43,000 Toilets completed with expenditure of Rs. 200 crore in Odisha

43,000 Toilets completed with expenditure of Rs. 200 crore in Odisha under Swachh Bharat Swachh Vidyalaya Abhiyan- Inspection required

Dear friends

There is allegation in every district that huge fund sanctioned for construction of toilets in Schools has been misappropriated by Govt. officials and contractors. To find out details of fund sanctioned, utilised and number of latrines constructed which will help monitor the construction work; RTI Application was submitted to PIO, office of OPEPA, Govt. of Odisha seeking these information from 2015 to 2017. On 5.4.16, the PIO has supplied the following information. This information is presented in public domain to monitor whether toilets have been completed or not.

1. Under Swachh Bharat Swachh Vidyalaya Abhiyan, the State Govt.  has mobilised fund  various sources including corporate, different PSUs and Central Schemes. The details of fund received from PSUs and under Sarba Sikhya Abhijan  is as follows

Statement of fund received from PSUs under Swach Bharat Swach Vidyalaya

Sl.No	Name of PSUs	Date of receipts	Received	Released	UC submitted
1	BPCL	22.4.2015	1,97,50,000	1,97,50,000	----
		10.7.2015	1,97,50,000	1,97,50,000	---
2	HPCL	27.4.2015	3,95,00,000	3,95,00,000	,1,75,74,000
3	IOCL	30.4.2015	7,90,00,000	7,90,00,000
		14.2.2017	1,39,2000
4	GAIL	8.5.2015	3,03,36,000	3,03,36,000	6,79,83,000
		7.7.2015	1,64,32,000	1,64,32,000
		15.7.2015	3,03,36,000	3,03,36,000
		15.7.15	1,64,32,000	1,64,32,000
5	MCL	28.5.2015	10,72,50,000	10,72,50,000	38,96,80,000
		6.7.2015	25,91,000	25,91,000
		15.7.2015	11,96,00,000	11,95,99,400
		22.7.2015	47,30,27,000	47,30,27,000
		29.2.2016	42,66,000	42,66,000
6	SECL	28.5.2015	16,43,20,000	16,43,20,000	28,86,18,000
		16.7.2015	26,05,42,000	26,05,42,000
		24.7.2015	16,43,20,000	16,43,20,000
		29.7.2015	11,20,22,000	11,20,22,000
7	NTPC	7.7.2015	6,79,4000	6,79,4000	13,58,8000
		23.7.2015	6,79,4000	6,79,4000
8	Power Grid Corporation	8.7.2015	13,03,5000	13,03,5000
		17.7.2015	23,19,7560	23,19,7560
		22.8.15	7,39,440	7,39,400
9	ONGC	10.7.2015	81,84,400	81,84,400	2,59,50,000
		15.7.2015	32,73,7600	32,73,7600
10	CCL	24.7.2015	3,12,84,000	3,12,84,000	2,24,37,000
		25.7.2015	2,89,14,000	2,89,14,000
11	Swachh Bharat Kosh	18.5.2015	9,38,40,000	9,38,40,000	3,64,47,000
12	Airport  Authority	15.2.2016	36,34,000	36,34,000
Grand Total			191,00,20,000	190,86,27,400	91,54,97,000

Statement of fund released under SSA

Sl.No	Name of District	Amount in Lakhs
1	Angul	12.8000
2	Balasore	----
3	Baragarh	28.8000
4	Bhadrak	3.2000
5	Bolangir	27.2000
6	Cuttack	144.4000
7	Deogarh	19.2000
8	Dhenkanal	40.4000
9	Gajapati	59.2000
10	Ganjam	46.8000
11	Jagatsingh Pur	72.0000
12	Jajpur	27.6000
13	Jharsuguda	8.0000
14	Kalahandi	56.8000
15	Kandhamal	38.4000
16	Kendrapara	2.4000
17	Keonjhar	19.6000
18	Khurda	40.4000
19	Koraput	22.8000
20	Malkangiri	48.4000
21	Mayurbhanj	18.8000
22	Nawarangpur	18.4000
23	Nayagarh	20.4000
24	Nuapara	5.6000
25	Puri	68.8000
26	Rayagada	54.4000
27	Sambalpur	29.6000
28	Sundargarh	4.000
	Total	938.4000

2.  As per Swachh Bharat Swachh Vidyalaya Abhiyan, Rs. 1.58 lakh  is allotted for each toilet  in the school .

3.  Total no. of 43,300 toilets have been completed within two years  in 30 districts.  The district-wise figure about completion of toilet is as follows.

