Batla Encounter: Mysterious even at 2nd anniversary

By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,

New Delhi: Tomorrow is September 19. Two years ago a bloody police encounter took place on the same day in Batla House area of Jamia Nagar – a Muslim ghetto in South Delhi. Two young boys from Azamgarh and a Delhi police inspector were killed. The incident is still a mystery, thanks to official gagging.

The latest in the gag regime on since the day one has come from Jai Prakash Narayan Apex Trauma Centre of All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi. The centre has refused to disclose information cnosidered crucial to lid off the mystery.

In written reply to an RTI petition by eminent activist Afroz Alam Sahil, the trauma centre on said photographs and videography taken during autopsy of Atif Ameen, Mohd Sajid and Mohan Chand Sharma, as well as sample and specimen related to their postmortem and forensic reports cannot be given. Citing RTI Act 2005 sections 8(g) and 8(h) the centre also refused to provide analysis of autopsy report of Inspector MC Sharma. The centre said this when the petitioner asked why Sharma’s autopsy report has no detail while the one of Atif and Sajid has minute details.

Comprising 11 questions Afroz had sent the application on 25th August 2010 and he got the reply on 7th September. Interestingly, in response to many questions the centre asked the petitioner to move to Jamia Nagar Police Station for the required information. Like regarding the Forensic report of clothes of the three persons Atif, Sajid and Sharma, the trauma centre, where the autopsy was carried out, asked the applicant to contact Jamia Nagar Police Station.

Similarly, in reply to another RTI petition related to the case, the trauma centre refused to share information.

Regarding the final consolidated opinion given by Dr. Dogra to the Crime Branch, Delhi Police, details of meeting of the Board constituted for the above purpose, Medico-legal Certificate of H.C.Balwant Singh and Injury report by him, the centre cited the same RTI sections.

This is not the first time that authorities have denied sharing information on the Batla encounter. Afroz had to struggle for one and half years for the post mortem report of the three which NHRC released last year in March. The autopsy report had exposed how the two youths were beaten up hard object before bullets were pumped in them.

After the encounter the duo was declared suspected terrorists involved in the Delhi serial blasts. About two dozen people were arrested from Jamia Nagar and Azamgarh in connection with the blasts as well as Batla case. The trial in the blast has started though at slow pace.

List of Wakf Properties under unathorised Encrochment of A.S.I

सूचना एक्सप्रेस की एक एक सूचना...

कृषि मंत्रालय के कृषि एवं सहकारिता विभाग से प्राप्त सूचना के मुताबिक वर्ष 2007-2009 के दौरान 411.395 लाख रूपये सिर्फ ‘National Food Security Mission’ के विज्ञापन पर खर्च किए गए।

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest

Extra 2.5 million tonnes, not free, but at BPL prices

NEW DELHI: The Centre will release an additional 2.5 million tonnes of grain to states for the poor. It will be sold at BPL prices, and not distributed free as directed by the Supreme Court.

 

This will be an interim arrangement to be revisited after six months. The Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM), which met here on Thursday evening under the chairmanship of finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, decided to consider an overhaul of PDS scheme, including upgrading the number of eligible BPL families.

Food and consumer affairs minister Sharad Pawar told newspersons after the meeting that the overhaul is expected to increase the number of BPL families eligible for assistance and a corresponding increase in grain allocation by the Centre.

 

The Supreme Court had, in its hearing held earlier this week, taken the government to task for not complying with its earlier order on distributing grain rotting in the FCI godowns to the poor free of cost.

 

“It was not a suggestion. It is there in our order. It is part of our order. You tell the minister about it,” a Supreme Court bench comprising Justices Dalveer Bhandari and Deepak Verma told additional Solicitor General Mohan Parasaran on Tuesday. The court was reacting to the government’s refusal to distribute the grain among the poor while it rotted.

 

According to estimates prepared by the Planning Commission, there are 6.52 crore families registered under BPL category. The Tendulkar committee, however, pegged the figure at 8 crore, which was later accepted by the Yojana Bhawan in keeping with the National Advisory Council’s views on the subject. BPL cardholders are eligible for 35 kg of grain a month. Rice is distributed to BPL families at `5.65 a kg, while wheat is allotted at `4.15 a kg. After the proposed overhaul, the number of BPL families is expected to increase to 8.1 crore.

 

After dragging his feet over the Supreme Court order delivered on August 12, Mr Pawar fell in line after the court took a tougher line on August 31. He told Parliament later in the day that the government will honour the decision of the Supreme Court.

 

“Give it to the hungry poor instead of it going down the drain,” a bench of Justices Dalveer Bhandari and Deepak Verma said in an order that followed reports of food wastage.

