Let me put it straight- the apex court verdict in the matter of demolition of 5 apartment complexes at Maradu, Kochi is literally a legal murder of justice.
It is 15 years since the Right to Information Act was introduced as another piece of legislation, only to cheat the masses once again. Touted as a sunshine act, as a panacea for corruption and introduce accountability of the public servants to the public, it has grown into one of the biggest, yet unrecognized, scams over the last 15 years.
Prudence dictates it is better to let sleeping dogs lie. But wisdom demands that the unpalatable and unpleasant, at least those in public domain, be discussed publicly and thrashed out in public interest.
This document discusses corruption in India over several decades, from the Jeep Scandal in 1948 to the recent gold smuggling case in Kerala. It notes that while corruption was rampant, no significant punishments were dealt out until recently. The document criticizes the role of bureaucrats in defense procurement and decision making, arguing the system inherited from Britain is flawed. It also strongly criticizes the Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan, for corruption in previous scandals and his likely involvement in the current gold smuggling case.
The title is a quip from Malayalam, the regional language of Kerala, India. It means for the king who kills, the minister who eats. It is used to describe an unholy nexus where no evidence of any crime is left. This was written in the context of a scam where the Government of Kerala shared private information of Covid patients to a software firm in the US of A, flouting all laws on such transactions. A bureaucrat, the Principle Private Secretary of the Chief Minister claimed that he had done it on his own, absolving his boss, secure in the feeling that his boss would not give permission to prosecute him, a ridiculous requirement of our laws.
Let me put it straight- the apex court verdict in the matter of demolition of 5 apartment complexes at Maradu, Kochi is literally a legal murder of justice.
It is 15 years since the Right to Information Act was introduced as another piece of legislation, only to cheat the masses once again. Touted as a sunshine act, as a panacea for corruption and introduce accountability of the public servants to the public, it has grown into one of the biggest, yet unrecognized, scams over the last 15 years.
Prudence dictates it is better to let sleeping dogs lie. But wisdom demands that the unpalatable and unpleasant, at least those in public domain, be discussed publicly and thrashed out in public interest.
This document discusses corruption in India over several decades, from the Jeep Scandal in 1948 to the recent gold smuggling case in Kerala. It notes that while corruption was rampant, no significant punishments were dealt out until recently. The document criticizes the role of bureaucrats in defense procurement and decision making, arguing the system inherited from Britain is flawed. It also strongly criticizes the Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan, for corruption in previous scandals and his likely involvement in the current gold smuggling case.
The title is a quip from Malayalam, the regional language of Kerala, India. It means for the king who kills, the minister who eats. It is used to describe an unholy nexus where no evidence of any crime is left. This was written in the context of a scam where the Government of Kerala shared private information of Covid patients to a software firm in the US of A, flouting all laws on such transactions. A bureaucrat, the Principle Private Secretary of the Chief Minister claimed that he had done it on his own, absolving his boss, secure in the feeling that his boss would not give permission to prosecute him, a ridiculous requirement of our laws.
This is the copy of a leaflet prepared for distribution during a protest against Palat Mohandas, the then Chief Information Commissioner, Kerala State Information Commission, when he had come to Palakkad on 08 Dec 2007 to address a seminar on Right to Information. The original is in Malayalam and this post includes the original and its translated version in English.
1. This document is an application to remove the Chief Information Commissioner under Section 14(3)(d) of the Right to Information Act 2005. The application argues that the performance of the Central Information Commission has been poor, delaying justice for information seekers.
2. Public hearings on the functioning of the Commission recommended that cases should not be closed without both parties being heard, penalties should be imposed when officials violate the law, and guidelines developed for exemptions. However, these recommendations have not been implemented.
3. The application provides two examples of absurd decisions by the Commission from the applicant's experience, demonstrating poor drafting and a misunderstanding of the cases. The applicant requests that the Chief Information Commissioner be removed and
On 19 feb 2009 there was open war in the Madras High Court premises when the police tried to control an unruly mob of advocates. Sree Krishna, former judge of the apex court, who inquired into the above incidence submitted an interim report on 4 Mar 2009. This report is documentary proof of how biased and unreliable our (former) judges are.