Total Toilets constructed  in Schools of different districts in Odisha

		State ( SSA, RMSA,SBK,Funds) toilets		Corporate supported toilets		PSU Total toilets
Sl.No.	Name of district	Approved/ booked	Completed	Approved/ booked	Completed	Approved/ booked	Completed
1	Angul	487	487	0	0	2164	2164
2	Balasore	23	23	0	0	281	281
3	Baragarh	133	133	0	0	2774	2774
4	Bhadrak	341	341	0	0	0	0
5	Bolangir	341	341	0	0	2414	2269
6	Cuttack	691	691	0	0	160	160
7	Deogarh	346	346	0	0	286	279
8	Dhenkanal	221	221	0	0	1037	1036
9	Gajapati	702	702	0	0	72	72
10	Ganjam	1732	1732	0	0	2085	2085
11	Jagatsingh Pur	325	325	0	0	22	22
12	Jajpur	1160	1160	0	0	1468	1468
13	Jharsuguda	103	103	0	0	313	313
14	Kalahandi	852	852	0	0	1953	1953
15	Kandhamal	250	250	0	0	825	770
16	Kendrapara	544	544	0	0	1319	1285
17	Keonjhar	1099	1099	0	0	1010	1010
18	Khorda	195	195	252	252	1767	1767
19	Koraput	83	83	0	0	1359	1295
20	Malkangiri	510	510	0	0	4	4
21	Mayurbhanj	510	510	0	0	628	628
22	Nabarangpur	444	435	9	0	2431	2400
23	Nayagarh	258	258	0	0	194	194
24	Nuapara	241	241	0	0	1402	1402
25	Puri	586	586	0	0	0	o
26	Rayagada	501	501	0	0	374	374
27	Sambalpur	228	228	0	0	1076	1076
28	Sonepur	124	124	0	0	289	289
29	Sundargarh	64	64	0	0	2448	2448
	Total	13,094	13,081	252	252	30,155	30,155

·         Total  Toilets approved  along with 358 low cost toilets-             43,501

·         Total toilets  completed                                                                   43,130

Pradip Pradhan

M-9937843482

Date- 19.4.17 

Smt. Sashiprava Bindhani, most Inefficient Information Commissioner in Odisha-Why

Smt. Sashiprava Bindhani, most Inefficient Information Commissioner in Odisha-Why

(Bulletin-1)

 RTI is the most empowering law in India for the common people to think themselves as master of the country.  This law has not only empowered to citizens to access the information  held  by the public authorities  but  right to inspection of  records, documents and files in the offices of  Public Authorities.  Being empowered with RTI Act, the common people are using RTI to expose corruption as well as monitoring   status of their grievance petitions and denial of entitlements by officials. In case of complaints or appeals about denial of information or hindrance by the PIO to access the information, the State Information Commission is empowered to hear and dispose the case giving justice to the complainant/ appellant. If anybody is aggrieved with order of the Commission, he or she   is empowered to file complaint to Governor against State Information Commission under section 17 of the RTI Act seeking enquiry into it or challenge it  in High Court.  For this purpose, the copy of decision is required urgently from the office of Commission.

I am referring a case of Sashiprava Bindhani, SIC who has not only failed   to write the decision properly  but also    took months together to send the copy of the order.

1.      Being aggrieved  of   denial of the information by the PIO and First Appellate Authority,  office of Directorate of State Institute of Health and Family Welfare, Govt. of Odisha, I filed  second appeal to  Odisha Information Commission on 10.8.14.

2.      After two years, Hearing of the case started  in Odisha Information Commission. The  case is registered as Second Appeal No. 1971/2014.

3.       Smt. Sashiprava Bindhani , SIC who heard the case  fixing several dates  disposed my  case on 11.1.2017.

4.      It is generally expected  that the copy of the decision   will reach within few  days.

5.      But  I received the copy of my decision  on 10.4.17 , after around  3 months of disposal of the case.

6.         The moot question is  when Sashiprava Bindhani is drawing salary of Rs. 2,20,000/- per month with other allowances ad facilities  and supported by  a good number of Staff like Assistant Registrar, Law officer, Data processor and many more, why  she hears only  14 cases  in a day  and  takes  3 months to send copy of the order.  Is she incapable to write proceedings and order of the  case  and lack judicial  mind to quickly write  the order.  Or is she not  academically sound  to write order. 

