Fund sanctioned to State Disaster Response Fund, Govt. of Odisha

Fund sanctioned to State Disaster Response Fund, Govt. of Odisha

Dear  friends 

In view of COVID Lockdown and subsequent suppression of information by Govt. of Odisha  and absence of voluntary disclosure of information about  details of financial allocation,  distribution and utilization  for various activity to deal with COVID 19 situation,  agreement signed with Private Hospitals and financial arrangements   made  to them for establishment of COVID hospital , series of RTI Applications has been submitted  to Various Ministries of Govt. of India  and  different State Govt. Departments  seeking  various information on COVID 19 issues. 

RTI Application dt. 16.4.2020 was submitted to the CPIO, Ministry  of   Home , Got. of  India  seeking  information about  details of  fund sanctioned  from National Disaster Response  Fund  to Govt. of Odisha  to deal with  National Disaster COVID 19. On 14^th May, 20, the CPIO  supplied the  information which is as follows. 

“With a view  to make  adequate fund available to the  State Government for effective response against COVID 19, as a special dispension,  the first installment  of Rs. 802 Crore as  central share of State Disaster Risk Mitigation  Fund  for financial year 2020-21 was released in advance  to Govt. of Odisha on 3.4.2020.” 

Similarly , RTI Application dt. 6.5.20. was submitted to the PIO, Office  of Special Relief Commissioner, Bhubaneswar  seeking  the  following  information. 

i. Total  fund available  with State Disaster Response Fund  by  20^th March, 20.

ii. Total  fund  released from National Disaster Response  Fund  with  date  of release   within period of 20^th march to  May 20.

iii. Details of  financial support provided  by Central  Govt. to deal with COVID 19 situation.

iv. Details of  fund released  to different department  and date of release  and its purpose.

v. Details of  fund  released to each district to deal COVID -19 situation.

vi. Details  of fund released to any organization  for  any purpose.

After two months, on 8.7.20., the PIO supplied the  information  which is as follows.

i.                    An amount of  Rs. 208.20 crore  was  available in State Disaster Response  Fund  till 20^th March 2020.

ii.                  The following amount  was  released  from National Disaster Response Fund within period of 20^th March to May 20.

27.3.20	179.64  crore
23.5.20	500.00  crore
Total	679.64 crore

iii.                A  sum of  Rs. 29659.770 lakhs  has been  released  to various dept.  to deal with COVID 19 situation.

Name  of Dept.	Amount released  (  in Lakhs )
Housing & Urban Development	1770.200
Home	4.200
DGP Police	200.000
DG Fire  service	185.370
H & FW  Dept	22500.000
Panchayat Raj &DW	5000.000

iv.                 A  sum of 4494.844 lakhs  has been released  to  all 30  districts  to deal COVID situation.

Srikant Pakal

M- 9338455092

Date – 30.7.20 

Rampant misappropriation and fraud committed in Rural Cooperative Banks in Odisha.

To

Shri Shaktikanta Das

Governor

Reserve Bank of India

Mumbai

Sub- Rampant misappropriation and fraud committed in Rural Cooperative Banks in  Odisha.

Sir,

At the outset, I express my sincere thanks and immense gratitude to you for playing the pivotal role in promulgation of the Banking Regulation amendment Ordinance 2020 to bring the Cooperative Banking Sector under the control and supervision of RBI. It is our request to you to expedite notification for rural cooperative banks to achieve the objectives of the amendment.

2. I take the opportunity to enclose  some news items published in leading newspapers in the State of Odisha regarding the rampant corruption and fraud taking place in Cooperative Banks in Odisha. The issues are summarised below:

●     The President of the scam involving  Angul United Central Cooperative Bank also happens to be President of Odisha State Cooperative Bank.

●     With the connivance of CEO and President of the Bank over a period of five years,  Cores of Rupees have been misappropriated by debiting interest paid account and crediting the proceeds to some fake depositors S. B. Account. Subsequently the amount had been drawn from the accounts.

●     The newspapers have reported that auditors had trailed the fraud to Data Centre of OSCB.

●     As it appears, intentionally such features had been inbuilt in the CBS software procured by the Apex Bank to promote frauds and misappropriations.

●     Though the serious glitches and shortcomings in the CBS software of OSCB was elaborately discussed in the statutory inspection of OSCB as on 31.03.2018 conducted by NABARD, the entire adverse observations were strangely deleted from the IR and congidum was issued modifying the IR ON THE GROUND THAT THE OBSERVATIONS WERE SUPERFLUOUS as per RTI reply of NABARD.

●     Though NABARD is entrusted with the responsibility of supervision u/s 35(6) of B.R Act, being a WORTHLESS organisation it had become silent spectator to the scams in Cooperative Banks in Odisha and remaining happy by writing letters to Registrar of Cooperative Societies drawing his attention and shifting the onus to him instead of taking action under its supervisory powers u/s 35(6) of B R Act.

Prayer

I urge upon your goodself to order an enquiry by RBI itself under Section 35(6) of B R Act and also ensure issue of the necessary notification by Government of India for immediate commencement of Sec 4 of the Banking Regulation Amendment Ordinance 2020 in the SCBs and DCCBs to save them from such robbery and loot.

