False claim of Govt. of Odisha completing 17 lakhs houses under BPGY

False claim of   Govt. of Odisha completing 17 lakhs houses under BPGY within ( 2014-15 to 2017-18), exposed  under RTI

Appeal to the people of Odisha not to be misguided by self-styled false propaganda of Govt. of Odisha. This is very dangerous practice of BJD Govt.

·         Only 1.75 lakhs houses have been constructed under Biju Pucca Ghara Yojana from 2014-15 to 2017-18 by utilizing  Rs. 1747.66 crore ( Appro.  Rs. 1 lakh per house)

·         Around 10 lakh houses has been constructed under IAY/PMAY  by utilizing ( Rs. 10,349.05 crores) within four years.

Dear friends

In July 2018, Govt. of Odisha  has released a   lengthy advertisement containing information along with smiling Photo of Nabin Patnaik, chief Minister of Odisha  about  completion of 17 lakh houses  under Biju Pucca Ghara Yojana within last four years. Having been astonished  by this startling revelation and high-profile propaganda  about mega achievement  of the State Govt., I had  field RTI Application  to the PIO, Department of  Panchayat Raj  and Drinking water  seeking  information about  details of fund  allocated  and utilized   under various  Rural Housing Schemes  by the State  Government from 2014-15 to 2017-18.

On 9.8.18, the PIO  has provided the following information.  

Fund allocation and  Utilisation under Biju Pucca Ghara Yojana and IAY/Pradhanmantri Awas Yojana

                                                                                                                                                                                ( In lakhs)

Year	Fund allocation under BPGY	Fund utilization under BPGY	Fund allocation under IAY/PMAY (G)			Fund utilization
2014-15	33010.52	26596.4303	128403.756	85944.347	214348.103	107500.00
2015-16	70000.00	47611.65	70154.488	46769.66	116924.148	198165.00
2016-17	70000.00	40291.00	311871.52	207914.34	519785.86	131558.00
2017-18	97323.74	60267.00	263987.79	175992.47	439980.26	597682.00

1.      Within four years, the State Govt. has made budgetary provision of Rs. 270334.26 lakhs  ( 2703.34 crores )  for  Biju Pucca Ghara Yojana. But out of it, total amount of Rs. 174766.0803 lakhs  ( Rs. 1747.66 crore) has been utilized  from 2014-15 to 2018-19 till July , 2018.  The State  Govt. could not spend  around Rs. 1000 crore  allotted  under BPGY.

2.   But  under  Central Govt.  scheme i.e., IAY/ Pradhanmantri Awas Yojana ( PMAY),  total amount of Rs. 1291038.371 lakhs ( Rs. 12,910.38 crores ) ( both Central and State Share)  has been allotted within four years  in order to provide houses  to the poor, needy and vulnerable people. Out of it, the Central Share  and State Share is  Rs. 774417.554 lakhs ( Rs. 7744.17 crores) and Rs. 516620.817 lakhs ( Rs. 5166.20 crores).

