Now, nail ***** for foreign tours

[karira]

This would be a shocker for lakhs of public servants and bureaucrats across the country: Been on a foreign tour to study roads or educational practices? You owe an explanation to the public.

Any citizen can now seek personal information — quantum of leave availed, country tours or foreign tours — of any public servant under the Right to Information Act. Taking a cue from the United Kingdom (UK) Data Information Act (1998), the Central Information Commission (CIC) has given a whole new definition to personal information of public servants in the country.

In a historic case involving an officer of the Central Forensic Science Laboratories (CFSL) attached to the CBI, the CIC ruled any activity of a public servant in his official capacity, which is of direct concern to public and, therefore, to public interest, should be revealed to the public. The CIC ruling comes after a CFSL employee, Surender Kumar, sought to know the details of leaves (earned leave, casual leave, half-pay commuted leave and medical leave), tours, journey (including foreign tour) and official tours undertaken by his officer Rajinder Singh for 10 years. But Kumar’s petition was rejected, citing exemptions under Section 8(1)(j) of the Right to Information Act and stating that disclosure of this information was invasion of privacy of Singh. Kumar then petitioned the CIC.

In his ruling, CIC Wajahat Habibullah said: “The information sought by Kumar is of direct concern to public and, therefore, to public interest since it concerns the working of a public servant in his official capacity. Details of personal tours invites exemption and may be provided only to the extent of dates and destination, unless public money is involved. As the information sought is not categorised as confidential nor is a leave register a confidential document, the information sought be supplied.’’

Said a retired bureaucrat: “This is more fearful than our confidential reports.’’


Welcome

[karira]

The full decision of the CIC, referred to in the above post, is attached.

[ganpat1956]

This is a very good decision by the CIC. Based on this we are likely to see increased RTI activity from those who want to settle scores.

[sagginyou]

This is a very well thought of decision of the CIC...
I think the Govt of India should think of extensive computerisation of the existing record so that any RTI query can be answered instantly....
All sorts of informaation like officer's personal details, leave taken, slary taken, phone calls made, no of times an officer went to toilet, bathroom, no of times an officer coughed....
everything should be online.....so that guinees recordholder RTI activists can put medals on their belly about uncountable questions asked by thrm..
thi way surely i think whole govt will become defunct,,,

[karira]

sagginyou,

From your post, it seems you have NEVER read the RTI Act 2005 even once.

You say: I think the Govt of India should think of extensive computerisation of the existing record so that any RTI query can be answered instantly....

Sec 4(1) makes it mandatory for every Public Authority (the word used in the Act is "shall"):

1.Every public authority shall— a.maintain all its records duly catalogued and indexed in a manner and the form which facilitates the right to information under this Act and ensure that all records that are appropriate to be computerised are, within a reasonable time and subject to availability of resources, computerised and connected through a network all over the country on different systems so that access to such records is facilitated;

==================
You say: All sorts of informaation like officer's personal details, leave taken, slary taken, phone calls made, no of times an officer went to toilet, bathroom, no of times an officer coughed....

Such kind of personal details cannot be disclosed under the RTI Act.
Phone call details may be disclosed (although I am not aware of any case) when the phone calls are made from the phone belonging to the Public Authority. After all it is the taxpayers money paying for those calls.

=======================

You say: everything should be online.....so that guinees recordholder RTI activists can put medals on their belly about uncountable questions asked by thrm.

Which RTI Activist has been included in the Guinness Book of World Records ? Please let me know. Or even the Limca book of Records.
Medals are to be pinned to the chest, not on one's belly.
If the information sought under the RTI Act is "unaccountable" , let the PIO deny it under Sec 8 or Sec 9 of the RTI Act. Then the applicant will come on this forum and I am sure that someone here will guide the applicant as to how to rebut each and every denial of the PIO (He He He He He ).

You say: thi way surely i think whole govt will become defunct,,,

Have you read your history and civics ?
No Government ever (from the days of the origins of Democracy in Greece) can become defunct. It can only be replaced by another Government.

BUT, I can assure you that Governments will come and go (in your words become defunct) but RTI Act 2005 will remain.

[sidmis]

Centre seeks ‘facts’ on foreign trips of UT bureaucrats

Reported Express News Service June 18, 2008

Chandigarh, June 17 Ministry of Home Affairs tells Adviser to furnish details on the expenditure incurred on the visits
The Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, has asked UT Adviser Pradeep Mehra to explain the ‘factual position’ on the expenditure incurred by a few senior bureaucrats on their foreign trips in the recent past.

A recent communiqué sent by the MHA refers to the “questionable” expenditure of lakhs of rupees by former UT home secretary Krishna Mohan, Secretary (Tourism) J S Bir, Director (Tourism) Vivek Atray and former finance secretary S K Sandhu, during their official visits abroad.

Earlier, acting on a complaint lodged with it, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had written to the UT Chief Vigilance Officer, asking him to apprise it of the facts about the trips. If it invokes a criminal action, the agency had said, a detailed complaint should be sent to the CBI office. The CBI had also intimated the Ministry of Home Affairs about it.

The issue came to light on February 11 this year, when a local resident sought information under the Right to Information Act about the expenditure incurred by UT bureaucrats during their official trips to foreign countries.

According to the Administration’s reply, bureaucrats have spent almost Rs 50 lakh on their foreign trips. While Krishna Mohan had spent Rs 19 lakh on four visits, his junior Vivek Atray had spent Rs 16 lakh.

