Tag Archives: corruption

Public Accounts Committee indicts Delhi Airport Modernisation Project

30 Thursday Jan 2014

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What the people have been doubting about the modernisation deal of the Delhi airport with DIAL giving huge concession to the company may be fully true. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Parliament in its draft report is reported to have made castigating remarks about the huge concessions given to DIAL, the firm which has taken the contract for modernisation. Vast area of land has been given for use ,for a paltry sum of Rs. 31 crore. The potential earning capacity of the land can be hundred times more or much more. In the same way, DIAL has been given lease of the airport for 60 years for a contribution of just Rs. 1,813 crore. The potential earning capacity of the same according to CAG report is about Rs. 1,63,557 crore.
Not only that. Against the agreement with the AAI, the DIAL has imposed development fee from the passengers also.

The Draft PAC report has demanded criminal investigation in to the above deals which has resulted huge loss to the government. It is to be noted that Praful Patel was the Civil Aviation Minister at the time of the deal. He is one of the richest Minister in the UPA II Cabinet.

Sitaram Yechury writes to JPC Chairman

29 Sunday Sep 2013

Posted by in 2G Scam Corruption

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New Delhi, Sep 26 Ahead of a crucial meeting of JPC on 2G scam, senior CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury has submitted a dissent note to its Chairman P C Chacko, alleging the panel has failed to live up to its mandate by not quizzing the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister on the issue.

Claiming that the report of Joint Parliamentary Committee was prepared without consultations with its members, Yechury, one of the 30 JPC members, strongly objected to the “failure” of the panel to call all material witnesses, including the Prime Minister, and relying solely on the written submissions of former Telecom Minister A Raja.

Noting that even Raja was not provided an opportunity to provide oral evidence or face cross-examination by JPC, Yechury said in the 32-page note that the report has made “selective” use of the evidence.

He said several crucial questions, which were to have been replied by the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister, had remained unanswered as both were not called by JPC.

In a covering letter to his note, the CPI(M) leader said JPC had In a covering letter to his note, the CPI(M) leader said JPC had “failed” to adequately discharge the mandate given to it by Parliament.

In his dissent note, Yechury is believed to have written about the alleged roles played by the Prime Minister, the Finance Minister and the Minister of Communication and IT in the scam.

Apart from raising procedural irregularities in JPC’s functioning, he is believed to have raised issues relating to undervaluation of Universal Access Service (UAS) licenses allocated in 2006-08, presumptive losses on account of allocation of these licenses and spectrum in 2007-08, “failure” to appropriately deal with TRAI recommendations and to examine the issue of licences to the private firms.

Protest Government move to increase FDI in Defence

05 Wednesday Jun 2013

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According to the Chief Economic Advisor to the government, Raghuram Rajan, the government is proposing to increase Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in some sectors including Defence. At present FDI in Defence is 26%. FDI was implemented in defence despite protest from the Employees’ Unions.

In a very strategic and security sector like Defence, increasing the FDI has to be strongly protested not only by the employees but by the political parties. The scams and corrupt practices in Defence sector is going to further increase if the FDI increases.

The struggle against corruption will continue – Anna Hazare

10 Sunday Apr 2011

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The fast-unto-death by Anna Hazare has ended after the Government accepted the demands raised by the social activist. The Government has constituted a 10 member panel with Minister Pranab Mukherjee as Chairman and Shanti-Bhushan as co-chairman. 50% of the committee is from the government side and the other 50% nominated by the social activists. Anna Hazare is also in the committee. The government told earlier that the committee will be constituted after the withdrawal of the fast. But Hazare stood took the firm position that he will end his fast only after notification. Government had to surrender again. The Notification was issued yesterday morning, and after receiving the same, the fast ended.

Ending the fast, Anna Hazare told the massive gathering that the struggle has only started. If the bill is not passed in the monsoon session of the Parliament, further agitation will start. He is right. Unless there is a threat, the government will try to side line the issue as has been done for the last 42 years, since the bill was introduced in the Parliament for the first time.

Let us be vigilant. The fast has achieved the immediate demand. But those who are behind the corruption are powerful people and they will not allow the anti-corruption bill passed easily. Let us prepare for another struggle if the government and the main opposition dilly-dally in the matter.

