KIMS of Achyut Samant , BJD MP received Rs. 24 crores for COVID Hospital

KIMS of Achyut Samant , BJD MP received Rs. 24  crores  for  operation of  exclusive COVID Hospital

Dear friends

When  the news  about  tripartite  agreement  signed  among  KIMS, Bhubaneswar, OMC, Bhubaneswar  and  Got. of  Odisha for  establishment of  COVID Hospital  in Bhubaneswar  by KIMS ( Kalinga Institute  of Medical Science, Patia  which  has  got  leased  land  of   27  acres  from Govt.  and illegally  acquired  many  more ), we , the RTI  Activists  demanded   before  the  Govt.  public disclosure  of  copy  of agreement  and amount  sanctioned  to KIMS. But astonishingly, a self-claimed  transparent  Govt.( ?)  could not  provide  any  information.  At  last RTI Application  dt. 5.5.20 was submitted  to the PIO, office  of Odisha Mining Corporation  seeking  information about  details of  funding  support made  by OMC , Bhubaneswar  to different  organizations to deal with  COVID 19  and its  purpose with date  of sanction. On 26.6.20, the PIO supplied the following  information.

Name  of the  district	Sanctioned in favour  of	Amount  in Rs./ Lakh	Purpose  of Sanction	Date  of Sanction
Khorda	KIMS, BBSR	1235.26	Establishment and  operation of  exclusive  COVID Hospital  with support  from OMC	31.3.20
Kondhamal	DO	346.50		9.4.20
Bolangir	DO	400.00		9.4.20
Mayurbhanj	DO	400.00		13.4.20
Cuttack	ASHWINI Hospital, Cuttack	165.00		9.4.20
Dhenkanal	CDMO &PHO, Dhenkanal	100.00		20.4.20
Puri	CDMO &PHO, Puri	200.00		15.4.20
Kalahandi	CDMO &PHO, Puri	400.00		15.4.20
Sundaragarh	RM, Koira OMC Ltd.	1.65	Distribution of ration  ( dry food)  to families  in distress  in and around OMC periphery  villages  during period of COVID lockdown	28.4.2020
Keonjhar	RM, Barbil OMC Ltd.	4.82		28.4.20
Keonjhar	RM, Gandhamardhan OMC Ltd.	1.98		28.4.20
Jajpur	RM, JK Road OMC Ltd.	1.92		28.4.20
	BDO, Sukinda  RM, JK Road OMC Ltd.	13.15	Providing Medical Kits  and safe guard  against  COVID 19	7.4.20
Khorda	MP Old age  Home  at Baliapata, Rasulgarh, Bhubaneswar	3.90	To meet  daily needs like  food, medicine, health check up  of old age inmates  during COVID  Lockdown	28.4.20

Analysis

A.       COVID has  been  disaster  for  crores  of  people  who have lost  their  life and livelihood, employment  etc.  But  at  the same  time,   COVID  has  been opportune  for  huge  profitable  business for  private  players  like  KIMS.

B.      It  was  expected  that  the  State  Govt. will  use  this opportunity ( COVID )  to   revive and strengthen  its  disastrous  health  system  by  modernizing  through  investment. But astonishingly, the  Govt.  preferred   to strengthen private  hospitals  utilizing public money at  the cost  of Govt. health system.

C.      Now while the Govt. health system  will deteriorate  more and more ,  the private hospitals  will  gain heavily   which will have negate impact on  over all public health system in the state.  

D.     Without any single investment by its own, KIMS got sanction of opening  its own hospital  and developing its own infrastructure  in four districts.

E.      It is irony that Public money ( State Fund)  is used  to strengthen private hospitals  by destroying Govt. hospitals  and Govt. health system.

F.       After  few  years,  the  common man will  survive at  the mercy  of  private  hospitals.

G.     As  the  Govt. maintains   utmost  secrecy  in respect  of  treatment  of COVID  patients , expenditure, details of  payments  in    COVID  hospital  managed   by  private  hospitals  like KIMS and there is no transparency  in the management  of COID Hospitals, it  will  no doubt provide huge profit  to private hospitals.

Pradip Pradhan

M-9937843482

Date-4.7.20

Memo submitted to Chief Secretary on Appointment of OIC and Odisha Lokayukta Rules

Memorandum submitted  to Cheif Secretary, Govt. of Odisha  for  immediate  appointment  of Information Commissioner  in vacancy  post,  formulation of  Odisha Lokayukta Rules, Protection of RTI Activists  in Odisha 

Odisha Soochana Adhikar Ahijan

Plot No.-D-27, Maitree Vihar, Post-Rail Vihar, Bhubaneswar

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To

The Chief Secretary                                                                                                        Date- 3.7.20

Govt. of Odisha

Bhubaneswar

Sub- Memorandum for enforcing transparency and accountability in the administration.

Sir

We  the RTI Activists and members of Odisha Soochana Adhikar Abhijan  holding public demonstration at Lower PMG, Bhubaneswar   to air  our  grievance , hereby put forth  the following demands in order to enforce  transparency  and accountability  in the administration of the state.

