RTI - PAYMENT OF Rs.4/- OTHER CHARGES

Date: 30-03-2016                                                                         email

To,

1. Shri Manishkumar, CPIO, DFS, MoF, GoI, New Delhi

usir-dfs@nic.in

2. Shri S. R. Mehar, FAA, DFS, MoF, GoI, New Delhi

sewa.mehar66@nic.in

3. National Informatics Centre, New Delhi

helprtionline-dopt@nic.in

Dear Sirs,

Payment of Other Charges on RTIONLINE Portal –DOFSR/R/2016/50439

Vide attached intimation dated 16-03-2016 I have been advised to deposit Rs.4/- towards other charges payable to CPIO, Dept of Financial Services, MoF. I am yet to receive information in hard copy or online or by email from CPIO presumably for non-payment of Rs.4/-.

I could not make payment of Rs.4/- on RTIONLINE portal since there was no link of “make payment” for additional payment at intimation of above CPIO, though it provides for such a link as per page 16 of guidelines [page attached]. I tried bharatkhajana.gov.in [NTRP] but could not succeed in paying Rs.4/- [page attached]. Post Offices have discontinued IPOs below Rs.10/-. Bank DD may cost Rs.20/- or so as minimum commission for DD of Rs.4/- plus postal charges of Rs.25/- for mailing DD. I cannot visit DFS, MoF at New Delhi for paying Rs.4/- in cash from Junagadh Gujarat. CPIO may not accept IPO of Rs.10/-. E-IPO is issued for minimum of Rs.10. I am enclosing with this email e-IPO for Rs.10/-. Use of paper for paying Rs.4 will affect trees and environment. I hope Digital India initiative is being implemented by MoF also.

I draw kind attention to CIC decision No. CIC/SA/A/2015/000743 dated 27-04-2015 [copy attached]. I have witnessed that many citizen centric and pro-RTI public authorities do not insist for petty other charges [even up to Rs.50/-] for supplying information within mandated time-limit.

I humbly request CPIO, FAA and NIC to activate make payment link on RTIONLINE portal so that I can make payment of exact Rs.4/- by debit card or alternatively accept  e-IPO [attached to email] for Rs.10/-. I will not be claiming excess of Rs.6/-. I will be again attempting payment of Rs.4/- on bharatkhajana portal by debit card, though it is complicated especially to non-tech savvy senior citizen like me.

Please inform me when link is activated so that I can make payment of exact Rs.4/-. The information is in larger public interest since there could be VYAPAM or Haryana [teacher recruitment scam] type scams in banking recruitments at IBPS [presently outside RTI Act]. I can proceed further only on receipt of requested information which is held up presumably for non-payment of Rs.4/-.

In case CPIO and FAA, DFS respect opinion of CIC in aforesaid decision, they may choose to forward me information without payment of Rs.4/- by taking holistic view in the interest of Govt and citizens.

J. P. Shah

Cell: 09924106490 email jpshah50@yahoo.co.in

B-12 Amrapali Gandhigram, Junagadh Gujarat 362001

Copies to:

1. Director-RTI, DoPT, Ministry of Personnel,

PG & Pensions, Govt of India, New Delhi

Email: dirrti-dopt@nic.in

2. dirpensions-dfs@nic.in

PUBLIC GRIEVANCES – SOLUTION

                                    PUBLIC GRIEVANCES – SOLUTION

As per media reports, central govt has advised all Secretaries of Ministries with public interface, to address 10 public grievances PER WEEK PERSONALLY. Additional Secretaries / CMDs to attend 20 and Joint secretaries to address 30 public grievances PERSONALLY PER WEEK. Maximum limit set is 60 days for redressal. Though the objective to address public grievances speedily and fairly is laudable, as part of good governance, this advice will not work even in short run, since majority of bureaucrats are having expertise to puncture such initiatives especially if it is pro-citizen coming from politicians and is likely to increase work load.

My suggestion to contain harassment due to delay and indifference by Govt servants and to reduce daily retail corruption in govt offices all over India, it is advisable to revive  CITIZENS RIGHT TO GRIEVANCE REDRESS BILL 2011, which has now lapsed in Parliament. Unless citizens are empowered by legislation [like RTI Act], they can only beg for proper delivery of services by govt servants from  Chief/Principal secretaries to village revenue officer. If this act is passed or promulgated by way of ordinance, common Indians will solve their own grievances pending with govt by themselves. In-built provision of penalty to public servants in such laws, speeds up timely and proper redressal. Advices or orders without penalty will not sensitize bureaucracy.  Many BJP ruled States [Maharashtra, Goa, Haryana, Rajasthan, MP etc] have such State acts and many non-BJP States [Karnataka, UP, Kerala, Orissa etc] too have such law.

In case if BJP/NDA and Central Govt sincerely desire to address public grievances effectively and contain retail corruption as part of good governance, Central Govt should have such a law urgently for central services, rather than leaving public at the mercy of Secretaries, to whom common Indians cannot even reach from small towns and villages.  It is also necessary to effectively implement and not dilute such laws in future, like RTI Act.

