An Appeal from a Fighter who Fights Alone

Leaders who fight battles in court may seem to be fighting for their own survival but think deeply and you will see that if these leaders survive it will be beneficial for us only because how many leaders are there around us who will be willing to get hanged for fighting your battle? So let us join hands once again here and contribute.

From: ravi srivastava <ravi4354@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, Oct 8, 2009 at 4:57 PM
Subject: An Appeal from R.P.Srivastava

INTRODUCTION
I , R.P.SRIVASTAVA, 55 year old ,male Graduated in Science and Chemical Technology in the year 1975, after an stint of 1 year at Eicher Tractors and 6 years in Kansai Nerolac(erstwhile Goodlass Nerolac, I joined HPCL in 1982 as an Operations Officer in Grade ‘A’ .

At HPCL, from the very beginning I was never a blue eyed boy of the Management , though they could neither find a fault in my working ,nor ever questioned my efficiency but my plain speaking, saying No(when it has to be a No), demanding fairness and transparency in functioning ,opposing discrimination etc. never allowed me to get promotions on time .I was branded as an average officer to become a Senior Manager after the service of 24 years .

BACK GROUND
I joined HP Management Staff Association /Oil Sector Officers Association in 1995 as Treasurer and successfully achieved several milestones under the leadership of my President Shri Ashok Singh viz. large no. of Promotions for the officers in 1995 , Salary Revision of 2000, Revision in C&B issues and host of officer’s welfare schemes etc. Privatization of HPCL/BPCL was opposed by us and finally halted permanently by Hon’ble Supreme Court orders in Sept 2003,later an attempt by then Govt. to merge HPCL with ONGC was successfully stopped by our convincing presentations.

In individual capacity myself as a member and headed by HPMSA President a "cost& expense control committee" was constituted by then C& MD , our recommendations within 6 months accrued a saving of more then Rs. 250 cr. to the corporation. My efforts in reconciliation of MRPL AR3A's saved corporation Rs. 140 cr. in penal duty and severe reprimand and embarrassment from the statuary authorities. I could help save corporation Rs. 60 cr. within 3 months during Jan-March 2008 by disposing off accumulated scrap lying all across HPCL Mktg. locations.. We could establish No. of Holiday Homes across the country for our officer colleagues and got even meals added during their stay.

Such achievements and prominence on the work front was bound to create the feeling of animosity, envy and heart burn to some of the mediocre colleagues and seniors whose sole performance was to toe the line of Management and ensure their survival and career progression by way of sycophancy. During discussions with Top Management , the false ego of some senior colleagues used to get rubbed on the wrong side , though they could ill afford to open their mouth while getting snubbed from then C& MDs for their short comings and inefficiencies . Such seniors could not harm us since our actions were well supported by then Ministers/Ministry of Petroleum &Nat. gas , since our efforts were in the direction of improving organizational effectiveness. As Association activists , we always had officer's overall interest in our mind and ensured that each benefit percolates down the line to the junior most officer of the corporation.

THE CASE

Those senior colleagues who acquired Top Management positions in due course of time were nursing a grudge against both of us and they were looking for an opportunity to fix us , a situation , while we questioned Management for appointing one of their favorite Sanjay Grover (who had resigned from HPCL to join MRPL), 3 grades higher in HPCL as a CEO of HPCL JV HINCOL came handy ,we appealed the Management to review this appointment and give fair opportunity to all eligible officers. After an amicable settlement , Management backed out and Charge Sheeted me & Ashok Singh on 7.5.08. Enquiry in this case commenced on 16.7.08 and despite our strong protests on illegalities, continued till 7.11.08, The DA Dir(M) did not even allow us mandatory 15 days period for replying to the Enquiry officer's report and summoning Dir. HR & GM- HR (mktg.) as witnesses. HPCL summarily dismissed both of us on 12.3.09, my appeal dt 27.3.09 was rejected on 15.7.09 and I have been evicted from the company accommodation .I had moved Hon’ble Mumbai High court against illegalities in the conduct of Enquiry and filed a petition no. 2254 in Sept 2008 , Hon’ble Mumbai High court in their order dt 1.10.08 gave me the liberty to approach again in case of an adverse order from HPCL Management .

MARKER SYSTEM
One marker system was introduced in all oil companies (IOC,BPC,HPC) from 1.10.06, and on our instructions an advocate was collecting all information through RTI about irregularities and corruption in the purchase and implementation of Marker system since Nov. 2007 ,all informations were received on 6.5.08

Me and Ashok Singh , filed a CBI complaint on 12.5.08, , against then Secy. Petroleum &Nat. gas Sh. M.S Srinivasan and Private suppliers M/s Authentix/SGS , furious HPCL Management in retaliation promptly suspended Ashok Singh on 16.5.08 alleging irregularities at Sajgaon outlet , to which he was not even remotely connected. HPCL Management even recorded in their Board notes on 29th june 2008 and 30th july 2008 that we will be penalized .

HPCL approached Registrar's office and discovered that HPMSA's registration had been canceled as early as on 5.5.99 ( Management did'nt know it for full 9 years), they hurriedly removed all Association Notice Boards and stopped the check off facility on 11.6.08 simultaneously , made at least 50% officers to resign from the Association under threat , intimidation and coercion. We filed a petition in cooperative's court and despite stiff resistance from HPCL , court ordered the restoration of the Association , which has been done on 31.8.09.

We both appealed to CVC for whistle blower protection under Govt. of India’s resolution and even met Vigilance Commissioner personally to apprise him of the case on 6.6.08, 21/22.7.08 and 7.8.08 , instead getting us protected, our miseries compounded and HPCL Management took a vow to finish us once and for all.

Management gave me 2nd charge sheet on 30.7.08 for displaying some marker related report on Association notice board on 6.6.08(that day I was in CVC's office at Delhi , which has been confirmed by CVC in response to a RTI) , in fact this so called confidential marker report was already published by a website on 21.5.08 it self .Enquiry in this case commenced on 21.11.08 and abruptly discontinued on 18.2.09.

Right from May 2008 , Management was looking for an opportunity to remove me from the company and in this process, they evicted me from my office on 15.10.08, and made to sit under stairs case , took away assistance and curtailed my benefits. Management swiftly used OSOA strike of 7-9th Jan 2009 , to fix me and implicated once again into a false charge of instigating the officers suspended on 9.1.09. It is noteworthy that I myself had not even participated in that strike and was on duty.

Basis a news item on Marker system , which appeared in TOI of 4.6.08, a PIL No. 60 was filed in Mumbai High Court on 16.6.08 ,by a social activist Shri Simpreet Singh, which was heard on 24.7.08, 20.8.08, 5.9.08 by Hon’ble Chief Justice of Mumbai High Court.

Hon’ble Mumbai High Court ordered CBI enquiry in the marker case on 23.10.08 , and the marker was abruptly discontinued by all oil companies on 31.12.08, As per news item in Indian Express dated 5.10.08 and TOI dated 16.6.09 the marker was not tamper proof and launder able by ordinary clay. It was also established by HPCL appointed R&D advisor that it was carcinogenic in nature( could cause cancer in human being), still despite court orders oil companies placed order for 3 months from ( 1.10.08-31.12.08) and marker doping was continued . CNN-IBN in their news telecast on 21.9.09, have confirmed that supplier Authentix was already a black listed company abroad named as ( BIOCODE) and CVC has ordered CBI enquiry against erring senior Ministry officials.

APPEAL

I am out of job since 12.3.09, and exhausted all my resources fighting this corrupt system and court cases , my only wish is to restore my honor and dignity , for which a protracted legal battle is to be fought against erring corrupt officials and Authorities , I am not only hopeful but confidant that ultimately truth will prevail and guilty will be brought to book . I have done no wrong in my Professional or Personal life ( friends, who know me personally are well aware of it).

By and large the officers are docile , fearful and unable to fight even for their legitimate rights , the very objective of forming unions and associations is to have a forum for discussing rights & responsibilities , since in Public sector companies the ownership remains with the Govt., these bodies act as a watch dog to the Management functioning& decision making, which they never appreciate and try to crush in the collectives in the first available opportunity.

