Govt undecided on 2crore compensation to Cong MP Rajeev Shukla

MUMBAI: Succumbing to the pressure from Opposition parties, the government has scrapped a land deal with a local education society associated with Union minister of state Rajeev Shukla, but has kept pending a decision on the society’s demand that it be reimbursed the amount of Rs2 crore it spent on registering and securing the land.

Last week, chief minister Prithviraj Chavan had asked the state administration to take back the land allotted to the BAG Film Education Society, of which Congress minister Rajeev Shukla was the secretary and his wife Anuradha Prasad the president.

In face of strong protests by the BJP, the society had declared itself willing to surrender the land. But it had demanded compensation for the huge amount it spent on registering the land, lease rent and other similar things.

T he s uburban collector office took possession of the land on Tuesday, confirmed the chief minister’s office on Friday. The local tehasildar completed transfer formalities on the grounds that the society wanted to surrender it.

The Bharatiya Janata Party had accused the government of giving BAG Films Educational Society a 2,821 square meter plot in Andheri reserved for a municipal primary school, and another adjacent 3,534.70 sq m plot reserved for a playground on ownership and lease in 2008 for a price much less than existing market rates.

It had alleged that the society would make profits by constructing a high-profile school on the plot.

However, a senior revenue official said that the department has not taken any decision on offering the money demanded by the society.

“We have completed the official procedure of land transfer. The seniors in the government may or may not decide on the society’s demand because the law pertaining to this is not very clear,” he said, requesting anonymity.

Shukla, ex-secretary of the society, was not available for comment.
Courtesy:
    17 Feb 2014
    Hindustan Times (Mumbai)
    HT Correspondent htmetro@hindustantimes.com
http://paper.hindustantimes.com/epaper/viewer.aspx

Mining: Lawyer-politicians caught in conflict of interests

New Delhi: Lawyer-politicians Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Pinaki Mishra, who appeared on behalf of different mining companies before the Justice MB Shah Commission, have brought back into focus the issue of conflict of interest that many representatives simply shrug off.

Singhvi, who is a Congress spokesperson and a Rajya Sabha MP, appeared before the Commission for Aditya Birla Group company Essel Mining, which has been accused of illegal extraction of ore worth Rs 4,368.75 crore. Singhvi also appeared for the Federation of Indian Mineral Industries (FIMI), which represents 350 mining companies. FIMI interfaces with the Centre for promotion of miners’ interest. Incidentally, FIMI president HC Daga is an advisor to Essel Mining, the other company that Singhvi represented.

Mishra, a Biju Janata Dal (BJD) Lok Sabha representative from Puri, represented Kalinga Mining Corporation and Sarda Mines Private Limited, both of which are accused of holding illegal ore worth Rs 3,485.89 crore (Sarda Mines-Rs 2,845.58 crore and Kalinga Mining-Rs 640.023 crore). Mishra even defended the companies against the interest of his own government in Odisha.

The Commission probed mining activity in Odisha, and concluded in its report, recently tabled in Parliament, that most mining activity in the state between 2008-2011 defied laid-down rules and was carried out under political patronage. In Mishra’s cases, the pane irected the Odisha government to recover Rs 59,200 crore from them and use it to develop Keonjhar and Sundargarh districts to help the tribals impacted by mining.

Both Singhvi and Mishra defended their actions, saying there was no conflict between their legal profession and their political allegiance. But Dr Arun Gupta, convener of Alliance Against Conflict of Interest, said that lawyers-turned-politicians do take advantage of vagueness of conflict of interest. “It (conflict of interest) is a serious issue biting into the integrity quotient of the Parliament, where a person from business class or his legal representative could have potential conflict while participating in parliamentary deliberations on public policy,” said Gupta.

Singhvi said he represented an association of mining companies and not any individual group. “This was in discharge of my professional duties as a senior counsel along with Ram Jethmalani, Gopal Subramanyam, Anil Dewan and others. It is not a conflict,” said Singhvi and added that as a senior counsel he was briefed by other lawyers, who held the vakalatnama for clients. “We have no connections with the client.”

Mishra said any potential conflict of interest would have arisen if he had defended the company on the floor of the House and reminded that he has never appeared before any court on behalf of government and has never been on any government-appointed committee or board. “As an MP, if I had raised the issue and spoken in the House without disclosing my interest then I would have been liable for indulging in conflict of interest,” said Mishra. “There is no connection between my party BJD and mining companies. As a professional, I was doing my service and I have no truck thereafter with these companies either.”

As many as 92 Rajya Sabha MPs have declared pecuniary interests in the register of interest under Rule 293, which contains crucial information about the financial and business interests of MPs, according to a study compiled by the Association of Democratic Rights (ADR). Incidentally, Singhvi, at Rs 50 crore, has declared the highest amount received from ‘professional engagements’.
Courtesy:
Iftikhar Gilani @iftikhargilani
Published Date:  Feb 17, 2014
http://epaper.dnaindia.com/story.aspx?id=59993&boxid=32061&ed_date=2014-2-17&ed_code=820009&ed_page=10

Cong MP’s trust demands 2cr to return leased plots

Mumbai: Congress Rajya Sabha MP Rajiv Shukla’s trust has sought a reimbursement of Rs 2.2 crore in lieu of returning the two prime plots in Andheri (W) which it had received on lease. It has told the state that it would remove the security it had deployed on the plots from February 15.

On receiving such a letter on Friday, chief minister Prithviraj Chavan wrote to the additional chief secretary, revenue, to forward the file to him so that the process of reclaiming the land could start.

Bags Films Educational Society (BFES), which had Shukla as its secretary at that time, had applied for the lease of the plots in 2007. A week later, Shukla resigned as secretary. According to the development plan, one plot was reserved for a civic primary school and the other for a playground. The trust, in its application, had mentioned it would build a school for the poor there. In 2008, the state leased out the plots to BFES for 15 years and in 2009, the trust got possession. The land was apparently given out at rates prevalent in 1976.

Activist Ashok Pandit, who exposed the government largesse to Shukla, said the plots together were now worth Rs 100 crore.

In its letter to the government, the BFES said when it took possession in 2009, it was encroached upon and that it rehabilitated 29 slumdwellers at Rs 1.85 crore. With government help, it razed 314 illegal structures but 27 encroachers were still there. The trust claims to have deployed security for which it has spent a huge sum, besides paying Rs 25 lakh on a fence and electricity. Also, it paid Rs 98,000 for the school plot and Rs 38,000 as rent for the playground, Rs 4 lakh as stamp duty and Rs 2.5 lakh for extension of time limit to build the school, it claimed.

BJP leader Kirit Somaiya alleged both CM and Shukla lied three months ago when the latter claimed he would return the land. “He is returning the land after being exposed. Merely because he has given it back does not mean he can escape prosecution. He must apologize to the people,” he said.
COURTESY:
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=pastissues2&BaseHref=TOIM/2014/02/08&PageLabel=4&EntityId=Ar00404&ViewMode=HTML

BMC gifts fire force land to builder

Without setting up the promised unit, civic body gives entire FSI to developer

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has doled out a plot reserved for the fire brigade to a private developer for commercial purposes.

While it is understood that the plot was allotted to the developer at the instance of the Shiv Sena MLA from Dahisar, the local MP from the Congress has asked the civic body to revoke the decision.

Documents with BMC’s development planning and building proposals departments show a plot on the Dahisar-Link Road near the east-west flyover — approximately 4.5 acres — as being reserved for fire brigade.

The BMC has allotted more than half the plot to a private developer for constructing two-high rises (19 storeys each, with the first two floors for stilt parking). In lieu of this, the developer promised to build the fire brigade facility free of cost.

But sources say there’s more to the deal that what meets the eye. While the builder has not constructed the promised fire brigade, the BMC has allowed the developer to ‘develop the remaining 50 per cent site to the full permissible FSI’.

This means the developer will consume all the available FSI — even from BMC’s share.

Sensing a major scam, the New Link Road Resident Forum (NLRRF) from Dahisar have taken up the case.

Residents claim the BMC commissioner himself has revoked the plan in May this year due to political pressure. The revocation order has been put on hold. “When the BMC themselves can construct a fire brigade and use the remaining land for public amenities or for providing housing to the firemen, why should it gift the land to a private developer?

“Is the civic body, with a budget of Rs29,000 crore, so cash-strapped that it could not even spend Rs50 crore to build a fire station on its own?” said Harish Pandey, a forum member. The forum is planning litigation against the BMC.

Municipal commissioner Sitaram Kunte had, on May 28, given orders to revoke the commercial exploitation in a meeting with Sanjay Nirupam MP, along with local corporators and residents.

However, it is learnt that the building proposals department has given the Intimation of Disapproval (IOD) ‘in-principle’ approval for a proposed project to start construction the same day.

Senior BMC officials said it was after Nirupam’s meeting with Kunte that the BMC revoked the decision to use the land for commercial exploitation. However, local MLA Vinod Ghosalkar met Kunte afterwards and told him that commercial exploitation was in the interest of the locals as well as the BMC. “The decision taken to revoke the proposal should be implemented without any delay,” Nirupam said.
Courtesy:
Geeta Desai @desaigeeta
Published Date:  Dec 03, 2013
http://epaper.dnaindia.com/story.aspx?id=56073&boxid=31900&ed_date=2013-12-03&ed_code=820009&ed_page=3

Rajiv Gandhi wanted Bofors money to run Congress: Ex-CBI chief

NEW DELHI: Former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi wanted commission paid by defence suppliers to be used exclusively for the purpose of meeting expenses of running the Congress, a former CBI director has claimed in his autobiography.

"Such a step would largely prevent the collusive nexus between the middlemen, ministers, bureaucrats and that such a step could enable the government to do away with the quid pro quo relationship with some unscrupulous businessmen and equally unscrupulous politicians and bureaucrats," writes Dr A P Mukherjee who was the CBI director in 1989-90.

