Thursday, June 28, 2018

KIIT/KISS developed with Public Money for public purpose and requires public scrutiny


 Public money used by Achyut Samant for developing infrastructure of  KIIT /KISS 

 IIT/KISS has used  huge public money   termed it  as direct finance for developing its infrastructure and management of the  institution  by taking grants, loans   and donations  from various public institutions.  As per  the  Annual Audit report of KIIT ( consolidated Balance sheet as at 31st March , 2009) which is available with us,  KIIT  has borrowed loan  from different nationalised  banks at the tune of  Rs. 171,40, 85,295.00.  The details of  loan received from different banks is  as follows.  These loans are  considered  as public money used  by KIIT.  

Sl.No
Name of Bank
 Loan amount granted to KIIT
                                            Loan and Advances  from Bank
1
Allahabad Bank
36,21,53,285.00
2
Canara Bank
7,13,19,571.00
3
Union Bank of India (New Delhi)
9,12,35,063.00
4
State Bank of India
15,53,44,072.00
5
Punjab National Bank
6,76,88,993.00
6
Oriental Bank of Commerce
39,67,80,098.00
Loan and Advances from Other Agencies
1
CEAT Finance
19,26,800.00
2
GE Capital Services India
2,12,50,067.00
Overdrafts
1
Allahabad Bank  ( OD A/c)
29,80,27,009.00
2
Oriental Bank of  Commerce ( OD A/c)
13,00,78,767.00
3
Punjab National Bank ( OD A/C)
15,69,06,109.00
4
State Bank of India ( OD A/C)
13,00,14,186.00
B.    KIIT has gained unsecure loan Rs. 6,51,50,000.00  ( 2009 Audit Report) which also includes public money that needs to be examined  by the Government.
C.    KIIT has also shown source of other income Rs. 12,01,46,834.00  which is also public money , needs to be examined by Public. 
D.   Besides that KIIT has also received huge donation, subsidy  and grants from various Govt. Institutions for research and development activities from 2005 to 2017 . It establishes the fact that  there is active and pervasive control of the Central Government Organizations over the KIIT University not only functionally and administratively but also financially. 

     Information about Bank loan received  by KIIT and KISS from various Banks could not  be supplied  due to non-supply of the information by the concerned agencies).