I there fore appeal to all my friends, colleagues in HPCL, Associations in OMC'S, upstream companies , Federations of PSU'S to help me financially. Almighty GOD has given me sufficient to take care of my daily needs, funds are required for the legal battle ONLY. Those who wish to help me, may please deposit cash or cheque in my name

ICICI BANK ACCOUNT NO may please be taken from me by phone..

I shall be indeed thankful for the same.
R.P.Srivastava
09820183924
landline 91-22-27633760

P.S Those who are the recipient of this mail are requested to forward it other colleagues.

An Open Letter to the Honourable HRD Minister from the IIT Kanpur Faculty Forum

19/09/09
Mr. Kapil Sibal,
Honourable Minister of Human Resources and Development
Government of India
-------------------------
Dear Mr. Sibal,

The revised notification from MHRD dated 16/09/09 succeeds in removing a glaring anomaly with regards to the pay fixation for Assistant Professors, and we thank you for that. However, it is disappointing to note that it did not address other fundamental concerns – in fact it introduces more restrictive clauses – which will have serious, long-term ramifications on the ethos and culture of excellence of the IIT system.

A mere re-designation of the post of “lecturer-cum-post doctoral fellows” to “Assistant Professor, to be recruited on contractual basis” will not attract bright fresh PhDs to the IIT system. Should we expect that highly qualified faculty aspirants with PhDs from IITs, IISc, MIT, Stanford, Cornell, Caltech, etc., will line up to join the IIT system for a salaryof about Rs. 30,000/- p.m.? Compare this with offers on their tables from institutes and corporations world-wide, including MNCs and the soon to be established foreign university campuses in India. The choice is of course clear. Your great visions of bringing about a reverse brain drain, and infusing the rapidly expanding IIT system with that much needed influx of highly qualified faculty would grind to a complete halt!

Further, the clarity of MHRD’s vision is indeed baffling when it specifies that IITs, IISc, IIMs, etc. can recruit someone as a Professor only if he/she has spent at least 4 years as Associate Professor within those institutes only. In this era of globalization, with the paradigms of inter-disciplinary research and academia-industry interaction taking root, does it make sense to prevent all possibilities of migration of highly qualified scientists from research laboratories and industries toinstitutes of excellence? And for those who might want to come back to Indian academia, after having already established themselves in premier institutions across the world, wouldn’t it be an insult to be forced to join as Associate Professors? In addition, is it fair to outright deny bright faculty in other institutes within the country an opportunity to migrate to the IIT system to further their academic aspirations and opportunities?

The concept of a flexible cadre has been the hallmark of the IIT system and has played a vital role in creating a system of sustained excellence. Why then this cap of 40 % for Professors to move to the next academic grade pay (AGP)? IITs already have an open selection policy in place where every promotion is based on stringent academic criteria in terms ofteaching effectiveness, research publications, sponsored/consultancy projects undertaken and corporate responsibilities. Thus it does not really matter whether 10 % or 80 % of the candidates qualify for the next level. If the introduction of a new AGP and the associated 40% cap is motivated by the perception that Professors at IITs do not have adequate incentives to continue giving their best, we feel that this entire paradigm needs a serious re-think. All it is accomplishing, in essence, is an introduction of yet another hierarchy in an academic system which thrives on open discussions and debates. In fact, even from a monetary point of view, it is not flattering to think of a mere increase of Rs. 1500/- per month as a motivational incentive!

The provisions in the MHRD notifications have created an apprehension in the minds of the faculty that MHRD is trying to micromanage the academic governance, and is hence impinging on the autonomy of the IITs. Are not pay commissions primarily about pay matters and only pay matters? Should not autonomous institutions have the flexibility to relax the minimum criteria for exceptional candidates, as has been the practice? The whole exercise leaves the feeling that being a doctor of philosophy, after all, is trivial and meaningless – what will these studious types ever know about how to run an educational institution.

We sincerely wish that the MHRD appreciates those who have built these institutes into what they are today…world class institutes within 62 years of independence. Literally burning the midnight lamp, a whole lifetime spent in academic isolation, eyes firmly turned away from worldly lures, willing to face every single challenge thrown by the winds of change…from scratch to excellence…idea by idea, brick by brick, lecture by lecture, student by student, research publication by research publication. It is imperative that we preserve, at all costs, the inherent strengths thathave made our institutes names to reckon with.

We invite you to visit our institute, interact with our faculty, students and staff, tour the research laboratories, and hence experience first hand, the academic environment that makes IITs symbols of national pride.

Thanking you,
Yours Sincerely
Faculty Forum – IIT Kanpur.

Anil seeks probe into RIL's 'huge scandal' in gas investments

Some More Indications of how RIL has purchased Petroleum Ministry. This time from an insider like Anil Ambani.

30 Jul, 2009 1627hrs IST PTI

NEW DELHI: Questioning clearance by junior oil ministry officials of the near four-fold hike in costs to Rs 45,000 crore for gas fields by Mukesh Ambani-led RIL, Anil Ambani on Thursday demanded a probe into the "huge scandal."

"I am deeply concerned that RIL's capital expenditure of nearly Rs 45,000 crore on KG-D6 fields as confirmed in Parliament by the petroleum minister and which is nearly 33% of India's total defence budget was cleared by a management committee..." he said in an e-mailed interview.

"The committee comprised of one junior level official each from the petroleum ministry and director general of Hydrocarbon and two representatives of the contractor (RIL)... talk about conflict of interest," he said, adding that any expenditure above Rs 150 crore by any arm of government goes to the Cabinet committee of economic affairs for approval.

Given the incredibly high stakes involved, the comptroller and auditor General and central vigilance commission should examine relevant facts and find out if capex was overstated, Anil said, pointing that budgeted expenditure of RIL for peak production of 40 mmscmd was only Rs 12,000 crore in 2004.

Anil alleged that petroleum ministry, particularly after the changes in 2006 (when Murli Deora took over as minister), was colluding with RIL in its quest to make "super-normal profits of Rs 50,000 crore" at the cost of power and fertiliser sectors.

Anil hoped that public accountability bodies like CAG and CVC will examine the facts as he feared that ultimately the users of gas would end up paying for RIL's capital expenditure.

Appropriate action should be taken "if indeed they (CAG/CVC) find that the capex has been over-stated, and as a result huge losses caused to the public exchequer and all end-users of the gas produced from KG-D6," he said.

He said the surge in capex has even surprised independent observers and the government could have lost over Rs 30,000 crore by this "gold-plating of costs".

On his dispute over gas supply with Reliance Industries, Anil said: "It is a huge scandal that at the price of USD 4.20, RIL wants to make super normal profits of over Rs 50,000 crore (10-billion dollar) - which will ultimately be paid for by hundreds of millions of end-consumers."

Anil, who wants gas for his group firm RNRL at USD 2.34 per mmBtu as per an MoU with RIL, said further that "RIL has a short term monopoly, and to perpetuate this monopoly, and earn disproportionate profits at the cost of the people, RIL is spreading misinformation in the public domain to ensure a higher price for its gas."

As per the Production Sharing Contract, RIL is entitled to "first recover its entire capital expenditure from the revenues from sale of gas, before even the government gets any meaningful share."

Anil also raised questions over prohibitively high transportation cots for KG-D6 gas, while suggesting a probe by power and gas sector regulators like PNGRB, CERC and SERC.

He said that pipeline networks in the country were operating on a cost-plus basis, and therefore, end-users from power and fertiliser sectors were, in effect, paying for the networks too.

"To my mind, there is a strong case to revisit the issue of transportation costs for KG-D6 gas, probably the highest in the world, by the PNGRB, the pipeline regulator. Presently, these are pegged at a prohibitive USD 1.25, or 30 per cent of the base gas price!

"Further, with new tax breaks recently announced, the entire cost of setting up the gas pipeline network has been allowed to be written off in the very first year -- a special and unique benefit not given to any other capital intensive sector. It is only fair that the benefits of these tax breaks be passed on, and gas transportation costs be brought down to near zero."

He expressed the "hope that the regulators in gas and power sectors such as PNGRB, CERC and SERC, would examine this aspect more carefully."