Mukherjee said Gandhi explained his position in a meeting on June 19, 1989, during a meeting between the two at the Prime Minister's residence. In 1987, Gandhi got embroiled in the Bofors scandal, in which people close to him were accused of taking kickbacks from the Swedish artillery gun manufacturer for an Indian Army contract signed in 1986.

Mukherjee says Gandhi came to know towards the end of 1984 that some "senior officers of the armed forces had been surreptitiously collecting huge amounts of money as 'commissions' in respect of most of the defence purchases, quite often in connivance with some ministers, middlemen and civilian officers as well".

When Gandhi discussed the problem with some of his advisors, "it was suggested by some that all commissions as payable or usually paid to middlemen should be banned but the commissions to be given as a matter of routine practice by the suppliers of major defence materials could be pooled under the care of some non-government entity which could be utilised solely for the purpose of meeting the inescapable expenses of the party."

Mukherjee said Gandhi was also in favour of "some legislation in line with the practices of some of the Western countries where contributions to party funds by business and industrial houses and individuals were allowed with provisions for their proper accounting, auditing and public discourse". However, the "wild, motivated and widespread" adverse publicity generated by Bofors scandal obscured the prospect of proceeding further on the matter, Mukherjee says in his book. The book, "Unknown Facets of Rajiv Gandhi, Jyoti Basu, Indrajit Gupta", hit the book stands in recent days.

While profuse in his praise for Gandhi, Mukherjee says he is now disclosing the contents of the conversation "with this remarkable human being whose trust I was privileged to receive in ample measure".

Mukherjee also discloses that the young PM told him about the need for substantial amount of money for running a party like the Congress. "The requirement assumes a huge proportion on the eve of assembly and/or parliamentary elections. This leads to massive fund collections by important party functionaries all over the country, which leads to an almost unbreakable unholy quid pro quo nexus between unscrupulous party functionaries, ministers and businessmen. I could sense this as the party's general secretary or even as its youth leader earlier," Gandhi reportedly told Mukherjee.
Courtesy:
TNN | Nov 14, 2013, 02.35 AM IST
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Rajiv-Gandhi-wanted-Bofors-money-to-run-Congress-Ex-CBI-chief/articleshow/25720914.cms

MLA Sunil Kedar found guilty in NDCCB scam, ordered to deposit Rs 300 crore in the Bank

The scam pertains to purchase-sale of Government Bonds. The Cooperation Department has found Sunil Kedar, the former Chairman of the NDCCB, guilty in the scam after 11 years of gruelling and sustained probe into the massive irregularities.

Nagpur News: The Congress MLA from Saoner Sunil Kedar, the key accused in the Rs 150 crore scam pertaining to purchase-sale of Government Bonds, has been ordered to pay Rs 300 crore for causing loss to Nagpur District Central Co-operative Bank (NDCCB).

The Cooperation Department has found Sunil Kedar, the former Chairman of the NDCCB, guilty in the scam after 11 years of gruelling and sustained probe into the massive irregularities. Kedar has been ordered to deposit Rs 129.31 crore with 12 per cent interest per month the total of which stands at Rs 300 crore including the principal amount and the interest.

The scam got exposed in 2002. The Cooperation Department has also blamed the General Manager Ashok Chaudhary and other Directors of NDCCB for the scam. The Investigating Officer, in his probe report, has recommended legal actions against the guilty if they fail to deposit the amounts.

The Special Auditor (Class 1) Yashwant Bagde gave his final order on Thursday (November 28) after 11 years of investigation into the scam. According to the order, Rs 25 crore would be recovered from the General Manager Ashok Chaudhary. Moreover, the former Vice-Chairman of the Bank Asha Mahajan, former Directors Shyamrao Dhawad, Kusum Kimmatkar, Morebaji Nimje, Rameshkumar Nimje, and Santosh Chore have been ordered to pay Rs 1020 each as fines.

The Saoner MLA Sunil Kedar has been ordered to deposit 90 per cent of the scam amount in the Bank on account of recovery of loss. Sunil Kedar is also facing criminal proceedings in a court for the scam.

THE EXACT SCAM:

• The MLA Sunil Kedar invested the NDCCB money in the Gilt through Mumbai’s Home Trade. 
• Initially, after receiving the invested money back, the Bank invested the money for purchasing the Government Bonds but the money never came back. 
• In the meanwhile, Sunil Kedar became Chairman of the NDCCB in 2000 and, in the first ever General Body meeting, he got the proposal regarding utilization of Bank money in the purchase-sale of Government Bonds passed in the meeting. 
• This way, Kedar misused his powers and caused huge loss to the Bank.

Courtesy:
Published On: Thu, Nov 28th, 2013
News Today | By Nagpur Today
http://www.nagpurtoday.in/mla-sunil-kedar-found-guilty-in-ndccb-scam-ordered-to-deposit-rs-300-crore-in-the-bank/

Kedar trying to ditch order on Nagpur Co-op bank scam; demand to seize his assets raised

Even as the former state Congress president and senior party leader Ranjeet Deshmukh wrote a letter to the Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, alleging leniency in taking action against Congress MLA Sunil Kedar to recover Rs 299 crore allegedly bungled in Nagpur District Central Cooperative Bank scam, Kedar has been reportedly cooking up tricks to defy the recent order issued by the department of cooperatives. The department of cooperatives in its order has asked Kedar to pay up the dues allegedly siphoned off during the tenure of Kedar as the chairman of the bank.

In his letter Deshmukh demanded immediate seizure of assets owned by Kedar in order to recover the dues. However Kedar has been applying tactics to buy time and calm down the fire, just to avoid making payment.

Sources sent out strong indications that the Congress MLA Kedar may cannily evolve strategy to ditch the dues. He most probably would secure a stay and thus defeat the intention of the order, the sources said.

Kedar is reported to have already moved an appeal before the office of the minister of cooperation.

The action against Kedar has been initiated under section 88 of the Maharashtra State Cooperative Act. This stipulates that the management has to be held responsible if there is a fraud or negligence in a cooperative bank. Sources keeping tabs on the affair assert if Kedar’s appeal is rejected by the cooperatives’ minister, the bank can move the High Court in the matter.

The bank’s chairman says he would soon hold a meeting and the recovery order would be a prominently discussed in the meeting.
Courtesy:
Published On: Thu, Dec 12th, 2013
News Today | By Nagpur Today
http://www.nagpurtoday.in/kedar-trying-to-ditch-order-on-nagpur-co-op-bank-scam-demand-to-seize-his-assets-raised/

Disclosure Of Assets Part 3 : In affidavits, political leaders declare their gold, minus all its glitter

The love of Indians for gold and silver is legendary and Indian politicians are no exception to this fondness for precious metals.

But unlike most Indians who are known to flaunt their jewellery, political leaders prefer to remain modest about their glitter. Or at least that is the message they seem keen to send when they declare the gold and silver they own in their election affidavits.

The Indian Express study of affidavits submitted by prominent leaders over the last decade has found that many among them are vague about the amount of jewellery they own.

Unlike immovable property, valuing gold and silver is relatively easy as their prices can be easily accessed at any given time. But that does not seem to deter many leaders from undervaluing their jewellery or assigning arbitrary values to them.

The following are some leading examples:
RAHUL GANDHI: The Amethi MP and now Congress vice-president declared that his 333 gm of jewellery was worth Rs 1.25 lakh both in 2004 and 2009 "as per wealth return".

SONIA GANDHI: The UPA chairperson declared she owned 2,518.45 gm gold jewellery and said it was valued at Rs 11.08 lakh in 2009, translating to a rate of Rs 4,500 per 10 gm. However, gold prices in the last quarter of 2008 and first quarter of 2009, before the Lok Sabha elections, were in the range of Rs 13,000 to Rs 15,000. Her declaration said the value was as on March 31, 2008. But even on that day gold prices were much higher than what Sonia declared.

SUSHMA SWARAJ: The BJP leader declared in 2009 she owned 2,005 gm of gold but did not mention its worth. Ditto for the 6 kg silver she said she owned.

L K ADVANI: The veteran BJP leader's wife, it was declared in 2009, owned 1,341.67 gm of jewellery worth Rs 16 lakh but it was not mentioned if all of this was gold or included silver. If it was indeed gold, then it was valued at around Rs 12,000 per 10 gm, which was lower than the market rate.

RAJNATH SINGH: The current BJP president declared in 2009 that he owned 50 gm of gold and that it was worth Rs 50,000 while his wife owned 700 gm of gold worth Rs 10.5 lakh. While the value of his wife's jewellery matched rates prevailing at the time, Singh clearly undervalued his own gold.

SALMAN KHURSHEED: The external affairs minister declared in 2009 that his wife owned jewellery worth Rs 3.45 lakh but failed to mention its weight.

RAMAN SINGH: The Chhattisgarh chief minister has valued his 57 tolas of gold jewellery at Rs 46,316 per tola while the 217 tolas of gold jewellery owned by his wife is valued at Rs 37,235 per tola ahead of this year's Assembly polls. Also, he has valued his 4 kg silver at Rs 46,250 per kg while his wife's 18 kg silver is valued at Rs 43,888 per kg.

JYOTIRADITYA SCINDIA: The minister of state for power declared in 2009 that he owned 633 gm of gold and that it was worth Rs 7.48 lakh, or Rs 12,000 per 10 gm.

H D DEVE GOWDA: The former prime minister declared in 2009 that his wife owned 15 tolas of jewellery and that it was worth Rs 1.25 lakh without mentioning whether it was gold or silver.

H D KUMARASWAMY: Gowda's son and a former Karnataka CM, Kumaraswamy declared in 2009 that he owned 1,300 gm of gold and that it was worth Rs 15.6 lakh, or Rs 12,000 per 10 gm, again lower than the prevailing market rate.

V NARAYANASAMY: The minister of state in the PMO declared in 2009 that his 150 gm of gold was worth Rs 1.5 lakh, valued at Rs 10,000 per 10 gm when market rates were about 50 per cent higher. He also declared that his wife's 450 gm of gold jewellery was worth Rs 4 lakh.

