If you look at how public servants get away with their acts of omission and commission one may not be wrong in asking if survival by blackmail is the art of governance!
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.
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.
Copying from the Central Information Commission, the Kerala State Information Commission conducted a two day seminar on RTI at Thiruvananthapuram on 11th and 12th October 2013. The Governor was supposed to inaugurate the function. Well aware of how these 'fraud' shows are organised and how the unsuspecting chief guest is made to express inanities fed by the organisers I sent a mail to the Governor on 9 Oct 2013 highlighting some important issues in the matter of implementation of the law in the State. These were the same ones I had handed over to the CIC, KSIC in Jan 2007! But as expected this was not brought to the notice of the Governor and he ended up making a fool of himself by talking only on the misuse of the Act as fed to him by the information commissioners though the fact is that it is only the information commissioners who can misuse the Act. This was also communicated to him through another mail which also was not brought to his notice. So this feedback was sent on 16 Oct 2013 along with an application under the RTI Act! The replies received both from the Public Information Officer and the First Appellate Authority at the Rajbhavan indicates that even in this office of the 1st public servant in the State the work ethics and quality are a far cry from what is expected of such an office!
This is the last 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 is a wake up call to alert citizens who are the mainstay of any democracy!
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.
I cannot say if the apex court judgment in the hands of Pinarayi led Government can be compared to a bouquet of flowers in the hands of a monkey or a murderous weapon in the hands of a serial murderer. The fact remains that the fear of their rights related to their faith being violated was writ large and there were reports of protests from devotees even in far away Australia, Canada and the US of A. This is a complaint to the CM, Pinarayi Vijayan, himself
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.
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.
Copying from the Central Information Commission, the Kerala State Information Commission conducted a two day seminar on RTI at Thiruvananthapuram on 11th and 12th October 2013. The Governor was supposed to inaugurate the function. Well aware of how these 'fraud' shows are organised and how the unsuspecting chief guest is made to express inanities fed by the organisers I sent a mail to the Governor on 9 Oct 2013 highlighting some important issues in the matter of implementation of the law in the State. These were the same ones I had handed over to the CIC, KSIC in Jan 2007! But as expected this was not brought to the notice of the Governor and he ended up making a fool of himself by talking only on the misuse of the Act as fed to him by the information commissioners though the fact is that it is only the information commissioners who can misuse the Act. This was also communicated to him through another mail which also was not brought to his notice. So this feedback was sent on 16 Oct 2013 along with an application under the RTI Act! The replies received both from the Public Information Officer and the First Appellate Authority at the Rajbhavan indicates that even in this office of the 1st public servant in the State the work ethics and quality are a far cry from what is expected of such an office!
This is the last 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 is a wake up call to alert citizens who are the mainstay of any democracy!
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.
I cannot say if the apex court judgment in the hands of Pinarayi led Government can be compared to a bouquet of flowers in the hands of a monkey or a murderous weapon in the hands of a serial murderer. The fact remains that the fear of their rights related to their faith being violated was writ large and there were reports of protests from devotees even in far away Australia, Canada and the US of A. This is a complaint to the CM, Pinarayi Vijayan, himself
This is a follow up on an earlier complaint to the Governor of Kerala to remove the information commissioners. This earlier complaint is available at http://www.slideshare.net/raviforjustice/rti-compker-govksic071107to-remove-i-cs
Whole country supports anna Hazare movement India against corruption.. but few people only know what is jan lokpal bill... this presentation will help everyone to know what is jan lokpal bill in detail... thank you .. support anna and make this movement Grand success...
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.
More Related Content
Similar to Survival by blackmail or the art of governance-english
This is a follow up on an earlier complaint to the Governor of Kerala to remove the information commissioners. This earlier complaint is available at http://www.slideshare.net/raviforjustice/rti-compker-govksic071107to-remove-i-cs
Whole country supports anna Hazare movement India against corruption.. but few people only know what is jan lokpal bill... this presentation will help everyone to know what is jan lokpal bill in detail... thank you .. support anna and make this movement Grand success...
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.
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.