A.      Appointment of State Information Commissioner in the vacancy post

RTI Act which is being implemented since 2005 has empowered citizens to exercise their right  to access information held under public authorities.  It has the mandate to enforce transparency and accountability in the administration and to  contain corruption. In case  of violation of RTI Act, the State Government has constituted  Odisha State Commission under section 15 of the Act    to  hear and  adjudicate  complaints and Second Appeal cases in order  to give justice to the appellants/ complainants and punish the erring PIOs.   But adjudication of  the cases gets  delayed  for years together  due to long  vacancy in the post of Information Commissioners. Cases  filed  in 2016  are  being listed now  for  hearing in 2020 by the  Commission i.e., after 5 years of filling  the case. The long delay in hearing has not only  frustrated appellants but also encouraged  the erring PIOs to continue  to deny the  information. It has damaged  prospect of RTI Act  in the state. This  problem is attributed   due  to non-appointment of Information Commissioners.   Presently ,  State Chief Information Commissioner  and State Information Commissioner  are  loaded  with more  than 12000 cases  for disposal.  In order to enforce appointment  of Information Commissioners in vacancy post created so far, the State Govt. has released two advertisements dated 24.6.2019 and 18.3.20 inviting applications  for selection of  candidates  for the said  posts. But  the selection process is seen halted  due  to unknown reasons. We , therefore  request  you  to expedite  the procession of selection and ensure appointment of atleast two Information Commissioners  in the state.

B.      Enactment of Odisha Lokayukta Rules

After a long fight  by Social Activists and intervention of the Supreme Court,  the State  Govt. constituted Odisha Lokayukta with appointment and Chairman and three members  in March, 2019. No dout, this is a welcome step  of the state Govt.  putting  in place an independent body  for  direct inquiry and investigation   into allegation of  corruption and irregularities  in  the administration. As per  section 57  of Odisha Lokayukta Act, the State Govt. is required to  frame Odisha Lokayukta Rules  for  effective implementation of the Odisha Lokayukta Act. But  though one year has passed, the state Govt. has not yet framed  Rules   required  to carry out  various provisions of the Odisha Lokayukta Act.  The Lokayukta as well as complainants are facing  a lot  of  problems starting  from filling of complaints  to  conducting preliminary  inquiry and final adjudication of the cases.  We, therefore request  you  to take  steps  immediately  for enactment of Odisha Lokayukta Rules.

C. Functional of RTI Cell at State Secretariat Reception Counter

In order to facilitate the receipt of RTI Allocations by the Information-seekers to various Dept.  of the state secretariat, the State Got. has opened  a RTI Cell at reception counter.   The RTI Applications withou facing any hurdles were seen submitting  their RTI Applications  at the Cell and taking  acknowledgement receipt and  money receipts . But due to COVID-19 lockdown,  this RTI Cell  has been closed  for  unknown periods. The State Govt. has neither made any notification about this closure  nor made any    alternate arrangements  for  submission of RTI Applications.  As  it is  seen,  the RTI Applicants are  facing a lot  of problems  to file RTI Application  and  facing  financial  constraints  by sending it by post. We, therefore  demand  that  this RTI Cell  should  be opened  at  the earliest  or any alternate arrangements  to be made in order  to help  the  citizens to file  their RTI Applications  to the Departments of the State Secretariat.

D. Attack  on RTI Activists is  rising  day  by day.   Within period of two  months, two RTI Activists  were murdered and  the police  is seen  silent  without  conducting any inquiry  into  murder of Ranjan Kumar Das of Kendrapara  district.  Police inquiry into murder of  Ahimanyu Panda, RTI Activist of Kondhamal  was  not properly  inquired , as  the  conspirators are seen scot-free. During COVID-19 lockdown, a number of RTI Activists have been threatened , mercilessly beaten up  , harassed with  false case filed  against them in local police station. The FIRs  filed  by the  RTI Activist are not  duly  registered  and inquiry  conducted. We, therefore request  you  to  direct all police stations to  provide  protection to RTI Activists and   immediate register  complaints filed  by the RTI Activists and take action accordingly.