SHIBU SOREN: The JMM chief declared in 2009 that his wife owned jewellery worth Rs 20,000 but did not give details.

P J KURIEN: The Congress leader and deputy chairman of the Rajya Sabha declared in2012 that his wife owned 80 gm of jewellery but failed to give any other details.

JAGDISH MUKHI: The Delhi BJP leader declared in 2008 that he owned 657 gm of jewellery worth Rs 11,500, or valued at Rs 175 per 10 gm and said this was gift received from his parents when got married in 1970.
Courtesy
Shyamlal Yadav
New Delhi, Thu Dec 05 2013, 10:36 hrs
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/in-affidavits-political-leaders-declare-their-gold-minus-all-its-glitter/1203507/0

Disclosure Of Assets Part 2 : I hereby declare my saaets but not their market value

Disclosure Of Assets Part 1 : From Sonia to Sushma, many fail to declare real value of their immovable property

In March 2003, when the Supreme Court ordered that candidates contesting elections to Parliament or state legislatures should disclose their assets and liabilities, it had said MPs and legislature members are public servants and the "repositories of public trust".

Public awareness of the financial position of the candidate, it had said, will go a long way in forming an opinion whether the candidate, after election to the office had amassed wealth, and that disclosure will serve as a check against misuse of power for making quick money – "a malady which nobody can deny, has been pervading the political spectrum of our democratic nation".

Cut to 2013: A decade after the landmark ruling, The Indian Express has found that the judgment is being followed in letter and spirit more as an exception by many candidates.

An analysis of the declarations of presidents of all six national parties – Congress, BJP, CPI, CPM, BSP and NCP – their leaders in both houses of Parliament, 48 chiefs of state parties and chief ministers of five states presently holding Assembly elections shows that most have not declared their real assets or the real value of the assets they have made public.

If some have hugely undervalued the assets, others do not mention valuation reports. Market values declared are less than even the circle rates of properties. And for some, the value of their assets does not budge even after five years as they declare their worth to be the same from one poll to the next.

The following are some leading examples:

SONIA GANDHI: Her declarations in 2004 and 2009 mention the value of her 3 bighas of land in Dera Mandi (Mehrauli, Delhi) and 12 bighas 15 biswa land in Sultanpur village in the same area as Rs 2.19 lakh. Sonia said the value is "as per wealth return". But far from being the "current market value" as mandated by the EC, this does not even come close to the declared value of land in the same area by Kanwar Singh Tanwar, a BSP candidate in the 2008 Delhi Assembly election. Tanwar has declared his 12 bighas 5 biswa land in Dera to be worth Rs 18.37 crore.

RAJNATH SINGH: In 2009, the BJP president declared he owned a house in Vipul Khand in the Gomti Nagar area of Lucknow worth Rs 55 lakh. But the declaration did not mention the size of the house.

MEIRA KUMAR: In 2009, the Lok Sabha Speaker declared that a 522 sq yd house she owns in the upscale New Friends Colony in the capital was worth Rs 2.4 crore and a 1,119 sq yd house in Maharani Bagh was worth Rs 4.95 crore. But going by market rates during that period, the two houses would have been worth Rs 12 crore and Rs 26 crore respectively.

P J KURIEN: Ahead of the 2012 Rajya Sabha polls, the deputy chairman of the upper house declared that his 7 acre and 27 cents farm land in Tamil Nadu's Thengassi area had an "approximate current market value" of Rs 1.09 lakh. But market estimates put the price of one acre of land in the area at Rs 5 lakh that year.

SHEILA DIKSHIT: The Delhi Chief Minister says she only owns a 1,570 sq ft house in the tony Nizamuddin East area and that its "approximate current market value" is Rs 98.39 lakh. But real estate experts say the going rate in the area is Rs 32,000 per sq ft, which would take the worth of Dikshit's house to a little over Rs 5 crore.

ASHOK GEHLOT: The Rajasthan Chief Minister owns a 1,250 sq ft house in the Sansad Vihar Housing society in Dwaraka in Delhi and says it is worth Rs 45 lakh. But the market rate for similar flats in the area is around Rs 1.25 crore and real estate agents said they would happily pay double the price declared by Gehlot if he is willing to sell them the house. Gehlot had declared the same house to be worth Rs 11 lakh both in 2003 and 2008. Also, the value of Gehlot's 272.5 sq yd plot in Mundwa (Nagaur) has not changed from the Rs 1.62 lakh he declared in 2003. Similarly, the "approximate current market value" of his plot in Kot (Jodhpur) is given as Rs 3.47 lakh in all three declarations since 2003.

SUSHIL KUMAR SHINDE: The Home Minister and leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha had declared in 2009 that the value of his 1,200 sq ft flat in Munirka Vihar, Delhi, is Rs 1 crore. He had also declared that his 131.04 sq m flat in the upmarket Pali Hill area of Bandra in Mumbai was worth Rs 1.29 crore. But real estate experts said that the Delhi flat would have been worth Rs 2 crore and the one in Mumbai, Rs 2.5 crore, in 2009.

SUSHMA SWARAJ: The BJP's leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha and her husband, former governor Swaraj Kaushal, own a flat each in Dhawandeep Building in the Jantar Mantar area of the capital. She has declared the 2,139 sq ft flat to be worth Rs 1.35 crore and the 2,254 sq ft flat at Rs 1.13 crore – both, she said, are book values even though rules demand market value. She also owns an apartment in Mumbai and has declared Rs 1.39 crore as "amount given till date" for it without mentioning its area.

MAYAWATI: The BSP chief declared in 2012 that her two shops in B block of the prime shopping area of Connaught Place in New Delhi measuring 3,628 sq ft and 4,535 sq ft to be worth Rs 9.39 crore and Rs 9.45 crore respectively. But real estate experts said they would be worth Rs 12 crore and Rs 15 crore respectively. She has also declared her 42,907.87 sq ft house on Sardar Patel Marg in the diplomatic enclave of Chanakyapuri to be worth Rs 61.86 crore. Present rates for property in the area, realty experts said, ranged from Rs 1.92 lakh per square feet to Rs 3.88 lakh per square feet. Even if Mayawati's house was valued at Rs 1 lakh per sq ft a year back, it would be worth Rs 429 crore.

SATISH CHANDRA MISRA: In 2010, the BSP leader in the Rajya Sabha declared that his 288 sq m residential plot in Lucknow's posh Vipul Khand area in Gomti Nagar had a "current market value" of Rs 43 lakh and his wife's 1,197.49 sq m residential plot in Windser Place, Lucknow, had a "current market value" of Rs 69.08 lakh. But realty experts said they would have been worth Rs 75 lakh and Rs 2.60 crore respectively at that time. Misra had also declared that his 1,050 sq ft shop at M-11, Connaught Place, New Delhi, was worth Rs 38 lakh. But realty experts said it would have been worth Rs 2.6 crore.

TARIQ ANWAR: The leader of the NCP in the Rajya Sabha declared in 2009 that the "current market value" of his 1,900 sq ft flat in Sector 10 of Delhi's Dwarka area was Rs 25 lakh. But realty experts said the going rate at that time was Rs 5,500 per sq ft, which would put the worth of the flat at nearly Rs 1 crore.

S SUDHAKAR REDDY: The CPI general secretary is not a member of either house but contested the 2009 Lok Sabha polls from Nalgonda in Andhra Pradesh. He had declared that the current market value of his house in Mahboobnagar was Rs 1 lakh without mentioning its size.

Courtesy:
Shyamlal Yadav : New Delhi, Tue Dec 03 2013, 09:48 hrs
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/from-sonia-to-sushma-many-fail-to-declare-real-value-of-their-immovable-property/1202477/0

‘Who got money siphoned off by Saradha Group?’

Demanding a CBI inquiry into the Saradha group ponzi scam, the Congress Thursday said the people need to know who took away the money involved in the swindle.

"The only thing which bring out the truth is a CBI inquiry," state Congress Chief Pradip Bhattacharya.

"The people need answers as to who took the money siphoned off by Saradha group. TMC MP Kunal Ghosh has been arrested and there are a lot of questions, which the ruling Trinamool Congress has to answer," he said.

Arrested TMC MP Kunal Ghosh was involved in activities of the Saradha group other than those commensurate with his position as CEO of the group's media arm, the police had said.

Bhattacharya also lashed out at the Trinamool leadership for poaching on Congress leaders and MLAs.

"If they (TMC) think they can finish off the Congress by poaching Congress leaders and MLAs, then they are wrong. Those who have left Congress out of greed for power and money, were muck for the party. It is good that they have left the Congress," he said.

The state Congress leadership, which in the last few months have been battling defections of several of its leaders and MLAs to the Trinamool, Thursday organised a law violation programme to make its presence felt in the state.