 

The Food Corporation of India, which is responsible for warehousing grain, in a response to a RTI query, had admitted to wastage of over 1.3 million tonnes of grain in various warehouses over the past decade.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

For State cops, corruption is a way of life

Allegations of bribery among the country’s police forces is so widespread that it is almost a truism. Yet this administrative chicanery pales in comparison to the systematic, day-to-day corruption that exists in all police stations across Karnataka.

A joint survey by the police department and the Public Affairs Centre, a non-governmental organisation, has made revelations that are now commonplace, but the findings provide an account of the culture of corruption in the State’s police force.

 

The survey has revealed that about 48 per cent of the staff in 1,020 police stations across six administrative ranges in the State demand bribes from complainants who, in turn, constitute 9 per cent of people willing to bribe the law enforcers.

 

Among the complainants, 30 per cent of those interviewed by the joint survey team said they bribe the police to speed up investigations, while another 20 per cent claimed that suspects would be arrested if they greased the palms of investigators.

 

The survey report was prepared after interviewing 20 complainants and five police staff in over 1,000 police stations, Director-General of Police Ajai Kumar Singh said here on Thursday while releasing the findings.

 

The survey was conducted to understand the police’s response toward the public, grievances among personnel and the level of people’s satisfaction with police performance.

 

Among the candid admissions the policemen made in the course of their interviews was that they used the bribe money to meet expenses involved in investigation processes.

While 70 per cent of the policemen said they utilised the bribes to pursue leads and meet other crime investigation-related expenditure, 20 of them admitted to using the tainted money for personal needs and about 10 per cent disclosed they took bribes for the upkeep and maintenance of police stations.

 

Singh said there was a general impression that people do not come forward to lodge complaints due to fear of the police. “But the truth is quite different,” he said, buttressing his claims with statistics that suggest that 70 per cent of people visit police stations to lodge complaints “with confidence.” Of these, nearly 42 per cent lack the understanding and knowledge involving filing first information reports or complaints. And yet the same statistics the survey threw up indicate that the average bribe amount given and taken at every police station is Rs 2,100. While a police station in the Northern Range takes Rs 3,600, one in the Eastern Division takes Rs 920.

 

Singh did not indicate that poor pay could be one of the reasons for subordinate-level policemen taking bribes. But he did admit that many serving low-ranked officers and constables work under tremendous pressure. “Some of them are unable to avail of their leave,” Singh said, adding that policemen serving in the West and South divisions of Bangalore perform better in comparison to their counterparts in other divisions.

CR derails RTI Act, gives wrong information

NAGPUR: The RTI Act was enacted to promote transparency and accountability in public offices, but the personnel department of Central Railway at Nagpur does not thinkso. In two separate RTI applications, the Public Information Officer (PIO) denied information while in another case, false information was furnished.

An applicant on July 26 had sought information pertaining to a woman employee Henrita Shobhanadry, a head clerk in personnel branch. Henrita had travelled to Mumbai on June 17 by 2106 Vidarbha Express on a first class pass (E525346) for official work availing emergency quota and returned on June 18.

Henrita was allowed to do so despite being ineligible for first class pass. She had been to Mumbai to bring a letter from headquarters in the case of Shiv Prasad Ramesh Prasad, a weighment clerk and hand it over to the IRCTC.

The applicant sought to know whether the employee was eligible for first class pass. But, the SrDPO and PIO BM Shikare denied information stating that as information in material form was not asked, it could not be provided. Of the four questions asked, this was the only query that was not answered.

"It seems the spirit of RTI Act has not been properly understood by the railways and information has been denied just to save another official who had issued the pass to Henrita. Under such circumstances, how can transparency be expected in the railways," alleged the applicant.

Shikare was not available for comments. CR PRO YK Singh said that the woman employee was not entitled for a first class pass.

In the second case, divisional personnel officer (DPO) and assistant PIO ND Gangurde furnished misleading information to the same applicant in another matter. The applicant had sought information pertaining to major penalty chargesheet pending beyond one, two and three years.

In two cases, Gangurde provided wrong information. In a case pending against an employee with the medical department, he mentioned that the said inquiry was being conducted by IK Kamble, assistant nursing officer (ANO), Nagpur. But, Kamble retired in February 2010. The information was given on July 29.

In the second case relating to a pharmacist with the medical department, the APIO stated that the probe was pending with SrDMO Dr Veera Nagarkar. Until the date of issuing RTI reply, the file was not handed over to SrDMO.

Earlier, ADRM had delayed information under RTI to aggrieved NS Dhakite, a senior ticket examiner. Dhakite then took the matter to CIC.

For close to 10 years, BMC taxed Mumbaikars twice for sewerage

It’s a goof-up that had a rather long life — 10 years almost. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has been charging the same tax twice from many of the city’s residents. It collects the sewerage tax along with the assessment tax (property tax).