7.      The primary work of  the people in Judiciary and quasi-judicial bodies  is  to hear the case properly,   deliver justice to aggrieved  people  and send  copy of the order to petitioner quickly in order to help him/her to pursue his/her case in another forum, if she or he  is not satisfied  with the decision.

8.      Is it not wastage of the public money?.   Even, the proceedings of the order also suffer from many mistakes.  Date of filling of Second Appeal, date of registration of Second Appeal, date of hearing of the cases, order of the Commission in different dates is not mentioned in the order.

9.      As the PIO has deliberately denied the information on useless ground,   Mrs. Bindhani exonerated him from penalty. 

10.  As the PIOs are being exonerated from penalty, they are seen encouraged to defy RTI Act and misbehaving the information-seekers.    

Pradip Pradhan

M-9937843482

Date-16.4.17 

Four Years passed with expenditure of Rs. 3 crore on Judicial Inquiry intoChit Fund with no result

Three crores spent for Judicial Commission on Chit Fund within four years with no Result

After  series of protests, Dharana and rally by innocent depositors  under the banner of Arthika Sansthamananka Dwara Khyatigrasta Milita Manch ( ASSKM)  across the state against fraud  Chit Fund Companies   promoted  by BJD Govt. ( Chief Minister  and other so-called  high profile Ministers  were brand Ambassador for  few fraud companies  like  Seashore  Company)   and some unscrupulous individuals collecting public deposits by defrauding innocent depositors,  the State Govt. constituted a Judicial Commission on 9.3.2013  to enquire into it  and submit the report within three months.

 The terms of reference of the Commission were as follows.

A.   Indentify the individuals and entities who have indulged in unauthorised  collection of public deposits  in Odisha.

B.   Probe and bring out involvement of influential persons , bureaucrats and other sections of the society, if any in protecting  or promoting  such illegal activities.

C.   Suggest measures to safeguard the interest of genuine investors affected by recent incidents  relating to unauthorised collection of public deposits  and its misappropriation.

D.   Suggest safeguard measures to ensure financial security  for the genuine investors  ad prevention  of such problem in future.

E.    Identify the bona fide investors  affected  by the unauthorised  financial transactions of fraudlent financial  establishments / companies  and suggest  the modalities  for payment of compensation, names of  the small investors eligible for compensation and the amount of compensation  payable from the corpus fund set up  by the Govt. for the purpose.

Sri Justice R.K.Patra, retired Chief Justice of Sikkim High Court  was appointed as Chairman of the Commission on 9.7.2013. After his death, Justice M.M. Das was appointed as Commission of  Inquiry  on 20.2.2015.

RTI Application was filed  to the PIO, Dept. of Home, Govt. of Odisha  seeking  information about   functioning  of the Commission,  report , if any submitted  by the Commission and  details of  expenditure made  for the Commission. The information provided by the PIO, Dept. of Home and Commission of  Inquiry on Unauthorised  Collection of Public Deposits is as follows.

A.       On 25.5.2016, the Commission has produced its first report  to State Govt

B.      On 3.2.2017, the Commission  has  handed over its second report to State Govt.

C.      Total Expenditure ( from 2013-14 to 2016-17)

·         Pay and allowance to Commission ad staff                   Rs. 1,99,64,298.00

·         Electricity dues                                                                           Rs.      2,15,481.00

·         Telephone Charges                                                         Rs.      1,89,368.00

·         Payment to OCAC for digitalisation of the affidavit        Rs.     84,39,955.00

·         Contingency                                                                     Rs.    22, 75,532.00

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

                                                        Total                                                       Rs.    3,10,84,634.00

Comments

A.     As per TOR, the Commission is required to submit the report within 3 months.  But the Commission has taken four years to  complete the inquiry.

B.      Though four years passed, the Commission is yet to produce  the final report.

C.      Though the Commission has produced two reports, the State Govt. has not taken any steps  on the Report.

D.     More than 3 crores of rupees has been spent for Commission. But  the innocent  Depositors are yet to get justice.

E.      This is the efficiency, efficacy of the State Government and their  concern for poor depositors.

Pradip Pradhan

M-9937843482

Date- 16.4.17