The only citizen friendly law in India- the Right to Information Act- has been totally subverted by the very commissioners appointed to enforce it. One of them, the Chief Information Commissioner of the Central Information Commission has been recently designated as the 1st Lt Governor of the newly created union territory of Ladhak. Shouldn't it be considered as a reward for treason?
The judiciary in India is a law unto itself. Recently, an apex court bench dusted an appeal of 2015 vintage and ordered 5 apartment complexes in Kochi to be demolished within one month- without having ensured that even one of the 350 odd owners of the flats had been heard.
For all the failures of the authorities to implement the laws the blame is invariably palmed off to the masses and their ignorance of the laws. This is a fraud. The performance of the authorities can be easily seen to be indifferent, incompetent and wayward by just studying their functions objectively. Whether it is the judiciary or the quasi judicial organisations they can all be seen most brazenly violating the laws which they are tasked, empowered, equipped and paid to enforce. The experience of those who know these laws is sufficient to indict these authorities.
Indian democracy is a unique system where unelected babus (bureaucrats) and judges dictate the terms. The civil military relationship should be the worst in India given the self serving nature of both the babus and judges and the helpless politicians acting as the sikhandi in the Mahabaratha though the former two can never be compared with Arjun.
This document discusses how democracy has been subverted in India through changes to the parliamentary system that have benefited lawmakers. It notes that MPs are not required to live in their constituencies, have unlimited chances to run for office even with criminal convictions, do not have to disclose expenses, and receive lifetime pensions even if they only serve one day. The document argues this has allowed lawmakers to irrationally and lavishly help themselves while claiming India is a poor country. It also discusses how links between criminals, politicians and bureaucrats have undermined the criminal justice system and good governance.
The only thing that marks India as a democracy is the periodical visits to the polling booths. Government administration, led by the bureaucrats of the Indian Administrative Service, is a synonym for corruption and treason. The politically elected government is just a puppet in the hands of these bureaucrats. And the judiciary is a law unto itself.
The Lokpal at the Centre and Lokayuktas in the states have been established to deal with corruption and impropriety at the higher levels of government. But sad to say, these have been turned into another rehabilitation home for retired judges.
Short of a decade after Anna Hazare led Anti Corruption Movement took the nation by storm from Jantar Mantar, the Lokpal is a reality in the country. As soon as the agitation had begun gathering momentum, the then UPA government led by Man Mohan Singh brought in a Bill in 2011 that was derided by the activists as Jokepal. They came up with a draft bill touted as Jan Lokpal. After some stalemate the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013 became a reality in 2014. To be precise it became effective from 16 Jan 2014. But the appointment of the first Chairman and members of the Lokpal took another five years.
The Constitution of India, touted as the most voluminous and most detailed, has the dubious reputation of its own architect, DR Ambedkar stating that "I was a hack. What I was asked to, I did much against my will. I am quite prepared to say that I shall be the first person to burn it. It does not suit anybody.” It has also been criticised as a revised version of the Government of India Act 1935 which had been legislated by the colonial rulers to grant limited self government to the locals. Suffice to say that on completion of almost 7 decades, it retrospect it can definitely be said that it needs to be rewritten keeping the aspiration of the new generation in mind.
This email is a complaint to the Chief Minister of Kerala regarding various issues. It criticizes the Chief Minister's handling of the Sabarimala temple issue and allowing women's entry. It also criticizes his overseas trips at taxpayer expense and failures in handling the 2018 Kerala floods. The email requests the Chief Minister address these issues and improve governance or be prepared to lose public support in the next election. It provides links to additional critical commentary on these topics.
Kerala, a small state in southern India has faced one of its worst natural disasters in recent times- a flood since the last one 1924! How the indifference of the government of the day made it worse and almost man made is the topic of this article.