At RNRL's AGM earlier this week, Anil also pointed out that the gas transportation company was no longer owned by RIL and it had been sold to the promoters of RIL for a "princely sum of Rs 5 lakhs, and turned into a privately held company."

http://m.timesofindia.com/PDATOI/articleshow/4838079.cms

Airlines threaten to ground flyers on Aug 18

Congress Govt called the Oil Sector Employees' Strike a Deshdrohi's Act. We wonder what they will call this now when the organisations themselves are calling for strike? Will they jail Mallya and Goyal etc?

Or will it now be confirmed now what we long suspected that Business class have long purchased the Bureaucrats and Ministers?

Media has been always supporting Privatisation, arguing the Public Sector should be made History and everything should be privatised. They said this about the Oil Sector Strike when employees fought for legitimate demands. These employees were called DESHDROHIS by uninformed Media people who suck. And then the same people said Air India should be closed down because it is making losses. I am now waiting to see them say the same thing about these Private Airlines Bosses. Will media say 'Close these Airlines down because they are NOW holding India to Ransom and that they are making losses"? Or has the media people been purchased by Business houses in India?

Really you media people do suck!

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/NEWS/Business/India-Business/Airlines-threaten-to-ground-flyers-on-Aug-18-/articleshow/4843809.cms

MUMBAI: Taking a leaf out of employees' labour union books, private airlines on Friday threatened to suspend domestic operations on August 18 if the

government did not give in to their demand for a bailout package in the form of lower sales tax on fuel and airport taxes. Never before has an entire industry threatened to pull out from the market to arm-twist the government into buying its line. ( Watch ) "The airline industry realizes its role in the life of the nation. But in view of the indifference shown by the government, it may not be able to continue its operations... and so we have decided not to operate nationwide services on August 18," Anil Baijal, secretary general of the Federation of Indian Airlines, the lobby group of airlines in India, announced at the Jet Airways office in Mumbai. "The idea is to highlight the urgency for the government to intervene urgently. If, however, an adequate response is not received, member airlines will be compelled to suspend their services for an indefinite period." Baijal did not spell out the nature of the response or the level of commitment the airlines are expecting from the government in the next 18 days. For now, the government has little sympathy. "We understand the problems being faced by the aviation sector, but do not support any move that will inconvenience the people. My advice to the airlines is to engage in a dialogue with the government," said civil aviation minister Praful Patel. Although the relationship between governments and airline operators worldwide has never been an easy one, the threat by Indian private airlines is a first in the century-old history of the global airline industry. If it is indeed carried out, it will mean cancellation of about 12,000 domestic flights by airlines such as Kingfisher, Kingfisher Red, Jet Airways, Jetlite, IndiGo, Go Air and Spice Jet on August 18. The only option for the domestic air traveller will be the 300 scheduled flights operated by Air India and the additional ones it may mount to meet the demand. The no-fly decision was taken following an afternoon meeting attended by Jet Airways' Naresh Goyal, Kingfisher Airlines' Vijay Mallya and other members of FIA except those from Air India and Paramount Airways. Following the meeting, Baijal read out a statement to the media which began with the financial difficulties faced by the industry. The total losses incurred by the Indian airline industry in 2008-09 are estimated to be Rs 10,000 crore, he said, listing ATF sales tax, airport charges, depreciation in the value of India rupee, the economic meltdown and terrorists attacks as contributory factors. Patel stressed on Friday that tax on ATF was a state issue, and the aviation ministry had been requesting the states for the last few years to see reason. The minister declared that Air India
would not participate in the decision of "select private airlines" and would, instead, mount additional services on August 18 to reduce inconvenience to the public. The airline bosses refused to put a figure on the losses they would suffer if the threat was put to force. When asked whether suspending operations entirely did not amount to violating the provisions of the Scheduled Operators Permit that allows airlines to operate flight services, Mallya said that passengers who had booked on that day would be given a complete refund. Sudhakara Reddy, president, Air Passengers Association of India, a consumer rights organization, was scathing. "The losses are of their own making," he said. "The two big airlines, Jet and Kingfisher, bought loss-making airlines like Air Deccan and Air Sahara. The government, on the other hand, gave airlines benefits like a credit period for payment to oil companies and airports. Then again, IndiGo and Spice Jet made a profit in the last quarter, which means there is a turnaround in the industry. When they make a profit, do they share it with the government or public?"

No private airlines to fly on Aug 18 - PSU vs Pvt once again

Trust the media to always blindly attack PSUs.. We kept reading so many articles on how AIR INDIA should get closed down because it is making losses.. but the same media experts forgot about JET and Kingfisher who too were making losses..we wonder... are these media people in the employ of these Private Business people?

Here is a letter to PM

Dr Manmohan Singh,
Prime Minister,
New Delhi
Dear Sir,
Regarding media news "No private airlines to fly on Aug 18", I wish to advise as under:
They have flourished and become fat by getting financial incentives out of public money, getting administrative and infrastructure support from the Govt agencies like Aviation Ministry / Finance Ministry / Petroleum Ministry / Oil Companies / Airport Authority etc.
Govt has invested huge money in constructing / renovating air ports at major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Kolkata etc to help primarily these private airlines.
This lopsided priority has deprived the suffering masses of primary education, primary health facility and the affordable housing.
Mr Praful Patel Union Aviation Minister and Mr Murli Deora Union Petroleum Minister have gone out of the way, have abused their position to get price reduction in the price of ATF (while for MS, HSD, SKO, LPG etc used by common man, it was not done), discount on ATF, authorised and even unauthorised / illegal credit on supply of ATF to private sector airlines.
The situation in India of undue political interference has been like Italy in Alitalia case particularly with reference to the Air India / Indian Airlines. Their merger has not achieved the stated objective of synergy and the claims of UPA Govt for PSU mergers are simply bogus.
Further, these money hungry private sector Airlines operators have not passed on the financial benefits to the air line passengers, gone back on their promises and the Directors of these private lines have pocketed the money.
In their greed to increase their own business exponentiallly, with full support by Mr Praful Patel, kept non-viable low air fares and unnecessarily indulged into price war to initially lose money.
The beneficiaries of aviation sector are less than ninety five percent citizens of India and, if they close down, heaven is not going to fall. Railways and Private bus operators shall gain while the millionaires and billionaires have their own jets and helicopters to fly. Govt officers entitled to air journey can very well travel by train or by Air India.
Considering the above, UPA II Govt must convey in no uncertain terms forthwith to the Greatest Traitors, the unethical opportunist limpets who have thrieved on public money that they have no business threatening, they can go to hell if they do not want operate in India.
Let them close down their shops in India & go to other countries for business as, in this global village era, there will be no dearth of other country Airlines to utilise the infrastructure already available / further augmented in India for operating the flights.
While concluding,
I would request to sack Mr Praful Patel and Mr Murli Deora forthwith for creating this situation by undue favouritism and pampering.
I would also request stopping wastage of public money that does not help in any positive manner to the suffering masses of India.
With kind regards,
(Babubhai Vaghela).
C 202, Shrinandnagar V, Makarba Road Vejalpur, Ahmedabad - 380051 M - 94276 08632 http://twitter.com/vaghelabd http://www.esnips.com/user/vaghelabd http://www.youtube.com/user/vaghelabd (Administrator - Google Group - Right to Information Act 2005) http://groups.google.com/group/Right-to-Information-Act-2005/about?hl=en
References :
Further to assistance from CAG requsted - Regarding (1) Recovery from Third Parties RTI Ref : SMPPESCOQ5 (2) Unauthorised huge credit to Airlines by Oil PSUs (3) Rs 50 crore unauthorised credit to GSRTC by IOC...
http://groups.google.com/group/Right-to-Information-Act-2005/browse_thread/thread/b2a40c4d12bfd5c8/afc5eb42d9f2d5fd?hl=en&lnk=gst&q=deora#afc5eb42d9f2d5fd
PUBLIC LOOT : ATF Prices Cut by IOC BPC HPC but Not THE Airfares.
http://groups.google.com/group/Right-to-Information-Act-2005/browse_thread/thread/4bd02d574b6b1d38/6902ffad0f6724f0?hl=en&lnk=gst&q=atf#6902ffad0f6724f0
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http://m.economictimes.com/PDAET/articleshow/4842352.cms
AIRLINES / AVIATION
Private airlines seek bailout from government31 Jul, 2009, 1723 hrs IST, Economictimes.com and Agencies