Former finance secretary S K Sandhu, during his four trips, spent about Rs 9.5 lakh, while former CITCO managing director J S Bir, who was recently designated as Secretary (Tourism), spent about Rs 4 lakh on his Europe trip. Information Technology director Manjit Brar also made a three-day visit to the US, which cost the exchequer about Rs 1 lakh.

The reply procured under the RTI Act also mentioned that Krishna Mohan had spent almost Rs 55,000 per day, while S K Sandhu and J S Bir spent Rs 40,000 each daily. Vivek Atray spent almost Rs 33,000 per day during his foreign visits.

According to highly placed sources, the report sought by the MHA may land many officials in trouble, as the amounts spent by them are quite exorbitant.

Expenditure on tickets
Krishna Mohan, former home secretary
In March 2006, he spent Rs 1.85 lakh when he travelled to Berlin for the International Tourism Bourse; spent Rs 4.32 lakh when he went to Zurich, Vienna and Amsterdam for a study tour

In November 2006, he went to London to attend the World Travel Mart, spending Rs 2.52 lakh on a business-class ticket.
During the eight-day trip, he spent Rs 2.13 lakh. He also went to Paris for a study tour

In 2007, he flew to London again for the same event and took a study tour of Rome and Venice, but the expenditure almost tripled
Krishna Mohan had travelled economy class, spending Rs 36,812, when he went for the WTM in 2005, his first foreign trip after joining the Administration

Hotel bills
Travel bills indicate that Krishna Mohan and Atray booked high-end hotels in London that charged Rs 38,500 and Rs 34,500 per room per night, respectively

In Edinburgh, they hired rooms that charged Rs 34,500 each per night
In Venice, the two officers spent Rs 26,500 each per room per night
In Rome, each spent Rs 18,000 per night on hotel accommodation
In Paris, the cost was Rs 25,000 each

J S Bir’s hotel bills, during his 12-night stay in Europe, cost the state coffers about Rs 2 lakh
Vivek Atray, Director (Tourism)
He spent Rs 1.53 lakh on his air ticket to London for the WTM in November 2006

In September 2007, spent Rs 1 lakh to travel to Paris for a heritage conference

In 2008, went for the WTM again and spent Rs 1.42 lakh; also took a study tour of Europe In March, travelled business class to Berlin, spending Rs 1.24 lakh

Centre seeks ‘facts’ on foreign trips of UT bureaucrats - ExpressIndia.Com

[sidmis]

Foreign jaunts by Chandigarh bureaucrats under scanner

As reported in Calcutta News.Net, Saturday 21st June, 2008 (IANS)

They flew business class and lived in expensive hotels in Europe. Lavish foreign trips by Chandigarh bureaucrats at the cost of the taxpayers' money have caused the union ministry of home affairs (MHA) to raise an eyebrow.

In a communication, the MHA has asked the adviser to the Chandigarh union territory administrator to explain the 'factual position' on the controversial and costly trips - together running into millions - by bureaucrats to European destinations between 2005 and 2007.

Apart from business class travel by the officials, what has irked the MHA is they hired rooms at phenomenally high rates ranging from Rs.30,000 to Rs.40,000 per night.

The matter first came to light in February this year when a local resident filed a Right to Information (RTI) application with the administration, seeking details of the foreign jaunts of the city's top bureaucrats.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had this month made an austerity plea to ministers and government officials. A few ministers in his government even cancelled their foreign trips following his call.

But the trips under question here are those made by Chandigarh's former home secretary Krishna Mohan (he is now a financial commissioner in Haryana), former finance secretary S.K. Sandhu (now serving in the Punjab government), tourism secretary J.S. Bir and tourism director Vivek Atray.

These officials spent over Rs.5 million during their trips. The highest amount spent was Rs.1.9 million by home secretary Krishna Mohan on four trips abroad. Tourism director Atray, a much junior officer, almost equalled the record with an expense of Rs.1.6 million. Sandhu and Bir spent Rs.950,000 and Rs.400,000 on their trips.

The daily expenses of these officials ranged from Rs.33,000 to Rs.55,000 during these trips.

Incidentally, all officials made their trips to European destinations and some of them stayed in expensive hotels beyond their entitlement.

Sandhu made a trip to Belgium with a chief engineer to study underpasses there to replicate the model in Chandigarh. Even before they left, it was common knowledge that Sandhu was going to be repatriated to his home state Punjab and the chief engineer was to retire - both within a few months of their trip.

Ironically, when Krishna Mohan became Chandigarh's home secretary in 2005, he travelled to Berlin on an economy ticket for just over Rs.36,000. His subsequent trips to London, Berlin and other places cost between Rs.185,000 and Rs.252,000. Atray also travelled business class to Berlin for over Rs.124,000.

The trips of both officers were to the World Travel Mart (WTM) held in London.

Sources in the administration said that a reply to the MHA would be prepared after going through the expenditure of public money made by the officials.

Foreign jaunts by Chandigarh bureaucrats under scanner

[maneesh]

This is indeed a welcomed step and act as check on the misuse of travel and also help the genuine Govt. Servants who will avail the travel facility.

A lot of Govt. money is spent on wasteful expenditure and genuine and basic facilities are ignored.

[The Great]

Thank you Karira ji for this information. One can ask the absence of such officer who take leave for 5 to 6 years,continuously and thereby block the post for others to join.
I think we are like minded people gathered here.
Yours Sincerely,