Hunger Strike by Anna Hazare – The Fight against corruption

08 Friday Apr 2011

Posted by in Corruption, Politics India

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The Hunger Strike by Anna Hazare, the noted social activist and Gandhian has reached the fourth day. This Satyagraha has captured the minds of the people of this country of all strata.

I visited the satyagraha site near the Jantar Mantar today along with Com.R.L.Moudgil, AGS BSNLEU and other comrades. Thousands of people are patiently sitting hearing the speeches of the various prominent personalities coming there. There are students, employees/workers, business people, intellectuals, cultural and social activists, a good number of them women also. Groups of people are coming and leaving after some time, others are coming. It is a continuing flow. In between, one person who was fasting was taken to the hospital. It was surprising how such a huge crowd was keeping excellent discipline without any coersion.

The fast has caught the imagination of the people, since they are angry with the continuous scams and corruption cases involving the high level politicians, business czars etc. The national assets are being looted. Hence there is alround support for the fast by Anna.

The Government is in the dock. Unless they take immediate action to discuss and accept the reasonable demand for constituting a real anti-corruption machinery as demanded by the fasting leaders, the struggle will take a nationwide struggle. Even now fast and dharnas are being held in many places and this will expand and strengthen every day.

Fast unto death by Anna Hazare against corruption

06 Wednesday Apr 2011

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The fast-unto-death by Anna Hazare, Gandhian and noted social activist, demanding drafting and passing of the Jan Lokpal Bill with the participation of citizens /civil society activists has brought the fight against corruption to a new height.

Anna Hazare started his fast-unto-death at the Jantar Mantar premises in New Delhi on 5th April after the government failed to act upon his proposals for a joint committee for drafting of the bill with 50% citizens and 50% government. The Lokpal Bill has been with the Government for the last 42 years. This year also the government wants to have the same exercise by which it will be presented in Parliament, then send it to a committee and then frozen.

The continuous exposal of scams involving lakhs of crore of rupees like 2G, Adarsh, CWG, Antrix-Devas etc. etc. have put the government in a tight corner with many ministers directly involved. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is presiding over a cabinet of corrupt ministers. It is only but natural that the government will not like a strong Lokpal and will try to evade passing even any bill and continuing the existing sorry state of affairs.
It is in this context that the entire country is supporting Anna Hazare in his fight against corruption. The government should be compelled to draft the bill with the participation of citizens as demanded by Anna Hazare so that it will be a strong instrument in catching and punishing the corrupt, however powerful or high he may be. The present high pollution of corruption has to be put an end to.

Why Government shy away from acting against Black Money?

04 Friday Mar 2011

Posted by in Politics India, Uncategorized

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In addition to the inaction on the part of Government to book the corrupt politicians and top officers, it is also going slow on action against those powerful people who have thousands of crore of black money stashed in the foreign banks. The government is not denying that it has got information about many such cases, but refuses to divulge the names stating that under agreement with the foreign governments, these names could not be disclosed. Nobody is going to believe these fragile pleas. The Supreme Cour itself has criticised the Government in this matter.

Take the case of Hasan Ali Khan, the race horses broker who has stashed lakhs of crore of black money in foreign banks. The Income Tax Department is stated to have issued a notice for more than Rs. 70,000 crore as tax against him. But yet, the Government has neither taken any action against him for tax evasion, putting black money in foreign banks or for the black money itself. He has not been even questioned so far, leave alone arresting him.The Supreme Court has asked rightly ” What the hell is going on?”

The people of the country are echoing the same question, ” What the hell is going on?” Is the government worried that their own people will be exposed if a serious enquiry is conducted and action taken? There is no other reason why they are dilly-dallying in the matter.

Corruption Unlimited- Action Limited

10 Wednesday Nov 2010

Posted by in 2G Scam Corruption, Politics India

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The sacking of Ashok Chawan from the Chief Ministership and Suresh Kalmadi from the Secretaryship  of the Congress Parliamentary Party is nothing but an eyewash. Too little and too late. Nobody is convinced about the belated and nominal action. So many big fish are involved both in the CWG and Adarsh flat scams who have not been touched. The common man  can not be fooled. The UPA government is making corruption institutionalised.