Boeing's 787 Dreamliner Sukhoi Superjet 100 Air Force One India's Air Force One Top 15 global airlines
NEW DELHI: Private airlines on Friday sought bailout from the government and have threatened to suspend operations on August 18. The airlines have further threatened to call off domestic operations completely if the government does not give them a hearing. ( Watch ) According to FIA the total loss for aviation was at Rs 10,000 crore for 08-09. The ATF taxes are unviable and the estimated airline levies stand at $250 million. According to Vijay Mallya, airlines will refund the money for the passengers who have bookings for August 18. The international operations however, will not be impacted. According to Jet Airways' Naresh Goel, this is not an ultimatum to the government but only a way of drawing government's attention to the poor plight of the airline industry. "The operations are not sustainable any more and we have been asking for government's help for a long time now," added Goel. Earlier in the day, Indian flagship carrier Air India, struggling with massive losses, has cancelled orders for five Boeing 777 planes.
Also Read
→ Now, Kingfisher Airlines to delay salaries
→ Airlines in the country lose Rs 2,445 crore in 2007-08: Govt
→ Lockheed eyes more deals after India-US defence pact
→ Loss-hit Air India cancels five Boeing orders: Report
Earlier Kingfisher Airlines had warned its 6,000 employees of a delay in salary payment. In an email, its executive vice-president Hitesh Patel had asked its employees to be prepared for delayed salaries and embarrassing dealings with unpaid vendors in the coming days. Mr Patel said the company was in a tight situation regarding finances and it had trimmed its fleet to 69 from 89 to cut costs. The government on Thursday said leading airlines in the country had suffered losses over Rs 2,44,483.7 lakh during the 2007-08 fiscal.

Talks Capt. Charles Moore on the seas of plastic

Capt. Charles Moore of the Algalita Marine Research Foundation first discovered the Great Pacific Garbage Patch -- an endless floating waste of plastic trash. Now he's drawing attention to the growing, choking problem of plastic debris in our seas.

http://www.ted.com/talks/capt_charles_moore_on_the_seas_of_plastic.html

Marker may turn kerosene into killer fuel

Marker may turn kerosene into killer fuel

22 Jun 2009, 0418 hrs IST, Sanjay Dutta, TNN

NEW DELHI: Nearly 6.5 million BPL families who depend on kerosene for their cooking and lighting needs as well as farmers who use it to run

pumpsets and spray pesticides could soon be exposed to cancer-causing fumes from markers that will be laced with the poor man's fuel to check diversion.

Markers are chemicals that cannot be distinguished once they are mixed with kerosene. But if such doped kerosene is used to adulterate motor fuels, the marker will show up when petrol or diesel samples are tested using special equipment. Since kerosene costs nearly half of petrol or diesel due to subsidy, nearly 38% of supplies for the poor are siphoned off for adulterating motor fuels.

To check such diversion, state-run oilmarketing companies are about to roll out the marker throughout the country. But test criteria specified in the procurement norms means only markers with `halogenated hydrocarbons' -- which can be detected using X-Ray (XRS) or gas chromatograph technology -- will qualify, sources said.

Halogenated hydrocarbons are among 189 `hazardous air pollutants' listed in the US Clean Air Act of 1990. The Act bans their use in fuels as after combustion they produce `toxic dioxins', described by US Environmental Protection Agency as extremely harmful to humans and environment. Generally, these chemicals are used to conduct lab tests to detect toxicity in foods and not used in fuels anywhere in the world.

It transpires that no environmental or health impact study was done before setting the procurement criteria, which appears to purely focus on a marker's ability to detect adulteration. Neither is there any hint that a marker will have to undergo a green or health test. This is surprising since as early as 2005, Hindustan Petroleum's then R&D advisor, A K Bhatnagar, had described the problems associated with halogenated hydrocarbons in his presentation on fuel quality made at a Ficci-Petrotech seminar in Delhi.

Company executives, however, said "pollution aspects have been taken care of" in the procurement norms. "The technical committee has laid down elaborate parameters. They will test each marker against those parameters and safety will be assured," a top executive of an oil company who is involved with the procurement process said, requesting that neither he nor his company be identified.

The crux lies in one of the criteria in the norms, called the `charcoal test'. In this test, charcoal should not be able to filter or remove the marker from kerosene. According to sources, only markers with halogenated hydrocarbons can pass this test.

Ineffective CVC

Whistleblower ACT has lost its meaning.. and corrupt people continue to roost and control our lives.. A daring few who gather facts and complaint to Authorities against Corruption are NOT at all protected but rather Persecuted! These daring few are trying to make our .. yesss! your and my life better..... but what do we do? We sleep..

The document below is from DAINIK Jagran 17/6/09 issue at this link
http://in.jagran.yahoo.com/epaper/index.php?location=49&edition=2009-06-17&pageno=3

It is in Hindi so for non Hindi Readers.. the gist is :-

Govt of india appointed the CVC as a nodal agency for acting upon the complaints of corruption against high level officers in public sector undertakings. The whistle blower resolution was also approved for this purpose only . For CVC the the contact officers were CVO's in respective organisations i.e PSU's , CVO' were supposed to act upon the complaints within a month's time and confirm compliance to CVC , which neither respective CVO's did nor the concerned Ministry's did ( Ministries also have their own CVO' s} . In the process complainants got victimised and harrased buy respective managements. Now CVC is being severly criticised for their inaction , and in turn Govt is being criticised for having a toothless body like CVC, after criticism , CVC has woken up and asked all CVO's to submit replies for pending cases in their organisation immediately.

Dainik Jagran News of 17.6.09 in Hindi on Whistleblowing

Indian Bureaucracy the worst in ASIA: SURVEY

IAS !!
HA! Worst in Asia !! Now we know why PSUs where briiliant Technocrats work suffer!
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/indian-bureaucracy-the-worst-in-asia-survey/470601/0

Posted: Wednesday, Jun 03, 2009 at 1607 hrs IST

Singapore: Singapore's civil servants are the most efficient among their Asian peers, a business survey on 12 economies released on Wednesday showed, but they tend to clam up unhelpfully when things go wrong.
The island-state was ranked first for a third time in a poll of 1,274 expatriates working in 12 North and South Asian nations on the efficiency of bureaucrats in those countries. The poll was last held in 2007.
During normal times, when the system is not stress-tested, it operates very well, Hong Kong-based Political & Economic Risk Consultancy said in a 12-page report of Singapore's bureaucracy.
However, during difficult times - or when mistakes are made that reflect badly on the system - there is a tendency among bureaucrats to circle the wagons in ways that lack transparency and make accountability difficult, the report said.
India's suffocating bureaucracy was ranked the least-efficient by the survey, which said working with the country's civil servants was a slow and painful process.

They are a power centre in their own right at both the national and state levels, and are extremely resistant to reform that affects them or the way they go about their duties, PERC said.
Thailand, despite four years of on-off street protests and a year of dysfunctional government was ranked third. For all the country's troubles -- or perhaps because of them -- respondents to our survey were impressed with the way Thai civil servants have been carrying out their duties, PERC said. It said state offices associated with corruption presented the most difficulties for Thai citizens and foreigners.
PERC managing director Bob Broadfoot told Reuters that the controversy around huge investment losses by Singapore sovereign wealth fund Temasek was a good example of how things could become less transparent in in the island-state.
The Singapore government has come under fire from lawmakers and its citizens over several investment losses, particular its exit from Bank of America which resulted in a loss of over $3 billion, according to Reuters calculation.
The survey ranked Hong Kong second. China, which has been campaigning to fight corruption in its bureaucracy and improve efficiency on the civil service, was ranked 9th in the 2009 poll, two places down from 2007.
Ranking by most efficient to least efficient economies: Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand, South Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam, China, Philippines, Indonesia and India.

Other Links:

World News

Let the world know the truth of Indian IAS officers.