1. The document discusses a complaint filed with the Kerala State Information Commission regarding a response to a Right to Information (RTI) application.
2. The complainant had filed an RTI application with the Village Office, Pudussery Central seeking information about computer systems used in the office. When no response was received, he filed first and second appeals which also received no response.
3. In his decision, the Chief Information Commissioner noted that the complainant was absent from the hearing scheduled to address the complaint. The Commissioner determined that providing access to inspect documents was sufficient response to the original RTI application.
- The document discusses issues with various public institutions in India like the judiciary, bureaucracy, and elected representatives. It argues that corruption has become institutionalized and citizens are treated poorly.
- It highlights examples of delays in the judiciary and high legal costs preventing many from accessing justice. Reforms like reducing judge holidays and unwarranted adjournments are suggested.
- The bureaucracy is seen to have a stranglehold over government. More accountability and fixed tenures for bureaucrats are proposed along with using technology to collect citizen feedback.
- Elected representatives are criticized for focusing more on inaugurations than lawmaking. Reforms like prohibiting multiple candidacies and pensions for representatives are advocated.
This is the 3rd part of a 5 part series wherein an effort has been made to expose how the public servants in India has subverted the only pro democracy, citizen friendly law in the country- the Right to Information Act. Here are some more examples of how the acts are perpetrated.
There was a report in media a few days back about a list of 5 persons having been prepared for recommending them to be appointed as ICs to the KSIC. However, the procedure followed for the selection of these candidates is not known. Hence this application under the RTI Act to bring clarity on the issue.
This is the copy of a leaflet prepared for distribution during a protest against Palat Mohandas, the then Chief Information Commissioner, Kerala State Information Commission, when he had come to Palakkad on 08 Dec 2007 to address a seminar on Right to Information. The original is in Malayalam and this post includes the original and its translated version in English.
1. This document is an application to remove the Chief Information Commissioner under Section 14(3)(d) of the Right to Information Act 2005. The application argues that the performance of the Central Information Commission has been poor, delaying justice for information seekers.
2. Public hearings on the functioning of the Commission recommended that cases should not be closed without both parties being heard, penalties should be imposed when officials violate the law, and guidelines developed for exemptions. However, these recommendations have not been implemented.
3. The application provides two examples of absurd decisions by the Commission from the applicant's experience, demonstrating poor drafting and a misunderstanding of the cases. The applicant requests that the Chief Information Commissioner be removed and
On 19 feb 2009 there was open war in the Madras High Court premises when the police tried to control an unruly mob of advocates. Sree Krishna, former judge of the apex court, who inquired into the above incidence submitted an interim report on 4 Mar 2009. This report is documentary proof of how biased and unreliable our (former) judges are.
The only citizen friendly law in India- the Right to Information Act- has been totally subverted by the very commissioners appointed to enforce it. One of them, the Chief Information Commissioner of the Central Information Commission has been recently designated as the 1st Lt Governor of the newly created union territory of Ladhak. Shouldn't it be considered as a reward for treason?
The judiciary in India is a law unto itself. Recently, an apex court bench dusted an appeal of 2015 vintage and ordered 5 apartment complexes in Kochi to be demolished within one month- without having ensured that even one of the 350 odd owners of the flats had been heard.
For all the failures of the authorities to implement the laws the blame is invariably palmed off to the masses and their ignorance of the laws. This is a fraud. The performance of the authorities can be easily seen to be indifferent, incompetent and wayward by just studying their functions objectively. Whether it is the judiciary or the quasi judicial organisations they can all be seen most brazenly violating the laws which they are tasked, empowered, equipped and paid to enforce. The experience of those who know these laws is sufficient to indict these authorities.
Indian democracy is a unique system where unelected babus (bureaucrats) and judges dictate the terms. The civil military relationship should be the worst in India given the self serving nature of both the babus and judges and the helpless politicians acting as the sikhandi in the Mahabaratha though the former two can never be compared with Arjun.
