48 lakh Beneficiaries covered under Social Security Schemes in Odisha

 

48 lakh Beneficiaries covered  under Social Security Schemes  in Odisha

Dear friends

In order  to provide  social security  to the beneficiaries  i.e., older persons, disable persons and widows, the Govt. of India launched  three  schemes  under National Social Assistance Programme ( NSAP)  Indira Gandhi National  Old Age Pension scheme ( IGNOAP) , Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme ( IGNWP), Indira Gandhi National Disable pension scheme ( IGNDP)  to provide financial  support  Rs. 500.00 for all categories of beneficiaries   ( Rs. 700 more  eight years older person)  per month. Similarly , Govt. of Odisha has launched Madhubabu Pension scheme ( MBPY) to provide financial assistance Rs. 500.00 for each beneficiaries . 

 

RTI Application was  filed  to  the Dept. of SSEPD , Govt. of Odisha  seeking  information about  total no of beneficiaries  covered under  these schemes  in Odisha .  The information provided by the PIO dt. 12.10.20  is as follows.

 

Scheme	Total beneficiaries
IGNOAP	14,18,631
IGNWP	5,22,185
IGNDP	82,130
MBPY	28,13,704
Total	48,36,650

 

Pradip Pradhan

M-9937843482

Date-8.3.21

Odisha Soochana Commission imposed penalty on PIO, FS&CW Dept.

 

 

Odisha Soochana Commission imposed penalty on Joint Secretary-cum-PIO of FS & CW Department for false information and Addl.Secetary-cum-FAA of the Department was directed to be more diligent with RTI matters.

In 2016, Govt. of Odisha invited Suggestions   from general public with reference to the Draft Odisha State Food Commission Rules, 2016 notified in the  Odisha Gazette Notification dated 25-1-2016. We 5 persons, namely Shri Pradip Pradhan, Shri Bhawani Sankar Nanda, Smt.Sanjukta Panigrahi, Shri Sachikanta Pradhan and Shri Pratap Sahu submitted our suggestion by e-mail on 8-2-2016 followed by   hard copy  sent by post.  One of our suggestions was that the Rule should have a provision to form Vigilance committee at each level, i.e. from State to fair Price Shop with 2 members from public. The Rules were finalized on 17-2-2016 with minor corrections based on suggestions of only few members of public. Our suggestions were simply ignored and it did not find place in the file noting at all.  I sent another RTI application on 4-3-2016 seeking details of suggestions received and also the office note sheet in the matter.  I received the office note-sheet on 8-4-2016.  I observed from the notes that 13 persons have submitted their suggestions out of which 5 persons’ suggestions were noted in the note-sheet.  The remaining suggestions were ignored.  Even there is no mention in the note-sheet about reasons for not taking a note of  the remaining suggestions.  Incidentally to all my queries of my RTI Application dated 4-3-2016 the one and same reply was “The information sought does not come u/s 2(f) of RTI Act, 2005” whereas the note-sheet supplied by them contained all information I sought for.  On 1-8-2016 I requested the Principal Secretary of the Department as to why they ignored our suggestions.   As usual there was no response.  Then I sent another RTI application on 7-9-2016 seeking information, (i) Date of receipt of my letter dated 1-8-2016, (ii) Copy of file notings on my letter dtd 1-8-2016,(iii) Copy of reply if any sent to me.  The reply of the PIO was interesting.  He replied to my query No.i, “The letter dated 01-08-2016 had been received on 13-2-2016”; to query no.ii, “copy of the letter dated 01-08-2016 supplied alongwith the file noting; and to query no.iii “No reply has been sent in response to the said letter”. The reply to my first query was absurd. Please see the dates I have underlined.   Against 2^nd query, the letter stated to have been attached has not been attached.  I made a First Appeal.  The FAA informed that no letter dated 01-08-2016 has been received in the Department.  In another RTI application I sought the copies of diary register copies for a period covering 10 days w.e.f 1-8-2021.  I received the same.  I found my letter dated 1-8-2021 was diarised  in the Department on 04-08-2016. I filed 2^nd appeal and produced all such documents.  The Information Commission after going through the documents and full hearing noticed the careless approach to RTI Act and lie of PIO.  The Commission also observed that the FAA did not delve into the said issue as well although I specifically pointed out in Form D .    Finally my 2^nd Appeal No.413/2017 was decided on 24-12-2020 with award of penalty of Rs.7000/- to the Joint Secretary-cum-PIO of FS & CW Department and with a direction to the Ex-Addl.Secretary-cum-FAA of FS & CW Department to be more diligent in future while dealing with any matters under the RTI Act.