The RTI Act has been murdered by the bureaucrats appointed as CIC and ICs. This is an application of 21 Apr 2007 whihc i had filed with the President of India to remove the first CIC, Wajahat Habibullah
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.
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.
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.
The only pro-democracy, citizen friendly law, the Right to Information Act, has been subverted blatantly by the very information commissioners who have been appointed at exorbitant cost to the exchequer to enforce it. Here is another example of such subversion by none other than the Chief Information Commissioner of Kerala, Vinson M Paul, former DGP and Direcor Vigilance of the State.
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 session provides a comprehensive overview of the latest updates to the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (commonly known as the Uniform Guidance) outlined in the 2 CFR 200.
With a focus on the 2024 revisions issued by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), participants will gain insight into the key changes affecting federal grant recipients. The session will delve into critical regulatory updates, providing attendees with the knowledge and tools necessary to navigate and comply with the evolving landscape of federal grant management.
Learning Objectives:
- Understand the rationale behind the 2024 updates to the Uniform Guidance outlined in 2 CFR 200, and their implications for federal grant recipients.
- Identify the key changes and revisions introduced by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in the 2024 edition of 2 CFR 200.
- Gain proficiency in applying the updated regulations to ensure compliance with federal grant requirements and avoid potential audit findings.
- Develop strategies for effectively implementing the new guidelines within the grant management processes of their respective organizations, fostering efficiency and accountability in federal grant administration.
A process server is a authorized person for delivering legal documents, such as summons, complaints, subpoenas, and other court papers, to peoples involved in legal proceedings.
ZGB - The Role of Generative AI in Government transformation.pdfSaeed Al Dhaheri
This keynote was presented during the the 7th edition of the UAE Hackathon 2024. It highlights the role of AI and Generative AI in addressing government transformation to achieve zero government bureaucracy
Understanding the Challenges of Street ChildrenSERUDS INDIA
By raising awareness, providing support, advocating for change, and offering assistance to children in need, individuals can play a crucial role in improving the lives of street children and helping them realize their full potential
Donate Us
https://serudsindia.org/how-individuals-can-support-street-children-in-india/
#donatefororphan, #donateforhomelesschildren, #childeducation, #ngochildeducation, #donateforeducation, #donationforchildeducation, #sponsorforpoorchild, #sponsororphanage #sponsororphanchild, #donation, #education, #charity, #educationforchild, #seruds, #kurnool, #joyhome
What is the point of small housing associations.pptxPaul Smith
Given the small scale of housing associations and their relative high cost per home what is the point of them and how do we justify their continued existance
Jennifer Schaus and Associates hosts a complimentary webinar series on The FAR in 2024. Join the webinars on Wednesdays and Fridays at noon, eastern.
Recordings are on YouTube and the company website.
https://www.youtube.com/@jenniferschaus/videos
Canadian Immigration Tracker March 2024 - Key SlidesAndrew Griffith
Highlights
Permanent Residents decrease along with percentage of TR2PR decline to 52 percent of all Permanent Residents.
March asylum claim data not issued as of May 27 (unusually late). Irregular arrivals remain very small.
Study permit applications experiencing sharp decrease as a result of announced caps over 50 percent compared to February.
Citizenship numbers remain stable.
Slide 3 has the overall numbers and change.
Russian anarchist and anti-war movement in the third year of full-scale warAntti Rautiainen
Anarchist group ANA Regensburg hosted my online-presentation on 16th of May 2024, in which I discussed tactics of anti-war activism in Russia, and reasons why the anti-war movement has not been able to make an impact to change the course of events yet. Cases of anarchists repressed for anti-war activities are presented, as well as strategies of support for political prisoners, and modest successes in supporting their struggles.