 

The same tax is again levied along with water bills. But for a query under the RTI Act, it would have continued unnoticed. Citizens, who wanted the civic body to make amends, have got the excess amount they forked out refunded.

 

The BMC collects the sewerage tax towards disposal of sewage. It collected Rs21 crore in 2007-08 and Rs23 crore in 2008-09 on this head under two heads — property tax and water tax. The sewerage charge constitutes 60% of actual water charges.

 

A senior official from the assessor and collector department of the BMC admitted that they are charging the tax twice in some cases. “Our department charges the sewerage tax on the basis of the value of the property in question,” he said.

 

An officer from the water department informed they charge according to the meter reading. “There is a possibility of it (the same tax being levied twice). But it is not deliberate. The civic body’s refunding the excess collection for ten years,’’ he added.

 

According to the BMC, 13,000 persons have applied seeking refund of the excess amount. It has settled 10,446 applications so far and rejected 1,782. The total amount refunded is Rs34,21,59,208.

 

Explaining the issue, SS Shinde, joint municipal commissioner, said: “The BMC charges the sewerage tax on rateable value of the property if the water supply in it is non-metered. However, a large number of buildings have installed water meters to pay the actual charge for water usage.

 

“In many cases, while the water department charged sewerage tax according to the water meter reading, the assessment department continued charging it as before. It is because the department did not have information that the building has installed water meters.”

 

He said the issue was being resolved.

 

The issue came to the fore following an application under the Right to Information Act by Anil Galgali. He was provided the information by 20 wards of the civic body.

The Suburbs

Hundreds of Wakf properties in Delhi illegally encroached by ASI

By Md. Ali, TwoCircles.net,

 

New Delhi: There are around 158 Wakf properties in Delhi which are under the illegal encroachment of Archeological Survey of India.

 

Delhi Wakf Board (DWB) has accepted this fact, in reply to an RTI query by Afroz Alam Sahil, an RTI activist. Most of these properties are worth millions of rupees as they are located in the prime locations of the capital city, Connaught Place for instance.

 

This startling revelation confirms what the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) of  Wakf had to say in its 9th report; a report which was also tabled in the both Houses of the Parliament.

 

The JPC report points out that, “Metro cities like Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Banglore, Hydrebad, Mumbai and other major cities have prime Wakf properties which would be worth several thousand crores ….In the capital city of Delhi alone there are several Wakf properties in the fully developed commercial areas.”

 

In Delhi, it is not only ASI which has encroached. As per the list of encroached Wakf properties furnished by the DWB to the JPC on Wakf, out of 685 encroached properties, 373 have been encroached by the public while 114 by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA). Then, 26 properties are held by different government agencies.

 

The report further states that 123 properties were in prime locations — including Connaught Place, NDMC and MCD areas — which the Central government had transferred to the Delhi Wakf Board but they are still under litigation for more than two decades.

 

When it comes to the phenomenon of encroachment of Wakf properties, it is not limited to Metro cities alone. Across the country it has taken place on a “massive scale.”

 

According to the JPC report, it is estimated that “nearly 70 to 80 per cent of valuable Wakf properties worth several thousands crore rupees spreading all over the country have been encroached upon or illegally occupied.”

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest

Threat of life to RTI activist

This is to bring your kind notice that I am a Social worker and RTI Activist working for Bhalaswa Lokshakti Manch (B-7/115 J.J Colony Bhalaswa Delhi -42). As it is a resettlement colony and I had filed so many RTI (for basic needs like Ration ,Electricity ,MCD and Water ) in which we are disclosing the drawbacks and corruption in Govt. Deptt and , that's why I am getting the threats for my life .

I have already forwarded the complain to S.H.O Bhalaswa Diary on 26/05/2010 and 24/07/2010 seeking the security ( the same has been attached as well ) no action has been taken till now .

The matter is related to the life of RTI activist ,more than 9 Activist have been murdered in last 8 months .

So, request you to look into matter and do the needful.

Thanks in Advance .

Warm Regards

Pushpa (Social Worker & RTI Activist)

Bhalaswa Lok Shakti Manch

B-7/115 Bhalaswa Resettlement Colony

Delhi - 110042

Mob:- +91-9891773061/8800631852

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सूचना एक्सप्रेस की एक सूचना...

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The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

सूचना एक्सप्रेस की एक सूचना...

Ministry of Panchayati Raj से प्राप्त सूचना के मुताबिक वर्ष 2007-09 के दौरान कुल 5,78,06,809/- रूपये विज्ञापन पर खर्च हुए।

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The Suburbs 

Breaking News: Prominent RTI activists Arrested in Chennai, are currently missing

V Madhav, Gopalakrishnan and Siva Elango arrested this morning for protesting against non-transparent appointment of Chief Info Commissioner, are not traceable, says colleague who was with them.