I hope Central Govt will review effect of above advice to weekly personally attend public grievances by Secretaries/CMDs,  on quarterly basis.

27032016

Suggestion for Telecom Ombudsman

Date: 17-03-2016                                                        email

To,

Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad,

Hon’ble Cabinet Minister,

Ministry of Communications and IT

New Delhi

ravis@sansad.nic.in

Hon’ble Sir, 

Subject: Suggestion for Telecom Ombudsman

I thank present Central Govt for taking series of pro-citizen initiatives and for making dealing with govt depts easy for common men.

I understand from media that in 2015, 63964 complaints were received regarding telecom services. In 2014 it was 52266. These grievances were only those received online under CPGRAMS and do not include complaints off-line or in person directly to service providers. In most of complaints amount involved is small and users do not prefer to undergo tedious procedure of consumer forums. Two tier complaint resolution mechanism at service provider level is hardly pro-user.

I humbly suggest that there should be Telecom Ombudsman for each State, like Banking Ombudsman, Insurance Ombudsman, Income Tax Ombudsman etc, with facility of online filing of complaints. This will mitigate problems of small telecom users and service providers will have pressure to properly attend grievances.

Yours faithfully,

J P Shah

Copy to: Secretary, TRAI, New Delhi, secretary@trai.gov.in

BOOKING OF GAS CYLINDER THROUGH SMS

Email to: mos.png@nic.in [Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas]

Date: 11-03-2016

Hon'ble Sir

On 29-09-2015, I had suggested miscall facility for booking gas cylinders as per attached email. It appears that this suggestion is not technically implementable by gas supplying companies and hence not implemented as yet. I suggest that there is facility of booking cylinder by SMS which is presently limited to metros and state capitals. which can be extended to district or taluka level. IVRS number gets timed out and since last two occasions I had to book cylinder online by visiting portal of gas company. Others may also be facing this problem, specially women who normally book cylinders. Kindly advise gas supplying companies to explore extending facility by SMS to district or taluka levels as is being done for metros and state capitals [at least in case of Bharat Gas].I do not know of other two companies Indane and HP if they have such sms facility for cylinder booking.

Thanking you,

__________________________________________________________________

29-09-2015

At present while booking gas cylinder on mobile, one has to press 1, 2, 3 for language choice etc.  In smart phones, senior citizens get confused to press buttons while on line and call is timed out. Recently it took 5 attempts to book a cylinder on smart phone by me. Hence I suggest that miss call facility [as adopted by banks for knowing balance] be adopted by gas companies, so that with a miss call from registered mobile numbers  cylinder should be booked and SMS sent confirming booking. I have experienced that BJP central govt is sensitive to suggestions of common citizens.

Following link [write to MoS] is not working properly.

http://petroleum.nic.in/write_to_mos_new.php

Emailed to mos.png@nic.in

_________________________________________________________________________________

Also posted at https://ebiz.bpc.co.in/ccs/LPGWeb.faces on 29-09-2015 SUGGESTION No. 934058

At present while booking gas cylinder on mobile, one has to press 1, 2, 3 for language choice etc.  In smart phones, senior citizens get confused to press buttons while on line and call is timed out. Recently it took 5 attempts to book a cylinder on smart phone by me. Hence I suggest that miss call facility [as adopted by banks for knowing balance] be adopted by gas companies, so that with a miss call from registered mobile numbers  cylinder should be booked and SMS sent confirming booking

FRIVOLOUS LITIGATION BY GOVT and PSUs –Need of National Litigation Policy

Date: 12-03-2016                             SUGGESTION-Addendum                       By email

To,

Shri D. V. Sadananda Gowda

Hon’ble Minister for Law & Justice

Ministry of Law and Justice, Govt of India

A-Wing, Shastri Bhawan, New Delhi-110 001

secy-jus@gov.in, rejinder.kashyap@gov.in

Hon’ble Sir,

Subject: FRIVOLOUS LITIGATION BY GOVT and PSUs –Need of National Litigation Policy

Kindly refer to my suggestion dated 08-08-2014 and 13-05-2015 [copies enclosed]. I am sure Ministry must be cogitating on my suggestion, in view of BJP/NDA Govt’s stated policy of citizen centricity and good governance.

To contribute in good governance and to relieve common Indians from frivolous litigation by Govts/PSUs etc at public cost to harass public, I respectfully draw your kind attention to report of expert committee of defense minister 2015 which is uploaded at http://mod.gov.in/writereaddata/Reportcc.pdf.

I may add that prolonged frivolous litigation by Govts/PSUs also adds to avenue for corruption in fees and out-of-pocket expenses payable to advocates, in addition to clogging courts, which further delay genuine litigations. I hope you and your ministry will attach due priority of such a National Litigation Policy [in some other name], though it was suggested in 2010 by then UPA law minister. BJP is known to continue congress policies which are in the interest of nation and citizenry like MGNREGA etc.

Yours faithfully,

J P Shah