3.   The total fund  utilized  under IAY/PMAY within four years is Rs. 1034905.00 lakhs ( Rs. 10,349.05 crores).

 Pradip Pradhan

M-9937843482

Date-10.9.18

History of Development of RTI movement in India

History of Development of RTI movement in India

1975	Supreme Court ruling in the case of State of UP vs Raj Narain talks about people’s right to know.
1982	Supreme Court ruling in the case S.P. Gupta & others vs The President of India & others talks about openness in government
1985	Affidavit filed by NGO Kalpavriksh in Supreme Court regarding the public’s right to know.
1986	Supreme Court in the case of Bombay Environmental Action Group v. Pune Cantonment Board gives right to inspect local authority documents to concerned citizens and groups.
1990	V.P.Singh government proposes to amend the Official Secrets Act and increase access to information.
1993	Draft RTI law proposed by the Consumer Education and Research Council, Ahmedabad.
1994	First MKSS led jan sunwai held in Rajasthan.
1995	First mass meeting organised in Beawar, Rajasthan by MKSS activists; Demand for a Right to Information articulated.
1996	Second mass dharna organised by MKSS at Beawar, Rajasthan, demanding a Right to Information; Formation of NCPRI; Conference of Chief Secretaries talks about a Right to Information Act.
1996	Workshop on Right to Information held at Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA), Mussoorie.
1996	Press Council drafts  RTI National Bill with NCPRI and circulated it to PM, all parliament members, CMs and legislators.
1996	Tamil Nadu passes its legislation (April, 1996)
1997	“Working Group on Right to Information and Promotion of Open and Transparent Government” formed under H.D. Shourie
1997	Goa (29th October, 1997) enacts RTI legislations
1998	Ram Jethmalani, then Minister for Urban Affairs and Employment, passes executive orders providing access to government documents in his Ministry to the general public, which is shot down by the PM.
1998	Madhya Pradesh passes its legislation (30th April, 1998).
2000	Karnataka (10th December 2000), Maharashtra (18th July, 2000) and Rajasthan (11th May, 2000) enact RTI legislations
2001	Delhi enacts RTI legislation (16th May, 2001)
2002	Freedom of Information bill passed by Parliament which was never notified.
2002	Assam enacts RTI legislation (7th May, 2002)
2003	Jammu and Kashmir  enacts RTI legislations (18th December, 2003)
2004	UPA government sworn in; National Advisory Council formed; Right to Information Bill introduced in Parliament , fulfilling a promise made under the National Common Minimum Programme. FOI Act repealed.
2005	Right to Information Act 2005 is passed by Parliament in May 2005 and notified , comes into force on 12 October 2005

The time line has been prepared by Prashant Sharma, as part of his PhD research on the Right to Information, at the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Useless and Third-grade order of Odisha Information Commission

Useless and Third-grade order of Odisha Information Commission

Most inefficient, lazy and lethargic people have been appointed in the post of Odisha Information Commission by State Government to destroy RTI Act – How

·The Information   Commission has not mentioned subject matter of information in its decision.

·Without ensuring information, Sri L.N.Patnaik, Information Commissioner on 4.8.17.  again sent back  first appeal to First Appellate Authority  to hear  the  appeal petition and dispose  it on merit . It is already 3 years over since filling of RTI Application by applicant on 12.11.14.

·The Information Commissioner disposed the case on 4.8.17 but sent the copy of decision on 24.8.18 after one year of his decision. As the Commission made unprecedented delay in sending the copy of order, the First Appellate Authority, BDO, Bonth block did not hear the case nor ensured the information.

·Despite approaching the Commission to get justice, the applicant could not get information within four years.

Do  you love or hate   this L.N.Patnaik, Information Commissioner, a  Yes man of Third Floor of  Odisha   Secretariat.

Below is the detailed presentation of the case

Dear friends

As per  section 18, 19 and 20  of the RTI Act,  the Information Commission of the State  and Centre  is  empowered  to hear  and dispose  appeals  and  complaints,  ensure information to the appellant  and complainant  and impose penalty  on erring  PIO for non-supply of information.  The decision of the Commission is final and binding.  The efficiency, expertise, understanding about land and legal acumen   of the Information Commissioners is highly essential to deliver justice to the aggrieved citizens. But here in Odisha,  the   State  Government  have appointed  such a people  in the post of  Information  Commission  who are  not only inefficient, useless  but lack expertise  to hear the  case.

I cite herewith a case( Second Appeal Case No. 1494/2015)  of  L.N.Patnaik , State  Information Commissioner , a known lethargic  Commissioner in history of India . When , I read  the  content of the  decision,  I felt very ashamed  how the State  Govt. appointed  such a fantastic  useless  people  as Information Commissioner.

1.       On 12.11.2014., Sri Ramesh Kumar Mallik, an Information seeker  of Bhadrak  district  had filed RTI Application  to the PIO,  Bonth Block office, Bhadrak  seeking some  information (  though it  is mandatory, but the  Commission  in its  decision has not written  the  subject matter of information). So the readers could not know type of information sought by   RTI Applicant from the decision of the Commission.

2.       When the PIO did not respond the RTI Application, Sri Ramesh, the applicant sent a reminder to the PIO to supply  the information.