This is a Post that summarises all NEWS items on Corrupt Bureaucrats, Inefficient Bureaucrats, how they subjugate the fellow Civil Services officers and how they fleece the PSUs and Taxpayer's Money. For long they have screwed Technocrats. Let the world know the truth of IAS officers.

[All posts are news item in Public Domain and this blog does not claim ownership of the said news items.]

Spouses can accompany IAS officers- You Pay

Bureaucracy seen as unresponsive, corrupt: ARC

CBI case against Corrupt IAS Officer

IAS - Open the Clubhouse to everyone Outside

TRAITOR, TRAITOR, EVERYWHERE, NOR ANY PATRIOT TO SEE

Indian bureaucracy the worst in Asia: Survey

This month: "Tales of Indian bureaucracy"

Spouses can join babus on tours; you'll pay

Forget the Salaries of 1 lac and above per mth and so on that the IDIOTs in media projected what India does not know is that the Oil Companies are now being made to reversal of several benefits that its officers enjoyed so many years.

These are the doings of IAS officers/ the Bureaucrats,those who are themselves corrupt and who rule PSUs. And on the other hand see? What they do?

http://in.news.yahoo.com/32/20090615/1053/tnl-spouses-can-join-babus-on-tours-you.html

Mon, Jun 15 09:30 PM
Get ready to again pay for the foreign jaunts of spouses of India's globetrotting bureaucrats. The government has slipped back a rule allowing bureaucrats to take free 'companion tickets' from airlines like Air India when they travel abroad to attend conferences, workshops or meetings in their official capacity.
"Government servants shall be allowed to avail the facility of free companion tickets offered by the airlines for international travel only," a memo by Simmi R. Nakra, director at the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), said last week. It reversed the bar on officials taking the free 'companion' tickets home imposed last year.
The October 2008 bar - which made violations liable for proceedings under conduct rules - was inspired by the Sixth Pay Commission report that frowned upon babudom quietly making official tours "a source of profit". But there is nothing like a free lunch.
Or ticket. Airlines like Air India offer the "free" companion tickets only when customers buy full-fare tickets, not tickets that are sold on discounts that could be even half this rate.
It gives bureaucrats an incentive to buy a full-fare ticket if he intends to take the spouse along. And they do, spending the taxpayers' hard-earned money to buy full-fare tickets ? say a First Class ticket on the Delhi-New York sector for Rs 3.52 lakh - when a discounted ticket is available for half this price, Rs 1.84 lakh.
And they do travel a lot. An RTI application last year had revealed officials travelled 5.65 crore km in 3.5 years - over 70 times a round trip to the moon which is 3.84 lakh km away.
Officials at the Department of Expenditure - that controls the government's purse strings - acknowledged the relaxation in rules had their approval. Just seven months ago, the expenditure department had ordered ministries to negotiate incentives with airlines in a way "that the benefits come to the government".
"The free companion scheme was reviewed at the request of the civil aviation ministry" where official business often necessitates international travel, an expenditure department official said. Civil aviation secretary M Madhavan Nambiar, for instance, is currently in the US. The only time the government has had some anxious moments over squandering of public money was about six years ago.
The Congress, then in the opposition, had questioned senior home ministry officials - accompanying then deputy prime minister L.K. Advani - taking their wives along. Former railway minister Lalu Prasad had some uneasy moments this week when news got out that he had gifted himself free railway passes.
But he isn't the only one. The Railway Board too, in 1996, had given retired board members and their spouses a life-time first class air-conditioned train pass, waiving a charge that had to be paid till then.
Mamta took back Lalu's pass but the bureaucracy still have theirs, said Delhi resident Subhash Agarwal, who was handed out the railway circular by Air India to explain a similar freebie that it had given its board members. The same year, 1996, when air-conditioned staff cars were considered a luxury, babus got air-conditioned cars for secretary-level officers on the ground that "protocol and representations obligations" often required them to wear formal clothes "which makes travel onerous in the absence of air-conditioners".

Elections 2009 and Analysis Reports.

Elections 2009 and Analysis Reports.



Election 2009 Results Analysis and Winner Names

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Books oil sector Other

2009 Lok Sabha Has 150 Criminals as MPs

Know your Ministers. First page of the news item speaksof 150 criminals elected as MPs to Indian Parliament. Whether in officers' associations or Indian Politics, criminals and corrupt people seem to rule always. Or if you are a Crorepati. If every time you become a Minister your cores increase then .... honesty does take a beating....
Only Minister confirmed honest enough seems to be Mamata Banerjee.


LS Will House 150 Criminals

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CBI case against Corrupt IAS Officer

IAS official, Secy MOPNG under Net of CBI now!

CBI registers case against Former Petroleum Secretary Shri M.S. Shrinivasan, IAS, Mssrs. Authentrix Limited and senior officers of IOC, HPCL and BPCL on the initial complaint made by whistleblower Ashok Singh, Regional Manager HPCL.& R.P.Srivastava Sr. Mgr.(ops)

CBI has registered a corruption case against the former Petroleum Secretary Shri M.S. Srinivasan for having favoured a British Company Mssrs. Authentrix Limited. The other accused persons are the officials of IOC, BPCL and HPCL.

This complaint was originally lodged by Shri Ashok Singh, then serving Regional Manager HPCL in May 2009 with the CBI. Three days after the complaint was lodged, Shri Singh was suspended and later dismissed from Service by the Hindustan Petroleum Corporation of India (HPCL).

This issue was taken by Simpreet Singh, the undersigned, as a Public Interest Litigation with the Bombay High Court whereupon the CBI agreed before the Court that they would investigate the matter. Accordingly, the CBI registered a case vide PE/BA1/2009/A0001. The letter of the CBI in this respect is attached hereto.

The Brief facts of the complaint are detailed hereunder:
5.0 BRIEF FACTS:
5.1 For the reason of making an effective system of detection of adulteration in the petroleum products, a study was conducted, somewhere in the year 2005, by Petroleum Planning & Analysis Cell, which is under the direct control of Accused No. 1. Pursuant thereto, teams were sent to U.K. and Kenya to study the systems which were prevailing there.

5.2 It was clear that the brief and duty of this Cell was only to conduct an academic study about the technical aspects of using the marker system, so that specifications could be defined based on which global tenders could have been called.

5.3 However, it was seen that instead of preparing such specifications, this Cell, apparently on the instructions of the Accused No. 1, sent a letter on 21st October, 2005, to all the Public Sector Oil Companies instructing them to examine the commercial proposal of Accused No. 2, Mssrs. Authentix. Hereto annexed is the copy of the said letter and the same is marked as EXHIBIT-"A".

5.4 As per the report prepared by this Cell, Mssrs. Authentix, with the help of an executing agency in India, namely, SGS, would conduct marking for Petroleum products by mixing it with chemical markers. They would also conduct the statutory functions of checking the petrol pumps for adulteration, taking samples and testing them.

5.5 Based on this report, on 5 July, 2006, Accused No. 1, conducted a meeting of the three public sector oil companies. Thereafter, the said Accused No. 1 gave the following orders through the minutes circulated vide letter dated 12th July, 2006:

“IOC would coordinate on behalf of the Industry and finalise the modalities/contract and ensure placing of orders/signing of contracts or agreements with Mssrs. Authentrix”. (Emphasis supplied).

5.6 For the reason of the aforesaid instructions, representatives of the 3 public sector oil companies, on 26th July, 2006, conducted a meeting. Pursuant thereto, they decided to grant the contract to Accused No. 2 and 3. In this meeting, detailed modalities were worked out as to how to effect the execution of this contract by placing orders with Accused No 2 and 3.
5.7 After the aforesaid decision was taken contracts were awarded to Accused No. 2 and 3, by HPCL, BPCL and IOC, initially for a period of one year which has been extended by another one year. The aggregate value of the contract for two years is about Rs. 200 crores.

5.8 From, the aforesaid, it is seen that the accused persons, by indulging in a criminal conspiracy, abused their official position and violated the laws of the land. Accordingly, they have committed a clear-cut offence under section 13(1) (d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

6. CONCLUSION: While the accused persons have been booked but something need to be done for the act of those accused persons who had dismissed the whistleblowers from Service and who suspended Shri Ashok Singh just 3 days after the lodging of CBI complaint. Such whistleblowers need to be protected for the sake of transparent administration.

