officials who had failed to check periodical power consumption patterns of the firm.
Immediately thereafter, the petitioner made another application under RTI to the TNEB seeking information about the billing card. The PIO preferred to state that the billing card was not traceable and there was a chance of missing the card, as the case was 16 years old. The PIO also said that no official was to be blamed and recreating the file did not arise.
Aggrieved by this, Natarajan filed another application, wanting to know if any complaint was registered with the police, as the issue was deemed a criminal offence. When the public authority chose not to reply, the petitioner sought the commission’s help. Despite the latter’s intervention suggesting speedy disposal of the queries raised by the petititioner, the officer refused to give complete information. He also failed to oblige the commission’s directive to appear in person.
In it’s reply to the petitioner, the office of the PIO, TNEB stated that it had no obligation to answer questions as to “when, why and which,” which were not defined as information under RTI Act. During an inquiry by the commission last month, the TNEB’s public authority could not give a convincing reply as to why he absented himself during the previous summons.
Pointing out administrative lapses, the commission directed the TNEB to pay a compensation of Rs 500 to the petitioner for the instransigent non-supply of information. It also directed severe departmental action against the staff for violation of RTI Act, within a month.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)