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Governance

Lokayukta, Praje and fear

1 July 2010 - 1:31am — silkboard
Governance

I have heard him in a couple of public meetings, and have met him in a small group once. Note taken from those interactions with Lokayukta Santosh Hegde was that he has two battles to fight. One of them we know well enough, newspapers love covering how the government doesn't cooperate in prosecution or investigations.

The other battle for him - or any such toothless or draconian institution government could create - is to get real support from us, as in the citizens, people, praja. SMS campaigns, petitions etc (one petition from Loksatta party is still live on this website) is one thing, making full use of Lokayukta's office is another.

Bring Justice Santosh Hegde back to office - protest M G statue, Saturday (26th June), 9 AM

24 June 2010 - 6:22pm — murali772
24 Jun 2010
Asia/Calcutta
Governance

Loksatta calls for a movement to bring Justice Santosh Hegde back to office: Organises protest at Mahatma Gandhi statue on Saturday (26th June) morning at 9 AM

The resignation of the Hon'ble Lokayukta Shri Santosh Hegde is a low point for governance in the state. His action, coming after many months of repeatedly urging the government to give his office more powers, and to take action against various offenders he has identified, is a blackmark against the political leadership of the BJP, as well as the Congress and JD(S), all of whom have paid only lip service to the Lokayukta's efforts. It is particularly unfortunate that the Government has failed to protect officials of the Lokayukta's office from motivated legal and other attacks.

Even at this late hour, the Government can take corrective action, and restore public confidence that the much-needed battle against corruption in public service will be taken up seriously. There are three steps the government needs to take seriously, and immediately.

Candlelight protest rally in support of Lok Ayukta Santosh Hegde

24 June 2010 - 4:12pm — shekhar_mittal
24 Jun 2010 19:00
Asia/Calcutta
Governance

Posting on behalf of Prof Gowda

Dear fellow citizen,

 

As you know, the Karnataka Lok Ayukta, Justice Santosh Hegde, has resigned in protest against the state government’s efforts to scuttle the Lok Ayukta’s anti-corruption drives. As concerned citizens we cannot just sit back and watch as a crusader against corruption gives up the fight.

 

Instead, we must urge Justice Hegde to withdraw his resignation. We must show him that the people of Karnataka are together with him in his battles. We must raise our collective voice and push the state government to change its stance and punish the corrupt. We must launch a drive to give the institution of the Lok Ayukta more powers and more teeth.

 

Let's make a start by coming together for a candle-light protest rally on June 24, 2010 at 7 pm at the Mahatma Gandhi statue. This is open to all people and organizations interested in good governance.

 

Spread the word. Then come, join hands in the fight against corruption!

 

Sincerely,

 

Rajeev Gowda

Presentation describing Open Data pilot

21 June 2010 - 1:05am — silkboard
Governance

Here is a presentation describing the Open Data pilot proposal. Credits to IDS, Shekhar, Rithesh and Sreeram. We have been speaking with a few government officials for their participation in the pilot and expect to 1-3 confirmations ASAP.

Personally, I find the proposal very exciting. There are parallels from UK/US to borrow from, but our government systems are not as digitized yet and not everyone is used to talking transparency using real data (citizens, media or governments), so the work involved should be unique and interesting.

PUPs: Alternative Approach to Governance Reforms

18 June 2010 - 9:26pm — pdk
Water

Interesting story of an alternative vision of reform in government departments, from Tamil Nadu:

550 wealthy biggies owe 2.5 lakh crores in income taxes!

14 June 2010 - 9:04am — kbsyed61
Governance

TOI carried a report on biggest IT defaulters saying 550 top defaulters who owe more than 25 crores.

..Till March 31, the total arrears were Rs 2.30 lakh crore and with the start of the new fiscal, another Rs 20,000 crore has been added to this figure. Last year, the department had managed to recover nearly Rs 12,000 crore. The target for this year has been fixed at Rs 14,000 crore...

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/550-biggies-on-Rs-25cr-tax-defaulters-list/articleshow/6044719.cms

Is it case of less of enforcement and more of corruption?

The UID debate

6 June 2010 - 8:31am — vmenon
Governance

Dear  all, attaching a couple of recent files on UID:

  • a) A "skeptical note" on UID by a Prof ramkumar( form tata institute of social sciences)
  • b) Minutes of meeting with NGOs /CSOs organised by UID this month.

In other civic forums , the UID debate has gone to the level  of "stop UID" campiagns.

The anti UID lobby (currently in the civic space there seems to be more of them or at least more vocal) has a few broad areas of concern and pehaps rightly so

Killing the golden goose?

21 May 2010 - 11:06pm — murali772
Governance

India is the world's most competitive telecommunications market. But, the 3G spectrum auction is going to land things as a fiasco for the common man, even while it is a bonanza for the exchequer.

The outcome of the 3G spectrum auction in the UK was disastrous. The 3G network did not diffuse for a decade thereafter, because firms were broke. They had no money left to invest in infrastructure after paying for the spectrum licence and interest. The telecom firms could not generate positive cash flow from 3G activities for a decade. In fact, the principal UK telecom company, BT, sold its wireless business to pay off debts incurred to acquire 3G spectrum licences!

What happened in the UK can happen in India. The firms that have bid Rs 67,719 crore for 3G licences may not have finances left to fund infrastructure. If they borrow substantially, the combination of licence and interest costs, to be factored into pricing decisions, will make 3G services expensive or completely unaffordable. And, as everybody knows, it is low price that enables high offtake of any product or service.

Right to response in English

17 May 2010 - 6:08pm — murali772
Governance

From over a year now, the responses from GoK officials to queries under RTI, are being made out only in Kannada, even when raised in English, and even when specifically requested to respond in English.

Now, though I can speak Kannada fairly fluently; I can't read or write the language (Questions as to why people like me haven't bothered to learn to read and write the language can be the subject of another blog; but, please do not bring it up here). However, even true-blue Kannadiga's, to whom I have been referring these official responses, have been having difficulty figuring out the specific nuances pertaining to the issues involved.

As such, I feel this is a strategy being adopted by the babu's largely to obfuscate and prevaricate on issues. And, it is certainly having its effects - like from over a year, I have not filed a single query, though I used to be quite a regular before.

In the light of all these, on the 1st of this year, I filed a query as under:

Neta, Babu foreign jaunts

17 May 2010 - 3:47pm — murali772
Governance

Information obtained through RTI reveals that 157 legislators and 48 officials who visited foreign countries in 2009 (costing a whopping Rs 4.3 cr) haven't bothered to prepare a study report.

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