Thumbnail picture is by MediaZona, you may read their report on anti-war arson attacks in Russia here: https://en.zona.media/article/2022/10/13/burn-map
Links:
Autonomous Action
http://Avtonom.org
Anarchist Black Cross Moscow
http://Avtonom.org/abc
Solidarity Zone
https://t.me/solidarity_zone
Memorial
https://memopzk.org/, https://t.me/pzk_memorial
OVD-Info
https://en.ovdinfo.org/antiwar-ovd-info-guide
RosUznik
https://rosuznik.org/
Uznik Online
http://uznikonline.tilda.ws/
Russian Reader
https://therussianreader.com/
ABC Irkutsk
https://abc38.noblogs.org/
Send mail to prisoners from abroad:
http://Prisonmail.online
YouTube: https://youtu.be/c5nSOdU48O8
Spotify: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/libertarianlifecoach/episodes/Russian-anarchist-and-anti-war-movement-in-the-third-year-of-full-scale-war-e2k8ai4
Russian anarchist and anti-war movement in the third year of full-scale war
Survival by blackmail or the art of governance-english
1. SURVIVAL BY BLACKMAIL OR THE ART OF GOVERNANCE?
-P M RAVINDRAN, raviforjustice@gmail.com, http://raviforjustice.blogspot.in, 17 Feb 2018
An anecdote goes like this: a benign king decided to teach his subjects the value of co operation.
He invited them all for a lunch and had them seated in two rows facing each other. He did one
more thing before serving the food, he tied stilts to their arms so that they could not bend them.
And when the food was served the people obviously could not eat what was served. It was then
that the king came and asked them why they were not eating. One getting no response he said: it
is true that none of you can eat yourself but why don’t you try feeding the person in front of you?
And the story ended happily. And when people started co operating like this but in negative ways
somebody coined the phrase ‘you scratch my back, I shall scratch yours’. But in Kalyug, even this
phrase doesn’t adequately express the extent to which criminals co-operate. Hence the new
expression: survival by blackmail! And if you look at how public servants get away with their acts
of omissions and commissions one may not be wrong in asking if it is also the art of governance!
Jacob Thomas, IPS, was handpicked by the Pinarayi led government in Kerala to head the
Vigilance Department with the ostensible aim of cleansing the administration of corruption. Now,
there had been two allegations that had come out in public domain against Jacob Thomas
himself. One, while working with the Department of Ports at Kochi he had caused a loss of Rs 15
crores to the exchequer by buying equipments without following the prescribed procedure. Two,
after taking leave he had worked for a college and got additional remuneration. The latter when
detected and objected to he had repaid the amount so received and all seemed well after that.
Meanwhile an MLA had sought information under the RTI Act and failed to get any though cases
of corruption are not exempted from disclosure. Though the dates of the application, first appeal
and second appeal are not known it has been reported (Mathrubhumi, 10 Feb 2018) that the
Chief Information Commissioner, Kerala State Information Commission is going to conduct
hearing on the appeal on 12 Feb 2018. (About how this is irrelevant and how the information
commissioners have murdered the RTI Act is a matter of independent study, or more precisely, a
case study sufficient to expose how the public servants can be the biggest traitors in this
country!)
Once at the top of the Vigilance Department, Jacob Thomas went about his job like no other
Vigilance Director before him. Unfortunately for him, he literally opened a Pandora’s box by
investigating allegations of corruption and disproportionate assets cases against some senior
members of the IAS. And this most powerful lobby in the state retaliated by planning a mass
leave as a mark of protest. The Chief Minister stood his ground and listed the instances when he
had supported the secretaries against whom vigilance had recommended prosecution. As per a
report in the Mathrubhumi of 10 Jan 2017, Pinarayi Vijayan had named K M Abraham, Tom Jose
and hinted at Paul Antony, (without actually naming him, and all were additional chief secretaries
2. then with Paul Antony being the Chief Secretary now!) and how he had not proceeded with the
action recommended by the Vigilance Department against any of them! In fact, while examining a
petition alleging that then Chief Secretary, S M Vijayanand, had put in cold storage a vigilance
report against Tom Jose, the High Court had also reportedly (Mathrubhumi, 28 Jan 2017) asked if
Tom Jose should be allowed to continue in the civil service itself! The same newspaper had other
two serious reports too. One was about the Special Vigilance Court directing that once prima
facie charge has been established through a quick enquiry there was no need for waiting for
clearance from the court to register an FIR and proceed with further investigations. The other
was about how a petitioner alleged that the Additional Chief Secretary, Home, Ms Nalini Netto,
had ‘created’ a false file to successfully remove the then DGP (Law and Order) Senkumar from his
post.