7. For further details contact the undersigned at 9969363065. For more details on legal aspects please contact our lawyer Shri Y.P. Singh at 9820233791.

8. The original complaint and the letter of CBI dated 27.5.09 is attached.
Simpreet Singh


CBI case against Corrupt IAS Officer

Publish at Scribd or explore others: corruption IAS

Indian Oil Officerr's Association Leader come under the CBI scanner

Jatin Parikh. Dy GM Finance at Western Regional Office of IndianOil Corporation Ltd. In the Oil Companies only officers below DGM level are allowed to be participate in Association Activities.

Then how come this Dy GM was allowed to be Jt Secy Mkt Division of IOCL? And that too when all other DGMs were told to resign from IOOA and made to do so also?

Whether or not he was a spy of management is only for all to analyse and conclude but these small incidents and cases only probably hint how a legitimate officers' association activity was penetrated by Authorities and scuttled!! And so why the strike was never meant to succeed.

Kudos to IOC management that they succeded in making the office bearers of IOOA their puppets.. thereby controlling a very important sector of PSU employees who could hold at ransom the Indian Economy by strikes etc. While the oil company associations have failed management and Govt has proved themselves to be better at what they do- Managing. Hats Off!

We Indians must give Due credit to UPA Govt and Oil Sector Management for having penetrated Association thoroughly.. and save India from suffering due to selfish strikes by PSU officers!!

However who were these people who were the leaders of the Oil Sector officers? Here is one Mr Jatin Parikh. of IndianOil.. he is news item now. No comments needed from this blog about him.

http://www.dnaindia%20.com/mumbai/%20report_indianoil%20-officials-%20come-under-%20the-cbi-scanner_%201264130

Poornima Swaminathan / DNA
Friday, June 12, 2009 0:38 IST


Mumbai: The Anti-Corruption Bureau of CBI is investigating the roles of two senior officials of IndianOil Corporation Limited in awarding a contract of collecting sales tax exemption forms from clients of the oil company.

Jatin Parekh, the western region's deputy general manager (finance), and Mahesh Wagh, the chief finance manager, are accused of conniving with Abhishek Nagori, the managing director of JLN Corporate Services -- a chartered accountant firm, in awarding the contract to the firm. Preliminary investigations have shown several discrepancies in the entire process. Nagori is a former employee of IndianOil.

After questioning the three of them on Thursday, the CBI has charged them under the Prevention of Corruption Act, and cheating and conspiracy under the Indian Penal Code, an officer said.

According to the contract awarded to Nagori, his company was in charge of collecting sales tax exemption forms from clients of IndianOil, who primarily use petroleum products, the officer said. And for this the firm would have got a commission of 0.15% from every form collected."There are two kinds of forms -- C is for private companies and D for government companies. Though the number of clients in the C section was higher, their use of petroleum products was less than that of government companies. As a result the collection of D forms led to higher commission for the firm with little legwork and minimal expenses.

"Nagori earned a commission of Rs70 lakh by fraudulently collecting more D forms than C forms," Abhin Modak, the ACB superintendent of CBI, said. "If the right process was followed, Nagori would have earned only Rs9lakh."

CBI raided Parekh's home in south Mumbai and office in Bandra (east) on Thursday. Investments worth Rs74 lakh were seized. The officers also seized Wagh's bank locker. His investments worth Rs100 lakh too were seized. Another officer from the CBI said the two IndianOil officials might be booked under the Disproportionate Assets Act as well.

A spokesperson from IndianOil Corporation said the company followed an internal conduct rule, under which action would be taken against the officials if they were found guilty.

Analysis of Indian Elections

Votes and Seats of National Parties have declined


Analysis of Indian Elections

Publish at Scribd or explore others: School Work Homework Other Books Non-fiction elections India

HPCL loss seen at Rs 500 cr

15 May 2009, 0148 hrs IST, Rajeev Jayaswal, ET Bureau

NEW DELHI: State-run fuel retailer Hindustan Petroleum Corp (HPCL) may post a net loss of Rs 400-500 crore in 2008-09, despite a bailout package being offered by the government.

However, the package will help the two other public sector oil marketing companies, Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) and Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL), post net profits, said three persons familiar with the matter.

The bailout package includes oil bonds worth around Rs 10,000 crore and upstream contributions of about Rs 1,000 crore from ONGC, Oil India and GAIL India in the form of discounts on crude oil and LPG sourced by the three fuel retailers.

HPCL had suffered huge inventory losses in 2008-09, when it bought fuel from other refiners and sold it through its outlets at lower rates after the government cut pump prices, besides its share in the combined losses of Rs 103,182 crore suffered by the three fuel retailers, said a government official who asked not to be named.

HPCL did not respond to an email query from ET.

“The company was hit harder as it had to buy refined products (petrol, diesel, kerosene and liquefied petroleum gas) in large quantities from the market to ensure uninterrupted supply of fuel to customers,” said an HPCL official, requesting anonymity. HPCL had to buy refined fuel products from the open market as it did not have enough refining capacity, he said.

HPCL has only two refineries—one in Mumbai (capacity of 5.5 million tonnes per annum) and the other in Visakhapatnam (7.5 mmtpa). It had to purchase and stock additional quantities of fuel from the open market during the recent strike by IOC and BPCL staff. HPCL staff did not take part in the strike.

IOC, BPCL and HPCL are yet to get the final instalment of oil bonds for the fourth quarter of 2008-09, said another government official. “Once bonds are issued, companies will be asked to review their accounts and deficits will be met though upstream discounts as per the direction of the Cabinet,” he said, requesting anonymity.

The government is expected to issue the oil bonds before the three companies announce their annual results in the last week of May.

Glimpses into How Elections are Conducted in India

To Chief and two other Election Commissioners,
Nirvachan Sadan, New Delhi

Dear Sirs
Please refer to my letters below of 12th and 5th May. And note that the Election Department itself commits so many blunders. Take immediate note of it and improve your working.

Yours truly,
Dr. Leo Rebello
Candidate, 26 North Mumbai Parliamentary Constituency

Dr. Leo Rebello
Candidate, 26-North Mumbai Parliamentary Constituency
28/552 Samata Nagar, Kandivali East, Mumbai 400101. Tel. 28872741

12th May 2009
Shri Baliram Pawar, IAS
Returning Officer
26-North Mumbai Parliamentary Constituency
Bandra East, Mumbai 51.

Subject: Grave Irregularities in the office of the RO
Ref: My letter of 5th May 2009 and your reply of 8th May
sent through my Election Agent on 9th May 2009.


Your reply of 8th May, to my letter of 5th May is incomplete. While my aforesaid letter contains 15 paragraphs, raising 15 irregularities, you have replied to only 12 and that too not properly.

2.. Vide para.3 of your letter, you have given the names of the Central Observers with their mobile numbers. This you should have provided long ago. But inspite of request in writing, you have still not provided the names and contact numbers of DM/DEO as also the Chief Election Officer of Maharashtra as also your and ARO’s official mobile numbers. You say that the said information was released in the Press, but you have not provided copies of the said information. You say that the contesting election candidates’ list was displayed on the notice board. But you are supposed to give a copy to each candidate, which was not given to me, which you provided on 9th May after my letter. But the said list was provided to other political parties candidates. If this is not discriminatory behaviour, then it is mismanagement.

3.. Vide para.5 you say that the ARO sent letters re: sealing of EVM, transportation and where they would be kept. Well, my Election Agent or I did not receive any such information, which you have notified now after I raised objection. Since I have lot of information on the malfunctioning of the EVMs and how data can get corrupted, storage of EVMs away from strong electromagnetic current is very essential. I would like to know whether the EVMs have been kept in the electromagnetically shielded Faraday cages? If not, it means the ECI is ignorant.

4.. Reading your reply vide para 6, it appears that either you are ignorant or rules have been changed. I say that my election agent Shri M.T.Govande has NOT received the Election Agent I-Card and Badge that earlier the EC used to provide.