KMC cancels trade licences of 47 Saradha companies

Kolkata: The trade licences of 47 companies formed by Saradha chit fund group were cancelled Thursday by Kolkata Municipal Corporation for illegal business transactions. Mayor of KMC Sovan Chatterjee said, "The trade licences of the companies run from a building on Diamond Harbour Road in Behala have been cancelled for their illegal business transactions." The chief of Saradha group Sudipta Sen has been arrested and he is currently in judicial custody. PTI

Courtesy:
Express News Service : Kolkata, Fri Nov 29 2013, 05:10 hrs
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/-who-got-money-siphoned-off-by-saradha-group--/1201047/

टैक्स चोरी में फंसे कांग्रेस प्रवक्ता सिंघवी

नई दिल्ली।। कथित अश्लील सीडी को लेकर विवादित हुए कांग्रेस के प्रवक्ता और राज्यसभा सांसद अभिषेक मनु सिंघवी अब टैक्स चोरी के आरोप से घिर गए हैं। उन्होंने इनकम टैक्स सेटलमेंट कमिशन (आईटीएससी) से इस मामले में जुर्माना वसूले जाने या जांच के दायरे से मुक्त रखे जाने की गुहार लगाई है। इनकम टैक्स डिपार्टमेंट से नोटिस मिलने के बाद सिंघवी ने 11 करोड़ रुपये की 'अघोषित आय' का ब्योरा देने के साथ इसके लिए 3.26 करोड़ रुपये का टैक्स अदा किया है।

कांग्रेस प्रवक्ता ने अंग्रेजी अखबार इंडियन एक्सप्रेस को बताया, 'मेरे रिटर्न में अतिरिक्त इनकम का जिक्र नहीं किया गया था। जो शख्स मेरा अकाउंट देखता है, उसने हिसाब लगाने में गड़बडी की थी। यह लापरवाही उसकी ओर से बरती गई है।' दूसरी तरफ, इनकम टैक्स डिपार्टमेंट सिंघवी द्वारा घोषित 11 करोड़ से संतुष्ट नहीं है। उसका कहना है कि कांग्रेस प्रवक्ता द्वारा दिया गया ब्योरा सही नहीं है। डिपार्टमेंट का आकलन है कि सिंघवी ने 22.86 करोड़ रुपये का ब्योरा नहीं दिया है, जिस पर 7 करोड़ रुपये की टैक्स देनदारी बनती है। हालांकि, सिंघवी इससे सहमत नहीं हैं।

आईटी डिपार्टमेंट ने 2011 के अंत में असेसमेंट इयर 2010-11(फाइनैंशल इयर 2009-10) के लिए नोटिस भेजने शुरू किए थे। डिपार्टमेंट का आकलन है कि इस एक साल की अवधि में ही उन्होंने 22.86 करोड़ रुपये की आय का ब्योरा रिटर्न में नहीं दिया। डिपार्टमेंट को शक है कि दूसरे सालों के दौरान भी उन्होंने आय का सही ब्योरा नहीं दिया होगा और अघोषित आय इससे कहीं ज्यादा हो सकती है। जांचकर्ता अब उनके द्वारा भरे गए अन्य वर्षों के रिटर्न्स की भी जांच कर रहे हैं।

हालांकि, सिंघवी का कहना है कि उन्होंने 11 करोड़ की जो आय घोषित की है, वह असेसमेंट इयर 2010-11 से शुरू होकर तीन सालों के लिए है। उन्होंने कहा, 'मैंने 3.26 करोड़ की टैक्स देनदारी का भुगतान कर दिया है और मेरी अपील सही है। असेसमेंट इयर 2010-11 की जांच रिपोर्ट के आधार पर 22.86 करोड़ की अतिरिक्त आय की बात कही जा रही है, लेकिन इस रिपोर्ट में ही कहा गया है कि अभी और जांच की जरूरत है। हम भी इस आंकड़े से सहमत नहीं हैं।'

दूसरी तरफ, जोधपुर के इनकम टैक्स कमिश्नर ने आईटीएससी को बताया, 'आवेदनकर्ता (सिंघवी) ने अतिरिक्त आय को काफी कम करके बताया है। इसके अलावा भारी मात्रा में कैश विद्ड्रॉल्स के लिए जिन खर्चों का हवाला दिया गया है, वे भी संदेह से परे नहीं हैं। सिंघवी की ओर से घोषित ब्योरा गलत और अधूरा है, लिहाजा उनकी याचिका निरस्त की जाए।' सिंघवी ने अपना आईटी रिटर्न जोधपुर से भरा है।

सिंघवी की समस्या उस समय शुरू हुई, जब वित्त मंत्रालय की फाइनैंशल इंटेलिजेंस यूनिट ने 2011-12 में 120 करोड़ रुपये से ज्यादा के 17 संदेहास्पद विद्ड्रॉल्स की जांच की, तो यह सिंघवी के बैंक अकाउंटों तक पहुंच गई। शिकायत मिलने के बाद आईटी डिपार्टमेंट ने जांच शुरू की और सिंघवी को नोटिस भेजकर इतनी रकमों की निकासी पर उनका पक्ष मांगा। केंद्रीय प्रत्यक्ष कर बोर्ड (सीबीडीटी) के सूत्रों का कहना है कि भारी मात्रा में रकम निकाले जाने की जांच में बिलिंग और खर्च में विसंगति की बात सामने आई है, लेकिन इस पर कोई स्पष्टीकरण नहीं आया है। उनका कहना है कि हर फाइनैंशल इयर के अंतिम तीन महीनों में बैंक से ज्यादतर रकम निकाली गई।
साभार
नवभारतटाइम्स.कॉम | Jun 18, 2013, 09.29AM IST
http://navbharattimes.indiatimes.com/india/national-india/abhishek-singhvi-moves-it-settlement-commission-over-undeclared-income/articleshow/20642139.cms

यूपीए सरकार का उपहार – घूस घोटाला भ्रष्टाचार

केंद्र की सत्ता में यूपीए सरकार पिछले दस सालों से आसीन है. आम तौर पर किसी सरकार के कार्यकाल का मूल्यांकन उसकी नीतियों, कार्यक्रमों एवं उपलब्धियों के आधार पर ही किया जाता है, लेकिन केंद्र की कांग्रेस (यूपीए) सरकार के साथ ऐसा नहीं होगा, क्योंकि यह इतिहास की एक ऐसी सरकार के रूप में जानी जाएगी, जिसने लोकतंत्र को लूटतंत्र में बदल दिया. इसका मूल्यांकन घूस, घपलों एवं घोटालों के आधार पर किया जाएगा. दरअसल, ऐसा लगता है कि जनता अब बेबस है और सरकार प्रॉपर्टी डीलर बन चुकी है. यूपीए सरकार का उपहार हैं दस सालों के दौरान हुए दस महाघोटाले.

पिछले दस साल यानी भारतीय लोकतंत्र के लिए सबसे त्रासद समय. इस दौरान ऐसे-ऐसे घोटाले सामने आए, जिनके नाम और दाम अकल्पनीय थे. जल, जंगल, ज़मीन, हवा, पानी, तरंग, आकाश, पाताल यानी सब कुछ लूटा और बेचा गया. आश्चर्य की बात तो यह है कि ग़रीब किसानों के हिस्से के पैसों, पानी, ज़मीनों एवं जानवरों तक की लूट हुई. प्राकृतिक संसाधन रिश्वत और दलाली लेकर कौड़ियों के भाव बेच दिए गए. सांसद, नौकरशाह, मुख्यमंत्री, मंत्री, बेटा-बेटी, भांजा, दामाद, कॉरपोरेट घराने, दलाल, बिचौलिए सभी लूट के इस खेल में शामिल रहे. और तो और, ईमानदार माने जाने वाले प्रधानमंत्री तक पर आरोप लगे. लेकिन संसदीय परंपरा में आई गिरावट का असर तो देखिए, हर घोटाले के बाद सरकार संसद में सीना फुलाए खड़ी रही और विपक्ष रस्मी तौर पर सिवाय शोर-शराबे के और कुछ भी नहीं कर पाया, वह भी स़िर्फ संसद के भीतर. वैसे, घपलों-घोटालों के अलावा, इस सरकार को एक और वजह से याद रखा जाएगा और वह यह कि आज़ादी के बाद पहली बार किसी सरकार ने संवैधानिक संस्थाओं को मज़ाक बनाकर रख दिया, चाहे वह कैग हो या अदालत. 64 सालों के भारतीय लोकतंत्र और संसदीय परंपराओं का ताना-बाना पिछले दस सालों में तार-तार होता नज़र आया. दरअसल, इन दस सालों के शासन ने व्यवस्था नामक चीज का अस्तित्व ही बिल्कुल समाप्त कर दिया है. विधायिका एवं कार्यपालिका तो मानो लकवाग्रस्त हुई ही, न्यायपालिका का इक़बाल भी कई बार खतरे में पड़ता दिखाई दिया. बहरहाल, एक नज़र डालते हैं, पिछले दस सालों के दौरान हुए दस महाघोटालों पर.

सबसे पहले बात कोयला घोटाले  की. जब चौथी दुनिया ने सबसे पहले बताया कि इस देश में 26 लाख करोड़ रुपये का कोयला महाघोटाला हुआ है, तब शायद सहसा किसी को यक़ीन ही न हुआ हो. चौथी दुनिया में छपी यह रिपोर्ट किसी अनुमान पर आधारित नहीं थी, बल्कि संसद की एक स्थायी समिति की रिपोर्ट पर आधारित थी. बाद में कैग ने अपनी रिपोर्ट दी और बताया कि कैसे कोल ब्लॉक आवंटन में 1.86 लाख करोड़ रुपये का नुक़सान हुआ है. कैग ने सीधे-सीधे यूपीए सरकार पर सवाल उठाए और बताया कि कोल ब्लॉक आवंटन में सरकार ने मनमानी की है और ऐसे-ऐसे लोगों को कोल ब्लॉक आवंटित कर दिए गए, जिन्हें इस फील्ड का कोई अनुभव ही नहीं था. संसद में पेश कैग की रिपोर्ट में जुलाई 2004 से हुए 142 कोल ब्लॉक आवंटन से 1.86 लाख करोड़ रुपये के नुक़सान का अनुमान लगाया गया. रिपोर्ट में यह कहा गया कि 2004 से 2009 के बीच कोयला खदानों के ठेके देने में न केवल अनियमिताएं बरती गईं, बल्कि बहुत ही कम दामों पर और बिना नीलामी किए ही कोल ब्लॉक आवंटित किए गए. इस पूरे प्रकरण में सबसे महत्वपूर्ण तथ्य यह है कि इस घोटाले में प्रधानमंत्री का नाम भी आया. उन पर यह आरोप था कि जब वह कोयला मंत्रालय संभाल रहे थे, तब भी कोल ब्लॉक आवंटित किए गए. ज़ाहिर है, कोयला मंत्री रहते हुए उनकी भी ज़िम्मेदारी इस घटना को लेकर बनती थी. बहरहाल, जब सुप्रीम कोर्ट ने ख़ुद इस मामले में दिलचस्पी दिखाई और मामले को अपने हाथ में लिया, तब जाकर कार्रवाई शुरू हुई और कुछ कोल ब्लॉक निरस्त किए गए. फिलहाल मामला अदालत में है. अंतिम फैसला आना अभी बाकी ज़रूर है, लेकिन राजनीतिक तौर पर एक फैसला पहले ही हो चुका है कि चाहे जो हो, लेकिन प्रधानमंत्री की इस सबके लिए कोई ज़िम्मेदारी नहीं बनती.