Thanking  you

Yours  sincerely

Pradip Pradhan

State Convener

M-9937843482

Sanjukta Panigarhi

Srikant Pakal

Jitendra Sahu

Pratap Mohanty

Alaya Samantaray

Prakash Ch. Das 

Press Release on Banking Regulation ( amendment) Ordinance, 2020

Press Release  of OSAA

on

Banking Regulation ( amendment) Ordinance, 2020

Bhubaneswar : 30.6.20.  Series  of efforts  of  Social Activists , more particularly RTI Activists  working under  the banner of Odisha Soochana Adhikar Abhijan (OSAA)  in terms of raising issues of corruption and irregularities in Odisha State Cooperative Scam  and submitting plethora of memoranda to the the Prime Minister of India, Union Finance Minister, Reserve Bank of India, NABARD   demanding inquiry into Rs. 500 crore  scam in OSCB  committed  by State Govt. officials mostly Bishnupada Sethy , IAS , the then Management-in-charge  ( 2013 TO 2015)  and Sri Tusar Kanta Panda, Managing Director, OSCB ( 2013 to 2018) yielded big results, when the Govt. of India declared ordinance  for amendment of  Banking Regulation Act, 1949. The Banking Regulation Act, 1949 amendment Ordinance, 2020  seeks to enforce banking regulation guidelines of the RBI to cooperative banks (like other commercial banks), while administrative issues will still be guided by Registrar of Cooperative of Societies. This Amendment has given sweeping power to RBI on the regulatory and governance functioning of all Cooperative Banks of the country including the State Cooperative Banks, District Central Cooperative Banks and Urban Cooperative Banks. The Ordinance restricts cooperative banks from making loans or advances on the security of its own shares. Further, it prohibits the grant of unsecured loans or advances to its directors, and to private companies where the bank’s directors or chairman is an interested party.

RBI was earlier shying away from their responsibility on the regulatory and governance failure issues of Cooperative Banks taking plea of duality of control and now after promulgation of the ordinance, sweeping powers have been given to RBI on regulatory and governance matters of all types of Cooperative Banks. Henceforth it will not be easy for RBI to dump Cooperatives to the mercy of State Governments.

The areas of regulation which the RBI can now (by the Ordinance) can exercise are:

1. Issue of share capital and similar securities by co-operative banks would be regulated.2. The RBI can give directions for minimum capital requirement for cooperative Banks or raising the capital by the means of both Equity and Debt instruments.

3. The appointment of CEOs would require prior approval from the RBI and in this respect, qualifications would be set as to who could be appointed as followed in case of commercial banks.

4. RBI may supersede the Board of Directors of a multi-state cooperative bank for up to five years and supplement it with Board of Management. In the case of a co-operative bank registered with the Registrar of Co-operative Societies of a State, the Reserve Bank shall consult the concerned State Government before issuing order for supersession of the board of directors under section 36AAA of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.

5. RBI can supersede management in case of liquidation or failure of any cooperative bank.6. The RBI is empowered to seek information from cooperative banks in the form of returns about the assets, liabilities, profitability, and operations.

7. The RBI can direct merger or consolidation of cooperative banks.

8. The RBI can now specify conditions when unsecured loans or advances may be granted and specifies the manner in which the loans may be reported to RBI.

9. The cooperative banks would be audited according to RBI rules.

Since 2015, RTI Activists like Pradip Pradhan, Ashok Nanda, Sudhir Mohanty , Srikant Pakal  have been  giving series  of petitions, memorandum and  complaints  to  the Reserve Bank of India, NABARD, the Prime Minister of India, Union Finance Minister  seeking  inquiry into multi-crore scam  in OSCB      and quick legal action against perpetrators  of crime. On  the basis of several petitions , NABARD conducted  statutory inspection of Odisha State Cooperative  Bank with reference to its financial position  as on 31^st March 2018.  This inspection Report presented to Registrar of Cooperative Societies, Odisha in April ,2019 gives  a picture of huge fraud, forgery  and loot of public money in name of various schemes  and agriculture loan to the farmers.  Though one year passed, the RCS, Odisha, OSCB did not take any steps . 

The  date-wise  petitions submitted  by RTI Activists on fraud, forgery,  corruption in OSCB  is as follows.

Date of  Submission of Complaint	Authority  who complaint  was files	Content  of complaints
28.8.17	The Chief General Manager, NABARD,   Bhubaneswar Regional Office, Bhubaneswar	Financial Irregularities and misappropriation of Public Funds in Odisha State Cooperative Bank.
1.7.19	Governor, Reserve Bank of India, Mumbai	Allegation against financial irregularities in Orissa State Cooperative Bank under protection of Senior officials of NABARD.
9.7.19	Chairman, NABARD, Mumbai	Request for inquiry  into Detection of massive financial and governance irregularities in the Statutory Inspection of Orissa State Cooperative Bank conducted by NABARD.
16.7.2019	Governor, Reserve Bank of India, Mumbai	Manipulation of statutory inspection report of Orissa State Cooperative Bank (OSCB) conducted u/s 35 (6) of B. R. Act, 1949 by officials of NABARD.
1.7.19	Sri Narendra Damodardas  Modi Hon’ble Prime Minister New Delhi	Allegation against financial irregularities and misappropriation of Central fund meant  for farmers  in Orissa State Cooperative Bank under protection of Senior officials of NABARD.
27.7.19	The General Manager,           DCBR, Reserve Bank of India, Bhubaneswar Regional Office,  Bhubaneswar.	Manipulation of statutory inspection report of Orissa State Cooperative Bank (OSCB) conducted by NABARD u/s 35 (6) of B. R. Act, 1949

 Pradip Pradhan

RTI Activist

M-9937843482

Date- 30.6.20