5.. Till today, you have still not provided a copy of the full list of the Election Agents. Please provide the same atleast today. I need it for my record and future reference if necessary.

6.. Read para.8 of my letter of 5th May and read your reply vide para.6 of your letter. ECI informing the police to register offenses is one thing and your office, the Central Election Observers, the Camera team being on surveillance is another. I say, since it is a known modus operandi of the big political parties like Congress/BJP to distribute money in the last two days, what precautionary measures you, your staff, the central observers took, is the issue. You are trying to cover up your serious lapses and failures. While on this subject, please also clarify and provide copies of your ATR, if any, on the arrest of Congress Candidate Sanjay Nirupam and his men, as also the rioting that took place on 28th and 29th April. What were the Election Observers, your videographers doing? I had seen your so-called Central Election Observers only once at the time of scrutiny. Even on the Election Day, they were not seen anywhere. Were they on official duty or election holiday, like the voters go on holiday on the voting day? Has the RO/DM-DEO submitted a movement and the work done report by the two Central observers, namely, M/s Dilip Singh and Vimal Kirti, both of IAS, to the ECI? If so, as the Contesting Candidate I would like to have a copy of the said report. I would also like to receive copies of the report sent to the ECI by these two gentlemen.

7.. Your reply re: Micro-observers is not convincing. If the candidates and their election agents do not know who the micro-observers are at sensitive centers, how do we report the lapses, irregularities and offenses? If your micro observers were conniving with the corrupt candidates like Sanjay Nirupam, etc. how will we report the electoral offenses like distributing money, etc. As you are aware, the news of Sanjay Nirupam and his men distributing money was flashed widely in the media, and yet he was arrested much later and released on a small bail of Rs.950 by the corrupt police. I would like to receive copies of the FIR and report submitted by you or the Election Observers on this issue to the DM-DEO or the ECI, respectively. This report will form part of the Election Petition if Sanjay Nirupam were to win inspite of several irregularities. Please note that I am not a dummy candidate and I take these violations of model code of conduct seriously.

8.. Referring to your para.10, I say and aver that you did not inform and act on the Ballot votes. I know several Govt. servants (even those serving under you) who did not vote on 30th April. We will come to know more about this failure on your part on the counting day.

9.. What is the great idea of keeping the constituency plan and boundary information only in your office? This is very essential information, which you failed to provide inspite of your promise given to me on the scrutiny day.

10. I reiterate, that your office is wasting too much time of my Election Agent Shri M.T.Govande, 75 years old. On 9th May he left my home at 2.00 PM and returned at 8.00 PM and he reports to me that there is great mess and arbitrariness in your office.

11. You have deliberately or otherwise not replied to my important paragraphs no.10 (which deals with the violation of Article 326) and 15 (which deals with transparency and neutrality).

12. On other important issues like alphabetical listing of candidates names, providing CDs of Voters List to all candidates, and display of Candidates List, Vote Audit, storage of EVMs in Faraday Cages, and other shortcomings that I may note on the Counting day, I will notify to the ECI for correction. You should note that I give these learned suggestions to improve and not to harass anyone.

Best Wishes


Dr. Leo Rebello

Copies to DM-DEO and ECI for information.


-------------------------------------------------



Dr. Leo Rebello
Candidate, 26-North Mumbai, Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh

5th May, 2009
By Hand Delivery
To: Shri B.G.Pawar
Returning Officer, 26-North Mumbai

Dear Shri Pawar

Ref: Your letter RO/26-MN-LMS/09/2009 of 27th April 2009

Apropos your above letter my pointwise response:-

1. The limited number of posters and banners were in 4 colours. Vouchers were shown and copies were given.

2. Form A and B are to submitted by the Publisher and Printer and not by the Candidate or his Election Agent. The Printer and Publisher were notified of this requirement. Besides, may it also be noted that there is nothing objectionable in few pamphlets printed in single colour. This provision in law is mainly to check mischief.

3. Expense Statements duly signed have been submitted by me with necessary vouchers and they have been duly signed and stamped by the designated officer.

4.. Vouchers have been duly signed.

5.. While submitting the final account due care will be taken to submit the accounts in the prescribed register with original vouchers / bills duly signed, and statements in required format with an Affidavit as required. Needless to say that being a law-abiding person, I am aware of the provisions.


NOW PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING GRAVE IRREGULARITIESON YOUR PART :-

1.. Your office conducted only one meeting with the contesting candidates and their agents, to the best of my knowledge. If more meetings were held, I was NOT notified in writing. Your office instead of delivering such notifications phones and asks to collect such letters from your office, which is not proper.

2.. I have NOT received till date the names and contact numbers of the two Central observers.

3.. Similarly, you have NOT given me your or ARO’s mobile numbers, or the names, telephone, fax and email ids of the District Election Officer, BSD, Chief Electoral Officer, Maharashtra State and his main officers.

4.. I have NOT received till today the list of candidates, and the order in which the names of the contesting candidates appear. It is only when I went for voting that I came to know that my name was at number 9. Please provide the said list to my agent Sri Govande atleast today, 5th May. This is required for my record.

5.. Please explain, if we are talking of “a level playing field”, then why the names of all candidates should not appear in alphabetical order? Why the list is bifurcated in terms of National Parties, Regional Parties and Independents giving undue advantage to candidates of major parties who are forced on the voters?

6.. I or my agent was not notified about the date, time and place where the EVMs would be kept. I came to know of it from the newspapers.

7.. Till today my Election Agent, Sri M.T.Govande has NOT received the Election Agent’s badge eventhough I appointed him as my election agent on 27th April and you signed and sealed the said application on the same day.

8.. Enough precaution was NOT taken by your office on 28th and 29th April, 2009, to curb money power and other grave irregularities by Sanjay Nirupam of Congress, and other candidates, as per the provisions of para 4.6 of the Handbook of Candidates drawn as per the Model Code of Conduct and as per the changes made in the People’s Representation Act, from time to time.

9.. Likewise, I did NOT see any micro observers [as per 4.7] or videography of critical events [as per 4.8 of the said Handbook for Candidates].

10. The Voters’ Assistance Booths [4.10] were ill equipped. Even though your office was notified telephonically that my son Robin Rebello had an EPIC and he had voted in the last elections, because his name was missing from the list this time, he was denied the voting right, no remedial action was taken. Likewise, my agent Sri M.T.Govande and his family members’ names were missing even though they had voted in last election and they were holding EPIC cards. This mischief, lapse, dereliction of duty, amounts to disenfrenchisement [violation of article 326 of the Constitution of India] and is a serious offense as per the People’s Representation Act.

11. Similarly, postal ballot papers, to involve greater participation, were not looked into [4.5].

12. As a contesting candidate I did NOT receive the constituency plan or boundary information, as per para 5 - delimitation and extent of constituencies - page 3 of the Handbook of Candidates.

13. While candidates of recognized parties received voters list, others did not receive the same. Why this discrimination? Why in the days of computerization the list cannot be provided on CDs? Why Govt. is wasting so much paper in printing these bulky and faulty lists? What level playing field and equal opportunities are we talking of?

14. My agent Sri M.T.Govande (75 years old) is made to stand even for an acknowledgement stamp for long in your office. His full day is spoilt at your office because of clumsiness of your staff.

15. Para 4.11 talks of transparency and neutrality on the part of the election officials, which is missing going by the above factual observations.

Finally, I may appoint a few counting agents, if necessary for 16th May. Please, therefore, let me know of the requirements, expenses to be paid towards lunch, tea, snacks etc. and streamline the functioning of your office to cooperate with the law-abiding candidates like me rather than harass them with unnecessary quibbling. Democratic Elections should be celebrations. But ECI has made a mess of the entire system since T.N.Seshan’s time.
Yours truly,
Dr. Leo Rebello
Candidate
Copies to
1.. Election Observers,
2.. The District Election Officer, BSD
for information, pursuant to RO’s above letter.

Oil PSUs may suffer Rs 15,000 cr revenue loss

Oil PSUs may face losses

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/businessline/blnus/03131506.htm

NEW DELHI: The Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum may suffer over Rs 15,000 crore revenue loss on fuel sales this fiscal, Petroleum Secretary, Mr R S Pandey said on Wednesday.