टू-जी स्पेक्ट्रम घोटाला स्वयं में एक अद्भुत घोटाला है. इसमें क्या बेचा गया और क्या ख़रीदा गया, यह आम आदमी को समझ में नहीं आ सकता. भला कोई सोच सकता है कि हवा में तैरती तरंगों में भी अरबों रुपये का घोटाला हो सकता है! लेकिन अफसोस! ऐसा कारनामा भी केंद्र की यूपीए सरकार और उसके मंत्री ने कर दिखाया. 2008 में कैग की रिपोर्ट आई, जिसके मुताबिक़, संचार मंत्री ए राजा के रहते बिना नीलामी के टू-जी स्पेक्ट्रम के आवंटन में देश को 1.76 लाख करोड़ रुपये का नुक़सान हुआ. 2001 की पुरानी क़ीमत पर ही स्पेक्ट्रम का आवंटन कर दिया गया. नीलामी की जगह पहले आओ-पहले पाओ की नीति अपनाई गई. दरअसल, इस आवंटन में 122 लाइसेंस जारी किए गए थे, जिनमें से 85 लाइसेंस ऐसी कंपनियों को दिए गए थे, जो इसके लिए आवश्यक शर्तें भी पूरी नहीं करती थीं. इस पूरे प्रकरण में संचार मंत्री ए राजा, यूनीटेक के संजय चंद्रा, स्वान के शाहिद बलवा, विनोद गोयनका, रिलायंस एडीएजी के हरि नायर, गौतम दोषी एवं सुरेंद्र पिपारा, डीएमके सांसद कनिमोझी, करीम मोरानी, शरद कुमार और आसिफ बलवा के नाम साजिशकर्ताओं के तौर पर सामने आए. ये सभी गिरफ्तार हुए और जेल में भी रहे. बाद में राजा और कनिमोझी को जमानत भी मिल गई. फिलहाल मामला अदालत में है. हालांकि बाद में ए राजा ने ख़ुद भी कहा और आरटीआई के माध्यम से भी यह जानकारी सामने आई कि टूजी स्पेक्ट्रम आवंटन में अकेले ए राजा ही दोषी नहीं हैं. आरटीआई से मिली जानकारी के मुताबिक़, प्रधानमंत्री और वित्त मंत्री को इस आवंटन के बारे में जानकारी थी और उनसे राय भी ली गई थी. ख़ुद राजा ने भी कहा कि प्रधानमंत्री मनमोहन सिंह को इस बारे में बताया जा चुका था. यह एक ऐसा घोटाला था, जिसमें पत्रकारों पर भी आंच आई. कॉरपोरेट लॉबिस्ट नीरा राडिया का भी इस पूरे प्रकरण में एक अहम रोल रहा, जिन्होंने अपने काम के लिए कई नामी पत्रकारों का इस्तेमाल किया.

टू-जी स्पेक्ट्रम के बाद एक और घोटाला सामने आया. यह था एस बैंड स्पेक्ट्रम घोटाला. देश की सबसे महत्वपूर्ण सरकारी संस्था, जिसकी देखरेख की सीधी ज़िम्मेदारी प्रधानमंत्री की होती है, यानी यह घोटाला इसरो में सामने आया. एक अनुमान के मुताबिक, इस घोटाले से सरकार को 2 लाख करोड़ रुपये का घाटा हुआ. इसरो ने देवास मल्टीमीडिया को कम दामों पर एस बैंड स्पेक्ट्रम देने का समझौता किया था. यह आवंटन भी बिना नीलामी किए ही किया गया. देवास कंपनी इसरो में ही उच्चाधिकारी रहे एम जी चंद्रशेखर की है. इसरो सीधे-सीधे प्रधानमंत्री के अधीन आता है. कैग ने 2005 में हुए इस समझौते की जांच शुरू कर दी है. इसरो की शाखा एंट्रिक्स लिमिटेड ने देवास मल्टीमीडिया के साथ क़रीब 600 करोड़ रुपये में स्पेक्ट्रम आवंटन का समझौता किया था. इस क़रार के ज़रिए एस बैंड का आवंटन पहली बार निजी क्षेत्र के लिए किया गया था. इसके लिए न केवल इसरो के नियमों की अनदेखी की गई, बल्कि इसमें प्रधानमंत्री कार्यालय भी संदेह के घेरे में आया. भारतीय राजनीति में जब बोफोर्स घोटाला सामने आया था, तब कोहराम मच गया था. आज की नज़र से देखें, तो वह महज़ 65 करोड़ रुपये की दलाली का मामला था, लेकिन उस घोटाले की गूंज आज भी भारतीय राजनीति में रह-रहकर सुनाई देती रहती है. आज के घोटालों में तो गबन की रकम के आगे इतने शून्य लग चुके हैं कि आम आदमी शायद ही उसे गिन पाए.

यूपीए सरकार द्वारा लगातार किए जा रहे घोटालों में से एक है राष्ट्रमंडल खेल घोटाला. एक अनुमान के मुताबिक़, यह घोटाला क़रीब 80 हज़ार करोड़ रुपये का है. इसमें सीडब्ल्यूजी के अध्यक्ष एवं कांग्रेस के वरिष्ठ नेता सुरेश कलमाड़ी और उनके सहयोगियों के नाम सामने आए. साथ ही इसमें दिल्ली की कांग्रेस सरकार की भागीदारी भी सामने आई. इस खेल के लिए ऐसी-ऐसी ख़रीदारी हुई, जिसे सुनकर कोई भी दंग रह जाएगा. कैग की रिपोर्ट के  मुताबिक़, 52 हज़ार करोड़ रुपये की इस योजना में ज़बरदस्त धांधली की गई थी. खेल में लूट का खेल यहीं पर नहीं रुकता. एक और खेल घोटाला है, आईपीएल घोटाला. जेंटलमैन का खेल माने जाने वाले क्रिकेट में भी घोटालों का एक नया सिलसिला चल पड़ा है. इंडियन प्रीमियर लीग असल में फिक्सिंग लीग बन गया है. आईपीएल-3 के  दौरान इस खेल से जुड़े विवाद सामने आए, जिसमें केंद्रीय मंत्री शशि थरूर को अपने पद से जाना पड़ा. आईपीएल प्रमुख ललित मोदी को पद तो छोड़ना ही पड़ा, साथ ही वह अब भी देश से बाहर रहने के लिए मजबूर हैं. मामले की जांच अभी भी चल रही है. इस खेल में काला धन लगे होने की बात सामने आई. कोच्चि की टीम पर मालिकाना हक का विवाद इतना गहराया कि केंद्रीय मंत्री शशि थरूर को इस्ती़फा तक देना पड़ा और इस मामले में उनकी मित्र एवं अब पत्नी सुनंदा पुष्कर भी सवालों के घेरे में आ गईं. आईपीएल में क़रीब 1500 करोड़ रुपये से भी अधिक के घोटाले की आशंका है.

कोयला, तरंग, खेल आदि की बात तो रहने ही दीजिए. सरकार की संवेदनहीनता देखिए कि उसने देश के ग़रीब किसानों के हिस्से में भी सेंध लगाने से गुरेज नहीं किया और नतीजा हमारे सामने है, किसान कर्ज माफी घोटाला. कांग्रेस के वर्तमान उपाध्यक्ष एवं उत्तराधिकारी राहुल गांधी की पहल पर शुरू की गई किसान क़र्ज़ माफी योजना की रकम भी घोटालेबाज़ों ने हड़प ली. कैग की रिपोर्ट के मुताबिक़, किसान क़र्ज़ माफी योजना के लिए जारी 52 हज़ार करोड़ रुपये की रकम में ज़बरदस्त अनियमितताएं सामने आई हैं. क़र्ज़ माफी के लिए न तो असल ज़रूरतमंदों की ठीक से पहचान की गई और न ही पात्र लोगों को इस योजना का फायदा मिला. उल्टे अपात्र लोगों को फायदा पहुंचाया गया. कैग के मुताबिक़, 9 राज्यों में क़रीब 13 फीसद सही खातों को लाभ नहीं मिला और जिन 80,277 खातों को फायदा मिला, उनमें 8.5 फीसद इसके लायक़ नहीं थे. 22 फीसद मामलों में योजना को सही ढंग से लागू नहीं किया गया. 34 फीसद मामलों में किसानों को क़र्ज़ माफी का प्रमाणपत्र ही नहीं दिया गया.