Chennai, 1 September, 2010: Three RTI Activists -- Gopalakrishnan, Siva Elango (Makkal Sakthi Katchi) and Madhav Vishnubhatta (Association for India's Development) -- who were picked up Chennai Police at about 11.20 this morning in front of the Raj Bhavan and taken to Guindy police station have gone missing and are currently not traceable, says their close associate Nityanand Jayaraman (9444082401, nity68.new@gmail.com ).

“They were taken in a white Tata Suma, and should have been produced before the magistrate at Saidapet Court and remanded by the police under ‘preventive detention’ provisions of CrPC Section 151 and also Criminal Law amendment (CLA) 71A,” said Nityanand, flustered after a search of about two hours. “However, they are neither at this court, nor at the judges bungalows next to them, nor at the Guindy police station. Guindy police station (044 22341539) claims to have no knowledge of their whereabouts. They appear to have been whisked away to an undisclosed location by the senior inspector of the police station.

The three activists were demonstrating against the unlawful swearing-in of the former Chief Secretary K S Sripathy as Tamil Nadu’s Chief Information Commissioner without an open and transparent process. They stood at the entrance to the Raj Bhavan wearing black blindfolds and holding placards that read "Save RTI", "No transparency in Appointments", "Non-transparent appointment to uphold transparency??"

The DMK Government had convened a meeting of the Selection Committee under RTI on 23 August, 2010. RTI activists, including Madhav, met Ms. Jayalalithaa who is both leader of the opposition and a part of the 3-person selection committee to highlight the lack of transparency in the selection process. The selection process was not preceded by a call for applications from eligible candidates, and Mr. Sripathy's name was revealed even before the Committee could meet. Ms Jayalalithaa's request for information regarding the various candidates was also not honoured. Mr. Sripathy, who is known to be close to the Chief Minister Karunanidhi, is also known for his non-transparent stance. On one occasion, he appealed a decision of the Tamil Nadu Information Commission directing his office to reveal the details regarding names of IAS officers who had disclosed their assets and those who had not. During his tenure as Chief Vigilance Commissioner, Mr. Sripathy had facilitated the exemption of the Directorate of Vigilance and anti-Corruption from the purview of the RTI Act.

It is pertinent to note that the invitation for swearing in of the Chief Information Commissioner sent to the Press and others did not even mention the name of the person being sworn in to uphold the RTI Act, which seeks to enforce transparent and accountable governance. Those in the know opine that this was done to thwart any attempt to bring a stay order against the appointment.

"How can there be a non-transparent process to appoint the keeper of the Right to Information Act. This is cronyism at its worst and spells ill for the RTI Act's implementation in Tamilnadu," said Madhav Vishnubhatta speaking from the police vehicle.

For details & enquiries:

· Activist Nityanand Jayaraman 9444082401 (Chennai)

· Activist Vijay 9840618948 (Chennai)

· Activist Krishnaraj Rao (Mumbai) 98215 88114

· Activist Arvind Kejriwal (Delhi)

· Director General of Police, TN 094440 77553

· Commissioner of Police, Chennai, 095009 83832

· Mr Adayar, Deputy Commissioner of Police 94450 20990

· Governor Surjit Singh Barnala Raj Bhavan-Chennai. Phone: +91-44-22351313 Fax : +91-44-22350570

E-mail :  governor@tn.nic.in        

· Chief Minister Dr M Karunanidhi Office 91-44-25672345 Fax 91-44-25671441 E-Mail: cmcell@tn.gov.in 

Recent photos of V Madhav at a national-level consultation of RTI activists and bureaucrats that he organized at IIPA in Delhi on 4th August 2010, concerning due procedures to be followed for selection of Information Commissioners: http://www.box.net/shared/je2g9tzyn8  

Background Material

Related recent media coverage: http://www.box.net/shared/8bcj0051f2

1. Over the past several months, V Madhav has been spearheading a national level campaign for transparent appointment of State Information Commissioners. See this web link: http://www.box.net/shared/g5icdroeyj

 

2. Madhav had unearthed a racket of some top-level bureaucrats in Tamil Nadu who had virtually selected themselves for the post of State Information commissioners. See details here: http://www.box.net/shared/ajntbqc8ik 

3. Madhav had led a delegation of activists on 12th Feb 2010 from around the country to hold a meeting with DoPT Officials about transparent CIC selections. Brief report: http://www.box.net/shared/ays6e12vbo

Onhe delegation had formally submitted a representation to DoPT in this regard: http://www.box.net/shared/d20x2f35uk

RTI reply by Ministry of Defence & Home Affairs on security in Jammu-Kashmir.