“At current crude prices, oil marketing companies are likely to end 2009-10 fiscal with over Rs 15,000 crore under-recovery (revenue loss) against Rs 1,03,292 crore of the previous year,” he said addressing the India Energy Forum here.

Mr Pandey said the retailers were currently incurring loss on sale of petrol, domestic LPG and kerosene while they made a small profit on diesel sales.

They sell petrol at a loss of Rs 1.80 per litre, kerosene at Rs 12.27 per litre and LPG at a loss of Rs 91.51 per cylinder. On diesel, however, they make Rs 1.19 a litre profit.

The three firms lose Rs 48 crore per day on fuel sales. IOC, BPCL and HPCL incurred revenue loss of Rs 1,03,292 crore on sale of auto and cooking fuel in 2008-09.

Of this, Rs 32,000 crore was met by upstream firms like Oil and Natural Gas Corporation by way of discount on crude oil they sell to the three firms.

Besides, government issued the three retailers Rs 60,967 crore worth of oil bonds. - PTI

Holiday or Poll-iday?

Kiran Bedi

Driving through nearly deserted roads of New Delhi while going to cast my vote, I wondered where the voters were? Despite the massive explosion of creative and relentless Pappu drives-Jago Re campaigns through all possible mediums available. At the end of the day, voting turnout was just over 50%— an exceedingly disproportionate outcome compared to the intensity of these collective drives. The percentage ought not to have been less than 75 to 80%. So what went wrong? What could be that ONE CHANGE that could be experimented with, and which hopefully may succeed in smashing this barrier and take it a new level?

It would be, to make the voting day a non-holiday — just another working day with permission to report late or leave early to enable voting. Not only will this really get the vote “out”, it will help create persuasive pressure groups at work that will ensure increased voting. This may be an unpopular step as everyone loves a holiday. Invariably many a families use this (holi)day to make it into a long weekend. It is often said that the city dwellers do not vote hence they do not matter. I am convinced that if the voting day is not declared a holiday, the urban classes will be out voting in large numbers. They will not have to make a special effort to come out to vote as they will already be on the road. Many will first go to the polling booth near their home and then go to work. Or vote on their way home from work.

This will most likely take turnout to 75 to 80%. The good news is that everyone in the constituency will matter. This means that candidates will not be able to play divisive politics. The country’s urban elite and the middle classes often complain about the state of affairs and the fact that politicians only cater to the poor and rural populations. And why shouldn’t they? These people form a preponderance of the voting population. So it is time that the urban classes stand up, get out of their holiday mood, vote and be counted. Else they can forever make peace with their grievances. Keeping the voting day a working day obviates the need for making voting mandatory. What a simple yet powerful revolution in democracy to rise above cast, creed, religion, and gender. Is this worth considering? Or is the status quo too comfortable to change?

(Kiran Bedi is the first woman IPS officer and a recipient of the Ramon Magsaysay

Tale of whistle Blowers from HPCL

Here is a Tale of Whistleblowers in Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL)
President of HPCL Officers Association (HPMSA) Shri .Ashok Singh, was Convener of Oil Sector Officer’s Association (OSOA) also since 1997. Oil Sector had successful salary revision during the BJP regime after an 8 hours strike on 11th Jan. 2000, Later he could stop Privatization of HPCL/BPCL by a judgment from Hon’ble Supreme Court in Sept. 2003.

Political leadership of MOP& NG and bureaucrats were scared of this formidable leader in the oil sector and specially at this crucial juncture while salary revision was due and Parliament Elections were around the corner, 3 unsuccessful attempts of strike on 30th May 2006, 5th Sept. 2006 and 21st August 2007 had emboldened the bureaucrats that neutralizing the leaders by punitive Administrative measures will break the OSOA, and Govt. can get away by offering peanuts to PSU oil officers.


The sinister design came into play from May 2008, while HPCL officers opposing the arbitrary appointment of an Ex HPCL officer as a CEO of HPC’s JV with Colas SA. France (HINCOL), went on a flash strike .HPCL Management under instructions from Shastri Bhavan (MOP&NG) promptly issued charge sheets to Shri .Ashok Singh and his coordinator in OSOA R.P.Srivastava for instigating the officer to proceed on flash strike.


Ashok Singh armed with all necessary information received through his Advocate under RTI Act 2005 on a ‘Marker’ system, which was introduced on 4.10.06 by Minister of petroleum &NG Shri Murli Deora with lot of fan-fare and National publicity, filed a CBI Complaint against then Secretary Petroleum and Natural Gas . Mr.M.S. Srinivasan , the UK based Supplier M/s. Authentix and their Indian Agents M/s. SGS Ltd. to Joint Director CBI (Western Region) Mumbai, irked bureaucrats promptly ensured that Shri .Ashok Singh is suspended within 4 days after filing complaint in a misappropriation case for an irregularity in one of the Retail outlets ( He had 140 such outlets) under his jurisdiction along with 2 more officers.(TOI news item dt. 4.6.08)


Basis their CBI complaint one spirited citizen of NAPM (National Alliance of People’s Movement) filed a PIL in Mumbai High court on 16th June 2008. Against then Secretary Petroleum, OMC’s Chairmen, PPAC, CBI, MOeF, Legal Metrology, Authentix and SGS, Hon’ble Mumbai High Court in their judgment on 23rd Oct. directed MOP & NG, Vigilance and CBI to conduct enquiries.
R & D of OMC’s have declared in their report dt. 25th Sept.08 that the alleged ‘Marker’, which was launched as ‘ foolproof’ and most effective weapon against the Adulteration can be laundered by ordinary ‘clay’ Interestingly this ‘marker” was procured for Rs. 200 Crores by OMC’s @ Rs.10000/- litre may not be north even Rs. 10/- / litre MOP & NG for reason best known to them discontinued Marker w.e.f. 31.12.2008.( Indian express report dt 5th oct 2008).
Repeated Appeals and personal audience (at least at 3 occasions) to CVC (Central Vigilance Commission) under Govt. of India’s resolution for” Whistle Blower Protection” against victimization, yielded no result on the contrary, CVC in their order dt 30th oct 2008 , advised that both the officers that they will not be accorded protection of” whistle blowers’ and treated as a plain complainant. It is shocking that CVC has overlooked a Rs. 200 cr. fraud and refused to accord protection to 2 upright, honest, bold and courageous officers who have dared to expose corruption in high places specially against their own Ministry and Minister under whom they are working, and the corporations which claim to have compliance of clause 49 of corporate governance and a signatory of pact with ‘Transparency international’. The OIL psu’s have blatantly violated the Vigilance manual and guidelines on purchase procedures and placed Purchase orders on nomination basis, one such example in Shell’s refinery up gradation which has drained hundreds of crores from Govt’s exchequer, which is used for subsidizing OIL OMC’s losses by way of Bonds. In fact OIL PSU’s are shielding and camouflaging their inefficiencies, wasteful, imprudent , unproductive expenditures and Extravaganza in the garb under recoveries ( ET ‘s news item dt 8th may 2009)


Interestingly the above Secretary petroleum , pocketed bonuses , being on the Board of other oil companies , and DPE took strong exception to this and a directive was issued to such public servants , to refund bonuses received in their official capacities.(TOI. news item dt. 29.12.08).



It is reliably learnt that Investigating Agencies have commenced investigations; however no visible action has been taken so far (Indian Express news dt 24.12.08) .The young Gen. Secy. Of the ruling party has himself confessed in a recent press conference that CBI has been misused by the ruling parties, hence CBI’s selective inaction is explainable.


HPCL management suspended R.P.Srivastava alleging his involvement in the OIL sector strike on 7- 9th Jan 2009. (Incidentally HPCL was the only company ,which had not participated in the strike}, HPCL finally dismissed both the officers from service on 12th march 2009, after a show of conducting a slip-shod enquiry in their May 2008 incident and in violation of corporation’s own statuary provisions of CDA rules.


Both the officers have filed writ petitions, in the Mumbai high court seeking justice against CVC ‘s order ,HPCL Management, Minister of Petroleum for quashing of their compounding punishment in the hands of HPCL Management( HT news item dt 2nd May 2009)