एक ओर जहां विदर्भ में आज भी ऐतिहासिक सूखा पड़ा हुआ है, वहीं इस राज्य में सिंचाई परियोजना में हज़ारों करोड़ रुपये का घोटाला, यानी महाराष्ट्र सिंचाई घोटाला सामने आ चुका है. उपमुख्यमंत्री अजीत पवार को इस्ती़फा देना पड़ा और फिर नाटकीय ढंग से उनकी वापसी भी हो गई. राज्य सरकार की वार्षिक आर्थिक सर्वे रिपोर्ट के मुताबिक़, पिछले दस सालों में राज्य के सिंचित क्षेत्र में महज़ 0.1 फीसद वृद्धि हुई. जबकि इस दौरान प्रधानमंत्री ने विदर्भ के किसानों के लिए एक विशेष पैकेज दिया था, जिसमें सिंचाई परियोजनाएं प्रमुख थीं. पिछले दस सालों में महाराष्ट्र में सिंचाई की मद में 70,000 करोड़ रुपये ख़र्च हुए. बावजूद इसके, महज़ 0.1 फीसद सिंचित भूमि और विदर्भ का मौजूदा सूखा यह साबित करने के लिए पर्याप्त है कि वे 70 हज़ार करोड़ रुपये भी घोटालेबाज़ों की जेब में ही गए. पिछले दस सालों में सिंचाई के लिए दिए गए पानी में से क़रीब 189.6 करोड़ घनमीटर पानी ग़ैर-सिंचाई कार्यों के लिए दे दिया गया. राज्य सरकार द्वारा जारी श्वेतपत्र के अनुसार, इस पानी से 2.85 लाख हेक्टेयर खेत की सिंचाई हो सकती थी. ज़ाहिर है, यह पानी उद्योगों को दे दिया गया. इसमें मुख्य रूप से विदर्भ के हिस्से का पानी भी शामिल है, जो उद्योग जगत के हिस्से में चला गया. नतीजा, आज हम सब देख रहे हैं कि विदर्भ के किसानों की हालत क्या है. महाराष्ट्र की कांग्रेस-एनसीपी गठबंधन सरकार और उसके कद्दावर नेताओं को इस बात की बिल्कुल चिंता नहीं है कि आ़खिर विदर्भ के किसानों का क्या होगा. उल्टे शर्म की बात तो यह है कि शरद पवार के भतीजे एवं राज्य के उपमुख्यमंत्री अजीत पवार इस मसले पर आपत्तिजनक टिप्पणी करते हैं कि अगर नहर में पानी नहीं है, तो क्या मैं उसमें पेशाब करके पानी ले आऊं.

यूपीए सरकार ने सुरक्षा संबंधी मामलों में भी घोटालों का एक नया रिकॉर्ड बनाया है. मसलन, एनटीआरओ घोटाला. एनटीआरओ, यानी नेशनल टेक्निकल रिसर्च ऑर्गनाइजेशन. यह एक गोपनीय सरकारी संस्था है. इसमें भी एक ख़रीदारी को लेकर क़रीब 1000 करोड़ रुपये की अनियमितता का मामला सामने आया. यह घोटाला एक सुरक्षा सौदे में हुआ था. सरकार ने एनटीआरओ के  लिए 8 हज़ार करोड़ रुपये का बजट बनाया था, जिसके ऑडिट का अधिकार किसी को भी नहीं था. और जब एनटीआरओ का ऑडिट कराया गया, तब पता चला कि उसमें 1000 करोड़ रुपये का घोटाला हो चुका है. यह घोटाला अनमैन्ड एरियल व्हेकिल की ख़रीद में हुआ था. एनटीआरओ ने मानव रहित वायुयान ख़रीदने के लिए 2006 में इजरायल से एक सौदा किया था. उक्त सारे वायुयान बिना परीक्षण के ही ख़रीद लिए गए थे और जब उनका भारत में टेस्ट हुआ, तो वे फेल हो गए. देश के सुरक्षा तंत्र में भी घोटाला इस बात का संकेत है कि इस सरकार को देश की सुरक्षा की भी चिंता नहीं है.

स्कॉर्पियन पनडुब्बी एवं टाट्रा ट्रक सौदे में दलाली यह बताती है कि इस देश में होने वाला कोई भी रक्षा सौदा दलालों के बिना नहीं होता, यानी इस देश की सुरक्षा दलालों के भरोसे ही चल रही है. पिछले साल कुछ दस्तावेज सामने आए, जिनके मुताबिक़, वर्ष 2000 और 2004 में क़रीब 2000 करोड़ रुपये के दो समझौते अमेरिकी नागरिक एलन एवं अभिषेक वर्मा के बीच हुए. कथित तौर पर यह पैसा अभिषेक वर्मा का था, जिसके प्रबंधन की ज़िम्मेदारी एलन की थी. एलन अमेरिका में अटॉर्नी है. 2010 में दोनों के बीच मनमुटाव हो गया, तो अभिषेक वर्मा ने एलन को पैसे वापस करने के लिए नोटिस भेजा. जब एलन ने कोई जवाब नहीं दिया, तो अभिषेक वर्मा ने अमेरिका में ही एलन के खिलाफ केस दर्ज कराया. सवाल यह है कि अभिषेक वर्मा के पास 2000 करोड़ रुपये आखिर आए कहां से? इतनी बड़ी रकम का स्रोत क्या है? क्या अभिषेक वर्मा ने इसकी जानकारी किसी टैक्स अथॉरिटी को दी है? स्कॉर्पियन सौदे में जो दस्तावेज़ सामने आए हैं, उनसे सा़फ होता है कि अभिषेक वर्मा 4 प्रतिशत दलाली की मांग कर रहा था. रक्षा सौदे की दलाली में अभिषेक वर्मा का क़द इतना बड़ा है कि दुनिया भर में किसी भी रक्षा सामग्री बेचने वाली कंपनी को मदद की ज़रूरत होती है, तो वह अभिषेक वर्मा को ही ढूंढती है, चाहे अगस्ता वेस्टलैंड को हेलिकॉप्टर सौदे में मदद चाहिए या जर्मन कंपनी आरएडी का नाम ब्लैक लिस्ट से हटवाना हो या फिर इजरायली टेलिकॉम कंपनी ईसीआई को एंटी डंपिंग शुल्क वापस कराना हो. इन सारे ग़ैर-क़ानूनी कामों के लिए कंपनियां अभिषेक वर्मा को ही तलाशती हैं. नेवी वार रूम लीक मामले में कई ई-मेल सामने आए हैं, जिनमें स्कॉर्पियन डील के 18 हज़ार करोड़ रुपये में से 4 फीसद कमीशन की बात सामने आई है. थेल्स कंपनी के सामने अभिषेक वर्मा ने ख़ुद को कांग्रेस का प्रतिनिधि बताया था. इसके अलावा, टाट्रा ट्रक की ख़रीदारी में तो कई पूर्व सैन्य अधिकारियों की भी संलिप्तता सामने आई. सीबीआई ने कई रिटायर्ड वरिष्ठ सैन्य अधिकारियों से पूछताछ भी की.

घपलों-घोटालों का यह अंतहीन सिलसिला न जाने कब थमेगा. एक के बाद एक हो रहे घोटालों की कड़ी में अभी हाल ही में कांग्रेसी नेता एवं रेल मंत्री पवन बंसल का नाम सामने आया है. रेलवे बोर्ड सदस्य के प्रमोशन के लिए पवन बंसल के भांजे को 90 लाख रुपये की रिश्वत लेते हुए सीबीआई ने रंगे हाथों पकड़ा. पहले तो बंसल ने भांजे से संबंध न होने की बात कही, लेकिन जैसे-जैसे केस आगे बढ़ा, तो पता चला कि भांजे विजय सिंगला और मंत्री जी के बीच बहुत गहरा संबंध है.

रेलवे बोर्ड का सदस्य बनाने के लिए दस करोड़ रुपये की डील हुई थी और पेशगी के तौर पर 90 लाख रुपये लेते वक्त सिंगला सीबीआई की गिरफ्त में आ गया. फिलहाल मामले की जांच चल रही है. बहरहाल, यूपीए सरकार के दस सालों का लेखा-जोखा यही बताता है कि इस देश में अब लोक कल्याणकारी सरकार की जगह दलालों, घूसखोरों एवं बिचौलियों ने ले ली है. क़ानून देश की आम जनता के हितों को ध्यान में रखते हुए नहीं, बल्कि कॉरपोरेट हाउसेज की तिजोरियां भरने के लिए बनाए जा रहे हैं. चाहे वह क़ानून जल, जंगल, ज़मीन से जुड़ा हो या आकाश या पाताल से. सरकार खुद प्रॉपर्टी डीलर बन चुकी है और जनता बेबस, लाचार और असहाय बनी हुई है.

और भी हैं महाघोटाले…
इस घोटाले की गूंज अभी देश में सुनाई नहीं दे रही है, लेकिन यह घोटाला अब तक के सारे घोटालों का रिकॉर्ड तोड़ देगा. यह घोटाला कम से कम 48 लाख करोड़ रुपये का है. यह थोरियम घोटाला  है. भारत में थोरियम का सबसे बड़ा भंडार है. दक्षिण भारत के समुद्री किनारों पर थोरियम फैला हुआ है. दुनिया के दूसरे देशों में थोरियम पत्थरों में पाया जाता है, लेकिन स़िर्फ हमारे देश में ही  यह साधारण बालू में मिलता है. इसका खनन एवं इसे जमा करना आसान है और यह सस्ता भी है. कांग्रेस की अगुवाई वाली यूपीए सरकार ने आज थोरियम लूटने की खुली छूट दे रखी है. समुद्र तटों से निजी कंपनियों द्वारा थोरियम की लूट हो रही है. 30 नवंबर, 2011 को कोडीकुनेल सुरेश ने लोकसभा में प्रधानमंत्री से सवाल पूछा. सवाल यह था कि देश से जो मोनाजाइट निर्यात किया जा रहा है, क्या उसमें किसी क़ानून का कोई उल्लंघन हुआ है या नहीं? इस पर पीएमओ के मिनिस्टर ऑफ स्टेट वी नारायणसामी ने जवाब दिया कि मोनाजाइट को छोड़कर समुद्र तट की बालू, जिसमें कुछ खनिज हैं, का निर्यात किया जा रहा है, क्योंकि मोनाजाइट और थोरियम के निर्यात के लिए लाइसेंस दिया जाता है और अब तक किसी कंपनी को इसे निर्यात करने के लिए लाइसेंस नहीं दिया गया है. डिपार्टमेंट ऑफ एटॉमिक एनर्जी ने 6 जनवरी, 2006 को कई दूसरे खनिजों को अपनी सूची (एसओ-61-ई) से हटा दिया और निजी कंपनियों को उन्हें निर्यात करने की छूट दे दी. लेकिन क्या सरकार को यह पता है कि देश से मोनाजाइट का निर्यात हो रहा है. एक रिपोर्ट के मुताबिक़, 2004 में जब मनमोहन सिंह की सरकार बनी, तबसे अब तक 2.1 मिलियन टन मोनाजाइट भारत से ग़ायब कर दिया गया है. मोनाजाइट उड़ीसा, तमिलनाडु और केरल के समुद्र तटों पर मौजूद बालू में पाया जाता है. मोनाजाइट में क़रीब दस फीसद थोरियम होता है. इसका मतलब यह कि क़रीब 1,95,000 टन थोरियम गायब कर दिया गया.