Please observe that the public notification became meaningless since all suggestions were not noted and the reasons for acceptance or non-acceptance have not been noted.  The rules have been finally imposed on public unilaterally.  No action was taken on our joint letter dated 8-2-2016 and my letter dated 1-8-2016  nor was there any response.

By Bhawani Nanda

7978150463

5.3.21

Rs. 16,000 crore released to Govt. of Odisha under MGNREGA

 

Rs. 16,000 crore released  to Govt. of Odisha  under MGNREGA 

( From 2014-15 to 2020-21 )

During COVID lockdown, the State Govt. has received  Rs. 4400 crores  to carry out employment generation work  under MGNREGA.

Dear friends

In view of COVID lockdown, imposition of  several restrictions on movement  of the people  and subsequent precarious condition of  farmers and labourers  due to loss  of employment, Govt. of India declared  special package  of Rs. 1,00,000 crore  under MGNREGA  in order to provide employment  to the poor labourers . RTI Application was submitted to Dept. of Panchayat Raj, Govt. of Odisha seeking information about details of fund received from Govt. of India  under MGNREGA during 2020-21 . But  this  information was not provided  to us.

Sri Srikant  Pakal , RTI  Activist had  filed RTI Application to  the Ministry of Rural Development , Govt. of India  seeking information about details of fund transferred to Govt. of Odisha  under MGNREGA.   On 23.2.2021, the PIO has provided the  following information.

Year	Amount paid ( Rs.  in Lakhs)
2014-15	103530.00
2015-16	147941.05
2016-17	189526.84
2017-18	219834.66
2018-19	221821.01
2019-20	248821.94
2020-21	443690.00

Pradip Pradhan

M-9937843482

Date- 7.3.21 

 

 

No  information about  development projects  undertaken for KOTIA is  available with Koraput  district administration

 

Dear friends

   While laying  foundation of  so many projects  for all round  development of Kotia Gram Panchayt  through video conferencing on 6.2.21, Chief Minister said  that Rs. 150 crore had been utilized   for  development of Kotia GP and  declared new  projects worth Rs. 18 crore  for  the  said Panchayat.  Keeping it in view, RTI Application dt. 8.2.21 was filed  in the  office  of the  Collector, Koraput seeking  the  following  information.

 i. Provide list  of the projects undertaken  for  which Rs. 150  crore  has been  utilized  or  projects  on-going  in Kotia GP. (Year-wise).

ii.                 Provide list  of the projects  declared by Chief  Minister  to be undertaken  with  financial provision of Rs. 18 crore  and date of sanction of amount for each project.

 It was  requested  to the PIO that  RTI Application may be forwarded  to different public authorities  under section 6(3)  of the RTI Act   in case  of non-availability  of  information.

 On 24.2.21,  the PIO, office  of DRDA, Koraput sent a letter  stating  that  there  is no project proposal / estimates  received  in connection with  Development works  at Kotia Gram Panchayat  since 2015 to till date covering  the amount of Rs. 18 crore  and Rs. 150 crore. It  means  no such  any  project  has been undertaken so far.

 The  claim of  Chief Minister about  expenditure  of Rs. 150  crore  for Kotia development  in the last five years  is blatant lie  and full of deception.

 Pradip Pradhan

M-9937843482

Date-5.3.21