Pradip PradhanM-9937843482Date- 28.6.18 

Wednesday, June 27, 2018

Pradip Pradhan nominated as National Co-Convener of NCPRI


Pradip Pradhan nominated as  National Co-Convener of NCPRI
Pradip Pradhan, eminent RTI Activist  and State Convener of Odisha Soochana Adhikar Abhijan has been nominated  as  National Co-Convener of NCPRI ( National Campaign for People’s Right to Information) , a  National Form of RTI Activists  working  for effective implementation of RTI Act  in the country  as well as  undertaking  campaign for   Lokpal, Judicial accountability, Whistle-blowers’  Protection Act , Grievance Redressal law  etc. He enjoys position of one of National Co-conveners along with other eminent RTI Activists Sri Nikhil Dey, Sri Venkatesh Nayak, Smt. Anjali Bhardwaj  ( New Delhi), Ms. Pankti Josh ( Gujurat), Dr. Shaikh Ghulam Rasool ( J&K) , Rakesh Reddy Dubbudu ( Andhra Pradesh).
National Campaign for People’s Right to Information (NCPRI) was founded in 1996. Its founding members included social activists, journalists, lawyers, professionals, retired civil servants and academics. One of its primary objectives was to campaign for a national law facilitating the exercise of the fundamental right to information. NCPRI played pioneering role  in pushing enactment of Right to Information Act  in the country in 2005.
Since 2005, year of beginning of implementation  of Right to Information Act in  the country, Sri Pradhan  along with few  Social Activists started  campaign  in Odisha to enforce implementation of RTI Act.  At early stage of campaign,   he  opposed  various  draconian provision of Odisha RTI Rules made by Govt. of Odisha to make the sun-shining law dysfunctional in the state  and demanded for  its withdrawal. After  a long campaign, the State Government on 29th May, 2006  amended  Odisha RTI Rules, first ever amendment  of Rules  in the country  which reduced  application fee from Rs. 20.00 to Rs. 10.00,  Fee for information from Rs. 5.00 to Rs. 2.00  etc.  But  still  Odisha Rules  remains anti-people  which  is  the core of the campaign of Sri Pradhan for  its withdrawal.   He  has  conducted  several trainings, workshops, seminars  and  State Conventions each year  in the state. He  has filed  more than 6000 RTI Applications  and exposed  number of corruptions and irregularities  in  implementation of Govt. scheme and Programme.  Last year   under his able leadership,  National Convention of  NCPRI on Right to Information was organised  in Bhubaneswar, capital city of Odisha   from 14th to 16th 2017.  Through RTI , he  has also monitored  implementation of various programme and  functioning of   various  Commissions etc.  He is  the  founder of Odisha Soochana Adhikar Abhijan  and leading  this campaign as State Convener  since last 12 years.
Under his leadership, OSAA has been emerged  as vibrant network of RTI Activists  in the state having its district level network  in 25 districts. Over the years, hundreds of RTI Activists have joined in this campaign. It has  a core body of 70 members  at State level  which sits  every month  to chalk out action plan to broad-base  campaign and take up  various issues affecting the state.  Sri Pradhan has compiled 25 booklets , campaign materials, posters , leaflets  on RTI and written a number of articles  on RTI related issues, published in local odia dailies.  
We wish all   success  in his endeavour   for enforcing transparent and  accountable governance system   in the  country in general and Odisha in particular. 
Reported  by
Sri Akhand, Human Rights Activist
Working Group Member : CSFHR
Core group Member : OSAA

9861210101

FIDUCIARY RELATIONSHIP UNDER RTI ACT 2005


FIDUCIARY RELATIONSHIP UNDER RTI ACT 2005

One of the reasons for declining information is fiduciary relationship.

Section 8(1)(e) of RTI Act 2005 reads as under: Notwithstanding anything  contained  in this Act, there shall be no obligation  to give any citizen,- 

“Information available to a person in his fiduciary relationship, unless the competent authority is satisfied that the larger public interest warrants disclosure of such information”

Black’s Law Dictionary describes a fiduciary relationship as “one founded on trust or confidence reposed by one person in the integrity and fidelity of another.”

To qualify for information as held under fiduciary relationship, it should have following ingredients:

1. Information should have been given to public authority voluntarily by the giver of information. Giver must have choice whether to give or not and to whom it should be given.

2. Information should not have been given to public authority under compulsion or compliance of any law or rule.

3. Information should have been given to public authority for using it for the benefit of its giver.

4. Information should have been given in utmost trust, confidence and faith by giver in the receiving public authority.

Some of the examples of fiduciary relationship are:

Litigant-lawyer, patient-doctor, investor-financial advisor, client-bank, beneficiary-trustee, ward-guardian, attorney-principal, director-shareholder parent-child, insured-insurer etc

Following information held by public authority of third party cannot be said to be held in fiduciary relationship if:

A] It is given to public authority under compliance of any law or rule [e.g. Income Tax Act, customs act, VAT, etc].

B] Giver has no choice but to give information to public authority.

C] Information is not given voluntarily by giver to public authority.

D] Information was not to be used for the benefit of giver by public authority.

E] information is not given in trust, confidence and faith in public authority.

E] it is in larger public interest to disclose, even if held under fiduciary relationship.

Important CIC decisions & judgements on fiduciary relationship:

i] CIC/AT/A/2008/01238 dated 07-06-2010
ii] CIC/SM/A/2010/001634/SG/14617 dated 15-09-2011
iii] CIC/SM/A/2011/001376/SG/15684 dated 15-11-2011

iv] Judgement dated 30-08-2010 of High Court of Kerala at Ernakulam in
WP(C).No. 6532 of 2006(C) -1. TREESA IRISH, W/O.MILTON LOPEZ   Vs CENTRAL PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER

v] Judgement of Full Bench of High Court of Delhi, in Secretary General Supreme Court of India V Subhash Chandra Agarwal, L.P.A. No. 501/2009.