यह घोटाला रिलायंस और केजी बेसिन  से जुड़ा हुआ है. सरकार पर रिलायंस को फायदा पहुंचाने का आरोप है. आरोप का आधार सीएजी रिपोर्ट है. सरकार पर आरोप यह है कि उसने जान-बूझकर रिलायंस को फायदा पहुंचाया और इससे देश को बहुत बड़ा आर्थिक नुक़सान हुआ. यह नुक़सान 2-जी स्पेक्ट्रम घोटाले से भी बड़ा है. रिलायंस कंपनी पर सरकार ने दरियादिली का इज़हार कुछ ऐसे किया कि कृष्णा-गोदावरी बेसिन की गैस की क़ीमत तय करने के लिए सचिवों का एक समूह बना. पिछले कैबिनेट सचिव के एम चंद्रशेखर इसके अध्यक्ष बनाए गए. आंध्र प्रदेश के पूर्व मुख्यमंत्री वाई एस राजशेखर रेड्डी की तीन चिट्ठियों को आधार बनाया गया था. रेड्डी का सुझाव था कि सरकारी कंपनी एनटीपीसी  से रिलायंस को 2.97 डॉलर प्रति एमएमबीटीयू गैस मिलती थी. यह दर वैश्विक प्रतिस्पर्धा के ज़रिए तय की गई थी, इसलिए इसे ही बाज़ार दर माना जाए. इस समूह ने यह भी कहा कि गैस की क़ीमत अगर एक डॉलर भी बढ़ती है, तो रासायनिक खाद सेक्टर का ख़र्च बढ़ेगा, जिससे सरकार पर कई हज़ार करोड़ रुपये की अतिरिक्त सब्सिडी का बोझ आएगा, पर मंत्री समूह ने इन सारी दलीलों को खारिज कर गैस की क़ीमत 4.2 डॉलर तय की. इस तरह रिलायंस को फायदा पहुंचाया गया. सरकार को कितना नुक़सान हुआ, इसका आकलन करने में सीएजी ने हाथ खड़े कर दिए हैं. सीएजी का कहना है कि नुक़सान का आंकड़ा इतना बड़ा होगा कि उसका हिसाब लगाना मुश्किल है.

एक और घोटाला है मनरेगा का. अभी हाल में कैग ने अपनी रिपोर्ट दी है. यह क़रीब 13 हज़ार करोड़ रुपये का घोटाला बताया जा रहा है. कैग ने बताया है कि इस योजना के क्रियान्वयन में ज़बरदस्त धांधली की गई है. यूपीए सरकार की महत्वाकांक्षी योजना मनरेगा आज लूट का सबसे बड़ा अड्डा बन चुकी है. 2252 करोड़ रुपये की अवैध योजनाएं मनरेगा के तहत शुरू कर दी गईं. 8 लाख निर्माण कार्य निर्धारित समय में पूरे नहीं किए जा सके. कैग के मुताबिक़, 6574 करोड़ रुपये से ऐसे काम हुए, जिनसे कोई बुनियादी ढांचा तैयार नहीं हो सका. उत्तरप्रदेश, बिहार और महाराष्ट्र में इस योजना की हालत ख़राब है. ज़रूरतमंदों के जॉब कार्ड तक नहीं बन पाए. बहरहाल, कांग्रेस जिस योजना को अपना फ्लैगशिप कार्यक्रम बताती है, वह दरअसल ग़रीबी हटाने की जगह भ्रष्टाचार बढ़ाने का ज़रिया बन चुकी है.
साभार
शशि शेखर - shashishekhar@chauthiduniya.com
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Drought tourism is in full swing : After Pawar And Chavan, Guv Plans Tour

Mumbai: First it was NCP president and Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar who went on a whistle-stop tour of drought-affected Marathwada. He was followed by chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, who is from the Congress. Now governor K Sankaranarayanan is also planning to interact with people in drought-hit parts of the state in the first week of March.

Amid all the coming and going, the question people are asking is whether these tours, particularly the ones undertaken by Pawar and Chavan, will help the state tackle the worst-ever drought in recent memory or will the visits turn out to be nothing more than a customary annual exercise undertaken because politicians must be seen taking stock of the situation.

Senior bureaucrats from Marathwada felt there was a lack of coordination at all levels and absence of seriousness about the situation among politicians, particularly from the ruling Congress-NCP.

A high-ranking bureaucrat strongly criticized Pawar’s recent comment that the Centre was yet to receive a statement from the state government on the situation.

“We feel that as Pawar has been in state politics for over four decades, instead of making a statement critical of a government in which his own party is a constituent, he should have asked either Chavan or his own nephew Ajit Pawar, who was sitting next to him in many meetings, to submit a memorandum,” a bureaucrat said.

A former chief secretary felt that there was too much of politics in the management of the drought. “Parts of Marathwada have seen severe droughts for the past several years, but it appears that no strong measures have been taken to tackle the situation,” he said. “Both Pawar and chief minister Chavan must fix responsibility on their cabinet members as well as elected representatives.”

Leader of opposition Eknath Khadse also came down heavily on Chavan and Pawar, saying that instead of undertaking tours of drought-affected areas, they must ensure that orders passed by the state government for tackling the situation must be implemented in letter and spirit. Khadse said so far the state had only stayed recovery of power bills and granted fee exemption to school students.

“The stay is on current bills, but the new policy is silent on outstanding bills,” Khadse said. “If Chavan is at all serious, he must immediately grant a stay on recovery of all bills.”

On the fee exemption, Khadse said the government had not done adequate homework before making the announcement.

“Under the Right to Education Act, school students have already been exempted from payment of fees,” he said. “If some schools are charging fees, it’s between Rs 25 and Rs 50. If at all they are keen on granting exemption, students of professional colleges, such as medical and engineering colleges, should be exempted.”

He said it was “shocking” that even workers under the employment guarantee scheme were not paid wages for periods ranging from seven days to a month. “All these issues have been specifically brought to the notice of the CM, but no corrective measures have been taken,” Khadse said.

Times View: Knee-jerk reaction won’t help O ur leaders seem to wake up to the reality of drought every year between December and June and then forget the issue when the rains come. No amount of VIP tours of districts, which can also result in disruption of routine work, will help the state’s drought-prone areas unless there is some serious planning on how to tackle the problem. Dams are nowadays more in the news for cost escalations and controversies. Politicians and bureaucrats need to look at long-term solutions instead of waking up only when the problem is there every year.
Courtesy:
Prafulla Marpakwar TNN
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NCP-Cong war of words over drought donations
Mumbai: The Congress and its ally NCP are at loggerheads again, this time over personal drought donations.

Home minister R R Patil, who is from the NCP, on Tuesday launched a veiled attack on chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, who is from the Congress, for criticizing his move to donate a month’s salary to the CM’s relief fund.

“I have not heard or read what Chavan has said, but if the CM has referred to my contribution for raising drought relief funds as ‘cheap publicity’, then does Chavan mean even gazetted officers of the state government and teachers who have contributed to drought relief are doing it for the publicity,” Patil said while speaking to media persons.

Last week, during the weekly state cabinet meeting, Patil suggested that ruling DF ministers, MLAs and MLCs should forgo a month’s salary for tackling the water crisis in the state. Chavan responded by saying the suggestion would be considered later, if required. On Friday, Patil donated a month’s salary to the CM’s relief fund. Even stategazetted officers agreed to give two days’ salary.

Later, Chavan reportedly said to some journalists that the drought should not be politicized for “cheap publicity”.

The state has spent over Rs 800 crore on drought relief.

• The NCP also criticized MNS chief Raj Thackeray for calling Congress-NCP ministers’ visits to drought-hit areas an “eyewash”.
• State can raise 7k cr F acing a cash crunch amid a drought crisis, the state has been allowed by the Centre to raise Rs 7,000 crore in loans. CM Prithviraj Chavan also indicated on Tuesday that evening power cuts would be scrapped in drought-hit parts.

Courtesy:
Sanjeev Shivadekar TNN
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Bansal’s nephew booked for graft, ex-GM of WR held at city airport

New Delhi/Chandigarh: In a fresh embarrassment for the UPA government, the CBI has booked railway minister Pawan Bansal’s nephew V Singla in a corruption case.

Singla and two others figure in a case registered by CBI against senior railway official Mahesh Kumar, who took charge as member of the Railway Board only on Thursday. Mahesh Kumar was arrested from Mumbai airport on Friday. A PTI report said Singla has also been arrested.

CBI claims a bribe of Rs 90 lakh was received as part payment for the promotion of Kumar, who was WR GM. Singla close to rly minister P K Bansal New Delhi: V Singla, nephew of railway minister Pawan Bansal, is seen to be the minister’s constituency manager and is a familiar figure in his entourage in Chandigarh, which is Bansal’s Lok Sabha constituency.

The CBI has also registered a case against Sandip Goyal of Chandigarh and one Manjunath in the corruption case involving Singla and former WR GM Mahesh Kumar.

The case could not have come at a worse time as the government is already battling several cases of sleaze. A person close to Bansal being held on corruption charges directly related to his portfolio is quite damaging for the minister. Singla, a resident of Sector 28, Chandigarh, isseenas a close associate of Bansal and is understood to look after the minister’s business interests and is involved in running his campaign.