Yours faithfully

Pradip Pradhan

Plot No.-D-27, Maitree Vihar,

Post-Rail Vihar,

Bhubaneswar-751023, Odisha

Email- pradippradhan63@gmail.com,

M-9936843482

Date-25.7.20

Copy with enclosures submitted for information and necessary action to:

1.    Regional Director, RBI, Bhubaneswar.

2.    Principal Chief General Manager, DoS, RBI, Mumbai.

        

Outstanding Order of Odisha Information Commission

Outstanding Order of Odisha Information Commission

(Second Appeal Case No.- 1306/2016)

Bhubaneswar: While disposing a Second Appeal petition No. 1306/2016 dt. 16.7.20,  Sri .B.K. Mohaptra, State Information Commissioner  has  imposed  penalty of Rs. 25,000  on  PIO of College of Engineering & Technology , Ghatikia, Bhubaneswar   for denial  of  information  under RTI Act  and   directed  authority  to pay  Rs. 50,000.00  as compensation to the appellant  Dr. Biswanandan Dash  within one month.  This is the highest ever  compensation  awarded  to an appellant by Odisha  Information Commission  since 2005, year  of the  implementation  of RTI Act in Odisha.

1.Sri Biswanandan  Das had  filed RTI Application dt. 7.1.2016   to the PIO,  College of Engineering & Technology , Ghatikia, Bhubaneswar   seeking  information on 11 points in relation to  the walk-in-interviews conducted by CET on 8.7.15  and 25.12.15  for  selection and appointment of some contractual faculty members in the department of English and Mathematics. On 5.2.16,  Dr. Achyutananda Acharya, the then PIO  supplied the   information and asked the appellant to deposit  Rs. 10.00 towards  cost  of the  5 page information. The Appellant     found the information incomplete supplied by the PIO but  deposited  Rs. 10.00  towards  cost  of information.  Though money was deposited  in form of  Money order, the  PIO did not  supply  any  information.

2. Then the appellant   filed first appeal dt. 26.2.16  to Prof. P.K.Patra,  the First Appellate Authority-cum-Principal, CET, Bhubaneswar seeking  complete  information.  The  First Appellate  Authority  conducted  hearing  and passed  the  order dt. 13.5.2016   affirming entitlement of the  appellant   to the information such as  attendance  and selection of the candidates,  distribution/ award of the marks and merit  list. But the PIO did  not  supply  any  information despite  order of the FAA. The FAA also  did not send  copy  of the  order  to the  appellant nor  ensured  implementation of his  order.

3. Being aggrieved,  Sri  Das  filed  second  appeal dt. 6.8.2016   before  Odisha Information Commission seeking  complete  information, penalty  on the PIO  for denial  of information  under section 20(1) of the RTI Act with prayer  for  Rs. 2 lakh  compensation for the  loss suffered by him under  section 19(8)(b) of the RTI Act.

4. The  Commission  registered  the case  as Second Appeal  No. 1306/2016  and  issued  notice  to the PIO and First Appellate  Authority  of  CET, Bhubaneswar   seeking  reply and status  report  in relation to Second Appeal  petition. In order  to comply  the  notice dt. 6.4.2018   issued by the Commission,   the  PIO and First Appellate  Authority  vide letter  No. 2552 dt. 1.8.2017   and letter No. 1934 dt. 25.6.2018 provided rest of the authenticated information free of cost.

5. The Commission conducted several hearing  in 2019  and  2020. During  hearing,  the  Commission   wanted  to know from the PIO  what prevented him from supplying   the information  at that time  which was  supplied  to the  appellant     in order  to comply  the notice  of the  Commission.  The PIO  could not give  any satisfactory response.    The Commission also  observed  that  despite  order  of the First Appellate Authority, the PIO did  not supply any  information. 

6. The Commission arrives  at  the  findings  that  Dr. Achyutananda Acharya, the  then PIO, CET, without any reasonable  clause  delayed  the  furnishing  of the available  information  to the appellant  and deliberately caused  obstruction  in the access of information  to the appellant.  He is  therefore,  held liable  to penalty  under  section 20(1)  of RTI Act.  Taking  note  of the extent of  delay and  the  conduct of Dr. Acharya , the PIO , the  Commission imposed  penalty  of Rs. 25,000.00  on him.

7. With  regard  to  prayer  for the  compensation  by the appellant, the  Commission  observed “ had the  sought information been  provided to the  appellant in due  time or in accordance  with  the  provisions of the Act, the same  could  have  been  used  and  utilized  by him in his  desired  way. His contention  thus merits consideration  that  due  to  the  obstruction  in access  to information to him deterred  his  purpose.” The  Commission  considers  it to be fit case  to  award  the  compensation  of Rs. 50,000 in favour  of the appellant  to be paid by CET under  section 19(8)(b) of the RTI Act.

8. The Commission  directed the PIO  to pay the  amount of penalty  Rs. 25,000.00  within one  month of the  receipt  of the  order.  The  Commission also  directed  the  Public Authority , i.e.,  the College of Engineering and Technology , Bhubaneswar  to pay  compensation  amount of Rs. 50,000 to the appellant  within one  month  from the date  of the receipt  of the  order.

Prepared  by Pradip Pradhan

M-9937843482

Date- 25.7.20