3.       Finding  no response  from the PIO, Ramesh  filed  First Appeal  by post  dated 7.1.2015  to the First Appellate  Authority-cum-BDO, Bonth Block  under section 19 (1)  of the RTI Act. But  astonishingly, the letter  returned back from the  block office with remarks  as the addressee is  not seen in the office.

4.       When the First appeal letter returned back, Ramesh filed second appeal   in the office of Odisha Information Commission under section 19(3) of the RTI Act. ( It is interesting  that  the Commission  has not mentioned  in his decision  the date of submission of Second appeal  by appellant )

5.       The case was registered as second Appeal No. 1494/2015. On 4^th August 2017 , after two years of filling the case, Sri L.N.Patnaik, State Information Commissioner  heard the case  and disposed with  direction to redirect  the first  appeal  to the First Appellate  Authority  to hear and dispose  the case  within 45  days after receipt of the order.  In case of non-disposal of the appeal petition by the FAA,  the appellant has the liberty to approach the Commission again by filling  complaint or Second appeal.

6.       Though the Commissioner disposed the appeal on 4.8.17, but he took one year to send copy of the order to appellant and First Appellate authority on 24.8.18.  As the First Appellate authority has not yet disposed the case, as he received the decision of the Commission recently.  Had the Commission sent the decision quickly just after disposal, the FAA would have heard and ensured the information to appellant.  But due to inefficiency and callousness and lack of ability to write order, the Commission took one year to  send the copy of decision.

7.       The Commission could have disposed  the case  by directing the PIO and First Appellate authority to provide the information.

8.       The Commission should have imposed penalty on PIO for denying information.

9.       Four years passed, the applicant Ramesh  has not yet  got  the information despite  filling appeals  to  the Information Commission.

This is the sorry state of affairs of Odisha Information Commission.

Pradip Pradhan

M-9937843482

Date- 3.9.18

RTI User was murdered for exposing corruption in Odisha

Parshuram Pradhan, former Sarapanch of Sambalpur District was murdered  due to  expose of corruption  under RTI Act.

On 27.8.18.,  Sri Parshuram Pradhan, aged 60 , while returning  to his home  in the evening  was mercilessly  beaten up with  iron rod and sharp weapons  by a gang of 6 hooligans. His body suffered from heavy injury and head was bleeding  when he was rescued  by the family members.  He was carried to Burla Medical, Sambalpur  and  doctor  declared  him dead  in same day, as   responded  by his family  member  to the  query   raised  by  members of Fact-finding  team led  by Manoj Panda, District  Convener of  Odisha  Soochana Adhikar  Abhijan.   Having gone through newspaper on 29.8.18.,   The Team  was deputed  to visit  the spot  and gather  ground zero information  about  murder of Parshuram Pradhan.

Sri Parshuram  is blessed  with one married  son  and two married  daughters  was sarapnch  of Salebhata Gram Panchayat. He is very popular and honest. Since last one year he has been using RTI to expose corruption in Govt.  offices. He had used RTI extensively to expose corruption in Keutaberini Primary Agriculture Cooperative society in terms of distribution of loan to the beneficiaries. Having discovered huge corruption from the information supplied by the Society, he filed complaint to State Vigilance for inquiry and urgent action.  The Vigilance Dept. conducted inquiry and arrested Dasarath Dhal, secretary of the society and Ratish Dhal, Assistant Secretary. After they returned from the jail, they have attempted several times to kill Parsuram and he had got escaped.

On 27.8.18., they succeeded in their plan to murder Pasrhuram. On FIR filed  by Tuna Pradhan, son of deceased , the Police of Naktideula  Police station  registered the case and started  investigation and arrested  two  miscreants. Others are absconding.

We demand that 
a. The State Government should take immediate steps  to arrest all those accused who are absconding.
b. The Family of Parshuram must be awarded  compensation of Rs. 10 lakhs  .
c. RTI Activists  should be provided protection  and given due honour in their fight against corruption.

Pradip Pradhan
m-9937843482
Date – 30.8.18

Why Biju Swasthya Yojana will destroy Govt. health system in Odisha

Why Biju Swasthya Yojana  will destroy Govt. health system in Odisha  and lead to corporatization of Health System in the state .