The above material can be used in first or second appeal.

Compiled by: J P Shah, 9924106490   jpshah50@yahoo.co.in on 07-08-2012

Pradip Pradhan
M-9937843482
Date- 26.6.18

Saturday, June 23, 2018

43 lakh people depend on alms of Rs.300/- to survive in Odisha


43 lakh people depend on alms of Rs.300/- to survive in Odisha

·      Due to abject poverty and hunger,  43 lakh old persons ,  widows  and disables  depend on monthly pension amount of Rs. 300.00/ Rs. 200.00  for survival  in the state.
·      Besides that the economic condition of the poor people are so distressing  that  Lakhs of  their applications seeking pension  amount of Rs. 300.00  under different schemes are pending in different block offices across the state for years together.  
·      Since last one decade, the state Govt. has been providing just Rs. 200.00 as monthly pension to 14, 18,164 old people as assistance for their survival.
·      Within last decade of recommendation of two Pay Commission reports   being implemented with pay hyke of employees, Ministers and Officers,  the State Government  has not increased monthly pension of depressed  and vulnerable section of society.
·      Nabin Patnaik Government takes much credit by giving mere pension of Rs. 200/-  and Rs. 300/- per month for survival of poor older persons in the state.
·      Whatever fund allocated under Old Age pension scheme, Disable Pension scheme by Govt. of India, the State Govt. could not spend the said amount. 

RTI Application was submitted to the PIO, Department of Social Security & Empowerment of persons with disabilities, Govt. of Odisha seeking information about details of beneficiaries covered under various pension schemes, pension paid to them etc.   On 11.6.18, the PIO  has provided the following information.

A.      Name of various pension schemes  undertaken in Odisha
i.                     Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension scheme ( IGNOAP)
ii.                   Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme ( IGNWP)
iii.                  Indira Gandhi National Disables pension Scheme ( IGNDP)
iv.                 Madhubabu Pension Yojana ( MNPY)

B.      The year-wise information about allocation of Central Government for pension scheme is as follows.
( In lakhs)
Year
                              Name of the Schemes
IGNOAP
IGNWP
       IGNDP
Fund received from GOI
Expenditure
Fund received from GOI
Expenditure
Fund received from GOI
Expenditure

2014-15
44381.59
40213.34
20901.83
18751.89
4146.21
3390.11
2015-16
55495.01
40136.11
15461.46
18885.72
3692.38
3151.78
2016-17
54898.40
40179.48
14722.84
18002.37
3265.24
2679.84
2017-18
55561.16
40578.33
15973.51
18502.34
3558.84
2867.22

C.      The No. of beneficiaries covered under each pension scheme of Central Govt. is as follows.
Year
Name of the Schemes
IGNOAP
IGNWP
IGNDP
2014-15
1418631
528570
90754
2015-16
1418631
528570
90243
2016-17
1407937
495459
74515
2017-18
1418164
513954
79645

D.      The No. of beneficiaries covered under Madhu Babu Pension scheme and funds allocated under the scheme are mentioned below.
( In lakhs)
Year
No. of beneficiaries
 Fund allocated
2014-15
1978400
72583.81
2015-16
1985024
72822.27
2016-17
2285024
82092.13
2017-18
2313704
90188.50
E.       The amount of monthly pension for each beneficiary under each pension scheme of State Govt. and Central Govt. are mentioned below.
Year
Name of the  Schemes
IGNOAP
IGNWP
IGNDP
MBPY
2014-15
200
300
300
300
2015-16
200
300
300
300
2016-17
200
300
300
300
2017-18
200
300
300
300

Pradip Pradhan
M-9937843482
Date- 23.6.18