This document discusses how democracy has been subverted in India through changes to the parliamentary system that have benefited lawmakers. It notes that MPs are not required to live in their constituencies, have unlimited chances to run for office even with criminal convictions, do not have to disclose expenses, and receive lifetime pensions even if they only serve one day. The document argues this has allowed lawmakers to irrationally and lavishly help themselves while claiming India is a poor country. It also discusses how links between criminals, politicians and bureaucrats have undermined the criminal justice system and good governance.
The only thing that marks India as a democracy is the periodical visits to the polling booths. Government administration, led by the bureaucrats of the Indian Administrative Service, is a synonym for corruption and treason. The politically elected government is just a puppet in the hands of these bureaucrats. And the judiciary is a law unto itself.
The Lokpal at the Centre and Lokayuktas in the states have been established to deal with corruption and impropriety at the higher levels of government. But sad to say, these have been turned into another rehabilitation home for retired judges.
Short of a decade after Anna Hazare led Anti Corruption Movement took the nation by storm from Jantar Mantar, the Lokpal is a reality in the country. As soon as the agitation had begun gathering momentum, the then UPA government led by Man Mohan Singh brought in a Bill in 2011 that was derided by the activists as Jokepal. They came up with a draft bill touted as Jan Lokpal. After some stalemate the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013 became a reality in 2014. To be precise it became effective from 16 Jan 2014. But the appointment of the first Chairman and members of the Lokpal took another five years.
The Constitution of India, touted as the most voluminous and most detailed, has the dubious reputation of its own architect, DR Ambedkar stating that "I was a hack. What I was asked to, I did much against my will. I am quite prepared to say that I shall be the first person to burn it. It does not suit anybody.” It has also been criticised as a revised version of the Government of India Act 1935 which had been legislated by the colonial rulers to grant limited self government to the locals. Suffice to say that on completion of almost 7 decades, it retrospect it can definitely be said that it needs to be rewritten keeping the aspiration of the new generation in mind.
This email is a complaint to the Chief Minister of Kerala regarding various issues. It criticizes the Chief Minister's handling of the Sabarimala temple issue and allowing women's entry. It also criticizes his overseas trips at taxpayer expense and failures in handling the 2018 Kerala floods. The email requests the Chief Minister address these issues and improve governance or be prepared to lose public support in the next election. It provides links to additional critical commentary on these topics.
Kerala, a small state in southern India has faced one of its worst natural disasters in recent times- a flood since the last one 1924! How the indifference of the government of the day made it worse and almost man made is the topic of this article.
1. The document discusses a complaint filed with the Kerala State Information Commission regarding a response to a Right to Information (RTI) application.
2. The complainant had filed an RTI application with the Village Office, Pudussery Central seeking information about computer systems used in the office. When no response was received, he filed first and second appeals which also received no response.
3. In his decision, the Chief Information Commissioner noted that the complainant was absent from the hearing scheduled to address the complaint. The Commissioner determined that providing access to inspect documents was sufficient response to the original RTI application.
- The document discusses issues with various public institutions in India like the judiciary, bureaucracy, and elected representatives. It argues that corruption has become institutionalized and citizens are treated poorly.
- It highlights examples of delays in the judiciary and high legal costs preventing many from accessing justice. Reforms like reducing judge holidays and unwarranted adjournments are suggested.
- The bureaucracy is seen to have a stranglehold over government. More accountability and fixed tenures for bureaucrats are proposed along with using technology to collect citizen feedback.
- Elected representatives are criticized for focusing more on inaugurations than lawmaking. Reforms like prohibiting multiple candidacies and pensions for representatives are advocated.
This is the 3rd part of a 5 part series wherein an effort has been made to expose how the public servants in India has subverted the only pro democracy, citizen friendly law in the country- the Right to Information Act. Here are some more examples of how the acts are perpetrated.
There was a report in media a few days back about a list of 5 persons having been prepared for recommending them to be appointed as ICs to the KSIC. However, the procedure followed for the selection of these candidates is not known. Hence this application under the RTI Act to bring clarity on the issue.