Dear friends

Today ( 30.8.18), Sambad has covered a news  that Capital Hospital located in the heart of Bhubaneswar, capital city of Odisha, around 2 kms away from residence of Chief Minister has shortage of 104 staff Nurse against required strength of the hospital. Similarly   few months back, information obtained under RTI from Health and Family Welfare Dept. has exposed  disastrous condition of Govt. hospitals  due to 50% of post of doctors  ( specialists, Professors and Assistants professors ) lying  vacant  in the state.  The new medical college and hospitals in different districts like Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Bolangir and Koraput are seen shortage of teaching and non-teaching staff which has resulted in damaging academic atmosphere in these institutions. Mass media also continues to highlight defunct and damaging condition of costly medical instruments worth crores of rupees   due to vacancy of technical staff in these medicals to handle it.  Lack of infrastructure ,  transport system, doctors, para-medical staff  has  deprived  lakhs of  poor people  to get   basic health services  in  coastal odisha  nearer  to urban areas  as well  as remote pockets of the state .

Without taking any steps to solve these problems,  why the State Govt.  has launched  this  Biju  Swastya Yojana , a scheme for  assuring health coverage of  Rs. 5 lakh  to each family  and extra Rs. 2 lakh coverage for women in a year. There are few hidden objectives  behind  declaring this scheme  which are  as follows.

A.      It  will act  as safety valve  to save the Government  from public  criticism of deteriorating health system of the state and failure of the Govt. to provide health services  to the people , as it assures   financial support  to the poor  family  to  get treatment free of cost without paying a single pie  from his or her pockets. The people will get relax and  It  will also give political mileage  to BJD Govt.

B.      In view of  denial of health services  in Primary Health Centres, Community Health Centres  and District Hospitals due to the reasons stated  above,  the people with  health card having assurance of  health coverage  free of cost,  will  go  to private  hospital to  get treatment  which  will comparatively better  than  Govt. hospitals. The public fund i.e., Govt. fund will directly flow to private business house running private hospitals through this scheme.  The private hospitals  will boom. The existing  loot, manipulation  and misappropriation of fund     in RSBY  Card and Biju Krushak Kalyan Yojana  ( BKKY )  by private hospitals  will continue in  new scheme  and new form.  The State exchequer will   no doubt  will continue to suffer.

C.      The people  will  get satisfied  to some extent  getting  better treatment  in private  hospitals. It may help  the ruling party   strengthen vote bank. But in the long-run , it  will damage and destroy age-old   Govt. hospitals.  Finally  Govt. health delivery system  will  gradually collapse.  More dependency  of the people  on private hospitals  will  increase . It  will strengthen  exploitation of  private hospitals  in name of better health facility.

The people  who are supporting Biju Swastya Yojana and being swayed  away  by Nabin Patnaik propaganda must   understand  the  corporate- design motive of this  Govt. to destroy our Govt. health system and benefitting corporate house.

Pradip Pradhan , RTI Activist

M-9937843482

Date-30.8.18

Huge public money misused by Govt. of Odisha in name of advertisement

Huge public money is misused by office of Chief Minister, Odisha, exposed  under RTI.

Dear friends

RTI Application was  submitted to  different  departments  seeking information  about  details of expenditure made  towards  advertisement  made in different newspaper.  In response to RTI Application, the PIO, office of Executive Engineer, Nayagarh ( R&B) Division, Nayagarh  provided  an  interesting  information dated 20.8.18 which is presented  below.

It  was  decided  by Govt.   that  the  Chief Minister  would  inaugurate a newly  constructed  Model Degree  College  in Nayagarh .  On 10.8.18.,   the Chief Minister without  visiting  the place  made  a video  conferencing  inauguration sitting in secretariat. But  Sri Ananta Das, Minister for Higher Education, Sri Pinali Mishra, MP and Sri Arun Sahu, MLA  rushed to the spot from Bhubaneswar  ansd  addressed  the inaugural function  organized  for the same  at Lathipada.  This  is the programme  which  does not  require any  advertisement, as  the video  conferencing inauguration and  inauguration function got due media coverage. 