But the IAS lobby proved its strangle hold on government when shortly Jacob Thomas was
relieved from the high profile job of Vigilance Director. One of the arm twisting tactics adopted
was not to honour personal recommendations of the ministers for making appointments to
various posts, including those where political nominations were in vogue!(Mathrubhumi, 15 Jan
2017)
Cut to end of 2017. There had been a lot of hue and cry in the aftermath of the typhoon Ockhi
which ravaged the coastal areas of Kerala. In one instance the victims did not even allow the CM
to get into his car after visiting them! And while being the Director of the Institute of
Management in Government, he invited suspension by echoing, during a public function, popular
sentiments about the failure of the government in warning the coastal folks and the lackadaisical
rescue and rehabilitation efforts. And now, hardening their stand against him, the Chief
Secretary, Paul Antony, has issued him a show cause notice for his prosecution too. They have
also alleged that his writing a book while in service and without taking permission amounted to
gross illegality!
It is believed that when misfortune strikes, it pours! Now the High Court of Kerala, while quashing
an FIR registered by the Vigilance Department, in what is popularly known as the Patoor land
scam, has criticized Jacob Thomas and even remarked that he needs to be disciplined! The case,
in a nut shell is like this. A private party had wanted the Kerala Water Authority to remove a
pipeline passing through a piece of land, allegedly encroached by the party. The Authority
refused claiming it was their land. The matter was taken up with then Chief Secretary who
recommended the removal of the pipes and it was accepted by then Chief Minister, Ommen
Chandy. Typical of Kerala, allegations of corruption surfaced and Jacob Thomas, as Additional
Vigilance Director, had conducted an inquiry and submitted a report to the Lokayukta who was
hearing a complaint on the issue. The then Opposition Leader, V S Achuthanandan, came down
heavily on the Lokayukta alleging that he had locked up the report and had also directed Jacob
3. Thomas not to give any copies of that report to anybody else! (Malayala Manorama, 11 Feb 2016)
Interestingly another report in the Malayala Manorama, of 01 April 2016, gives the following
details, quoting the Lokayukta: the land belonged to the private party who had not given any
permission for laying the sewage pipes through its property (!). It had applied for removal of the
pipes on 03 July 2008 and had deposited Rs 14,80,000/- on 25 Aug 2008 towards the cost. There
was nothing wrong in giving permission to the private party to shift the pipes at their cost (!)
However, the investigations had also revealed that the private party had encroached on 12.279
cents of land and the District Collector had been directed to take possession of it immediately.
Also revealed were the manipulations at the revenue offices and the City Corporation office,
including pages torn off the relevant registers!
For me the following questions beg answers.
One, could the Water Authority have laid a pipe line through a private property without even the
owner’s permission?
Two, how long back was the pipe line laid?
Three, if the pipeline had been laid by the Water Authority without the owner’s permission and
the owner now wanted it to be removed should the owner have approached a court of law?
Four, for what purpose, on what basis of calculation and on whose instruction was Rs 14,80,000/-
deposited on 25 Aug 2008?
Five, when was the permission granted for shifting and when was the shifting completed?
Six, what all actions had been taken by the owner/public servants between 25 Aug 2008 and the
date of grant of permission? (It needs to be remembered that during 2008 it was V S
Achuthanandan who was the Chief Minister and the permission was given after Ommen Chandy,
who was one of the accused, became Chief Minister in 2011!)
While, the whole series of reports indicate that none of the public servants have been convicted
for their alleged crimes the fact also remains that in most of the cases there have been no
honourable acquittals either! Jacob Thomas, who is a DGP under suspension, has reportedly
approached the Central Government for a posting, preferably somewhere outside the country,
expressing fear for his life! Well, that is how democracy is working in India’s first fully literate
state which is also acclaimed as God’s own country!