But   it is interesting  that , the Executive Engineer,  Nayagarh ( R&B) Division, Nayagarh   was instructed  to place  fund for  advertisement  of the programme in  newspaper.  The Executive Engineer spent  Rs. 4,60,276.00  towards advertisement  of the said programme and advertisement  was given  to Dharitri ( Rs. 98,532.00), Surya Prava ( Rs. 81,093.00), Prameya ( Rs. 75,577.00), Odisha Baskar ( Rs.62,653.00), Odisha Express ( Rs. 61,296.00), Anupam Bharat ( Rs. 50,765.00), Susashan( Rs. 30,360).

It was not at all required  to spend  such a huge amount of money  for advertisement.  The Govt.  is spending cores of rupees  towards advertisement without any reasons  at the cost of state exchequer  and just to highlight  Nabin Patnaik , Chief Minister.  Noting more than that.  This is one of  thousands of cases  of misuse of money  by politicians and bureaucrats.

Pradip Pradhan

M-9937843482

Date- 29.8.18

Central Scheme of Free Dialysis services is manipulated by Central Govt terming it as SAHAYA

Provision of Free Dialysis Services for poor kidney patients is a Central Govt. Scheme.

Govt. of Odisha has manipulated and hijacked it by declaring scheme “SAHAYA”, exposed under RTI

In 2016,  the Central Government declared Pradhan Mantri National Dialysis Programme as part of National Health Mission  for provision of free dialysis services  to the poor in order to save them from huge financial burden and impoverishment, as   dialysis service is very  costly  in the hospitals and not affordable  by the poor patients. To implement this programme , the Central Govt.  released Rs. 152.80 crores  to all states and Union territories in financial year of  2016-17. Odisha received Rs. 2 crores under National Health Mission from the Central Govt.  to ensure free dialysis  services  to the patients.   But this fund was kept unutilized, as the State Government did not implement the programme.  Again in 2017-18, the Central Government released Rs. 358.45 lakhs under National Health Mission to Odisha Govt.   for ensuring free dialysis  services  to the patients.

But towards end of 2017, on 19.12.2017., the Chief Minister announced “SAHAYA” – A scheme for free Dialysis Services on the line of guideline issued by Govt. of India.  This Scheme  is copy and paste of Central Govt. guideline. The State Govt. made two years delay  to implement  this programme despite allocation of Central Fund. As per information obtained under RTI from the office of National Health Mission on 18.8.18.,   the State Government has started to implement the programme  w.e.f. 1.1.2018. With funding support  of  Central assistance ( Rs. 2 crore + Rs. 3.58 crores)  and State budget ( Rs. 1.15 crores),  this programme is now being implemented  with the following objectives –

i.     To ensure  assured diagnostic services in all public health facilities  as per its level of care so as  to reduce  the out of pocket spending ( OOPS)  towards diagnostics and dialysis services  through  strengthening  of public health  facilities.

ii.   To establish in collaboration with private service providers to ensure  High end pathology tests, tele-radiology ( x-ray) , MRI , CT-Scan & Dialysis services  at public health facilities.

Operationalisation of Dialysis Centres

Dialysis centres are operational in PPP mode at 7 DHHs (Capital Hospital, Angul, Balasore, Bolangir, Nuapara, Keonjhar and Puri ) during the period April-June 2018.

A total no. of 411 patients had undergone dialysis sessions at 7 DHHs during the period April-June 2018.  And the district wise details of the no. of patients are mentioned below.

Sl. No.	District/ Institution	No. of patients
1	Capital Hospital	102
2	DHH, Angul	43
3	DHH, Balasore	93
4	DHH, Boalngir	53
5	DHH, Nuapara	20
6	DHH, Keonjhar	55
7	DHH, Puri	45
	Total	411

Dialysis centres  have not yet been opeartionalised  in 23 district. All the  dialysis centres  will be operational  in PPP mode except 3 Govt. college and Hospitals.

Pradip Pradhan

M-9937843482

Date- 28.8.18