Mahesh Kumar, who had taken over as member (staff) Railway Board and ex-officio secretary to the government of India, graduated in electronics and communication engineering in 1975 from University of Roorkee (now IIT Roorkee) and belongs to the 1975 batch of Indian Railway Service of Signal Engineers(IRSSE).
Courtesy:
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
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RAILWAY POSTING SCAM: Singla’s meteoric rise coincided with Bansal’s

42-Yr-Old Is Now Director Of 8 Firms
Chandigarh/Bathinda: From Punjab’s rural hinterland to Chandigrah’s swish set, 42-year-old Vijay Singla’s rise has been meteoric, and coincided with maternal uncle and railway minister Pawan Kumar Bansal’s rising political fortunes.

Singla, who was nabbed by the CBI on Friday night for allegedly receiving a bribe amount of Rs 90 lakh in Chandigarh, is a director in eight firms operating from the UT. Till some time ago, he was on the board of three other companies.

Singla, whose family hails from Bhatinda, interestingly rose to be part of the elite business and political circles in the same 15-year period when Pawan Kumar Bansal made giant leaps in his political career.

He acquired businesses with diversified interests in real estate, cement, packaging, infrastructure and steel manufacturing over the last decade, thanks to his proximity to Bansal.

According to documents available with the Union ministry of corporate affairs, Singla is a director on J T L Infra Limited, Jagan Industries, Himani Steels Private Limited, Chetan Industries Limited, Jagan Realtors Private Limited, MVM Metal and Alloys Private Limited and Radian Ferrometals Private Limited.

The parent company, Jagan Industries, came into existence in January 1990 when Bansal was preparing to contest the Lok Sabha elections from Chandigarh. Bansal won the elections from the city in 1991.

Many of these companies soon began flourishing and Singla was frequently spotted hobnobbing with industrialists from different parts of the country at party events. According to sources in the local Congress, he would often facilitate meeting of captains of industry with Bansal at his industrial complex on the edge of Chandigarh.

Singla’s latest venture is Chandigarh-based Mirage Infra Limited, which is a subsidiary of Jagan Group, and is running a commercial project, Acropolis, in the union territory. Most of his industrial units are in Dera Bassi. He owns a plush showroom in sector 28, where he had opened several offices.

After selling off the shares in edible oil mills in Bhatinda, the family had begun manufacturing steel at Gobindgarh near Ludhiana.

Did Singla’s kin hide cash, files?
Chandigarh:There was high drama on Friday night when CBI sleuths from Delhi, assisted by local police, swooped down on Vijay Singla’s bungalow in Chandigarh.The CBI team reached Singla’s residence in Sector 28 at 10.35pm. But sources said few members of Singla’s family, who seemed to have prior information of the raid — rumoured to have been leaked by an assistant sub-inspector — drove out of the house. It is feared the family may have removed some cash and documents. IGP R P Upadhyay, however, refuted allegations of a leak, even though the suspect cop was transferred to police lines on Friday night itself. TNN
COURTESY:
Deepak Yadav & Neel Singla TNN
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RAILWAY POSTING SCAM: All railway posts are on sale for the right price, say insiders

New Delhi: Over the past few years, the railway ministry has tweaked conventions in the name of competence to open up senior appointments to far greater manipulation than ever in the past. Many of these appointments — such as members and chairman of the railway board — are on sale for the right price and through the right contacts, insiders in the ministry say.

This was revealed by the CBI following the arrest of Mahesh Kumar, member (staff) of the board who was trying to become member (electrical). Railway circles are abuzz about several other close relatives and at least one personal staff of Bansal being active in fixing appointments and contracts in the ministry.

With an annual budget of Rs 63,363 crore, the Railways awards numerous lucrative contracts and railway board members and chairman have very crucial roles in awarding all the big contracts. That further adds to the attractiveness of these posts, say senior officials.

By tweaking the appointment norms — now even general managers are being appointed directly as chairman of the board — political masters, especially the railway minister, are able to play favourites while ignoring many competent officers, say railway insiders.

The appointments to the railway board, the apex decision making body of the Indian Railways, have, raised a stink in recent times. They also point out that the widespread influence of political manipulation and money power has also resulted in general demoralisation among professionals. The most contested has been the post of the chairman, railway board. The present chairman, a former general manager, was appointed directly to the post though he was not a member of the board — an unusual, but legal, move. Usually, from the 16 GMs in the ‘open line’ for promotion, members of the board are appointed and the seniormost from among the members is usually appointed the chairman.

Over the past three-four years, especially under Mamata Banerjee, the rules were tweaked and traditions altered. So, Kumar, who was arrested by the CBI on Friday, was trying to become member (electrical, superseding several seniors. He only managed to become member staff in the first effort, but was in negotiation with Singla to become member electrical when the incumbent was hoping to become the next chairman of the board.

Sources say the post of member (engineering) was kept vacant for almost three months, which was extremely unusual because of the sensitivities of the post. But it fell in the pattern of recent murmurs about almost everything in Railways being on sale for the right price. A few days ago, a new member (engineering) has taken charge.

Those who do not find favour with the powers that be are sidelined, or their appointment scuttled with frivolous complaints. In the case of Rajeev Bhargava, general manager of Rail Wheel Factory, his appointment as GM (open line), which would have made him eligible to be a member of the Board, was stalled by the railway minister, despite the Cabinet Committee on Appointments and cabinet secretary repeatedly pointing out the frivolous nature of the complaint against him.
COURTESY:
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
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RAILWAY POSTING SCAM: CBI was sure of netting big fish

Took Cash-Counting Machine To Raid Singla’s Residence, Office
New Delhi: The CBI was so confident of a big haul that its team went with a cash-counting machine to residence and office of railway minister Pawan Bansal’s nephew Vijay Singla on Friday.

The agency had recovered Rs 90 lakh from Singla, a key accused in “cash-for-promotion” scam.

The phone tap and continuous surveillance led the agency to Singla’s residence in Chandigarh just as the money was being handed over to him on behalf of Manjunath and others.

The original deal was brokered by Singla’s close friend in Chandigarh, Sandeep Goyal, and Manjunath, who acted as conduit for Mahesh Kumar, who was eyeing the post of member (electrical). Initially, an alleged bribe of Rs 10 crore was offered, but later it was scaled down when Kumar was made a member (staff).

CBI found that Manjunath, a railway contractor and promoter of GG Tronic Ltd based in Bengaluru, was well known to Kumar for several years.

Sources said Manjunath and Kumar were not happy with the post of member (staff) and wanted the more lucrative post of member (electrical). Even after Kumar was appointed member (staff), Manjunath was pushing Goyal to ensure Kumar gets the signal and telecom portfolio that falls under the jurisdiction of member (electrical).

The telephone calls of Singla, Goyal, Manjunath, Kumar and others were being monitored for the last few days before the CBI decided to make the arrests.

Sources said the conversations have revealed that talks were on for a lateral shift of Kumar as member (electrical) after the current incumbent was made chairman railway board, Vinay Mittal, who is slated to retire next month.

Manjunath, a key conduit for Kumar, along with other railway contractors, who are on the CBI’s radar, was allegedly paying bribe to ensure Kumar becomes member (electrical) which will help them to corner tenders worth crores in their favour.

The well-prepared CBI raided simultaneously at Chandigarh, Mumbai and Bengaluru to nab Singla, Kumar and Manjunath.

UPA govt on ventilator, says Varun Gandhi
Lucknow:BJP national general secretary Varun Gandhi on Saturday led a protest rally against the UPA government here as he took charge of his party in Uttar Pradesh ahead of the next year’s Lok Sabha polls. Varun said the history of the UPA government was repeating itself while referring to the corruption charges against railway minister Pawan Bansal’s nephew. “Be it the 2G scam, coal scam or the Commonwealth Game scam, the government is facing one charge of corruption or the other,” he said. “The 2G scam was worth Rs 1.76 lakh crore. What does that amount mean to UP? It means several lakh schools and appointment of many more teachers.”

He hinted the elections may be held much before time, saying the government had lost confidence of the people and was “running on ventilator”. TNN
COURTESY:
Neeraj Chauhan TNN
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RAILWAY POSTING SCAM: Lure of lucre made Kumar fall for deal
New Delhi: It was “pure business” that made Mahesh Kumar strike the deal for his promotion. Considered a bright officer by both his senior and junior colleagues in the Railways, he was eyeing the post of member (electrical) for long and went to the extent of’buying’ it, thanks to the huge funds riding on the job profile.

In fact, the incumbent is responsible for around 35% of spending, which works to about Rs 2,500 crore, of the national transporter’s total expenditures. A member (electrical) is a lucrative post largely because the officer has the final say in policy decisions related to signalling and telecom, along with other electrical works.

Kumar, who is a 1975 batch officer of the Indian Railway Service of Signal Engineers, was keen on bagging the post. Over the years, he had learnt the tricks of the trade since he had worked in the railway board as executive director (signal), executive director (telecom) and additional member (signal).

He was fully aware of the discretionary powers of the technical post like finalizing technical specifications for private companies working in the field of signalling and telecom. A highplaced source said the modus operandi in the sector is “tailor-made tender specifications: to give advantage to a particular private firm.

The “cash-for-promotion" scam is confirmation of rampant corruption in the Railways. A senior official pointed out that money changing hands for promotions and transfers is not new, but this has seldom come out in public domain.

The scam has come at a time when the railway board — the highest decision-making body of the national transporter — is in for changes as three members retired last week and others are retiring next month.

Railway officials want to find place in the seven-member board, which sits over crore of funds and the decisions relating transporter's massive budget of Rs 63,363 crore for the current fiscal is routed through it.

The “cash-for-promotion” scam can be seen in the present scenario when three members — member (staff) A K Vohra, member (mechanical) Keshav Chandra and member (traffic) K K Srivastava retired on April 30, while chairman railway board Vinay Mittal and finance commissioner Vijaya Kanth are slated to retire on June 30.

The Railway Board had recently appointed Subodh Jain as member (engineering), Mahesh Kumar as member (staff) and Arunendra Kumar as member (mechanical). The post of member (traffic) is yet to be filled up.
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RAILWAY POSTING SCAM: UPA staring at losing two ‘tainted’ mins
Speculation Rife That Govt May Not Last Full Term
New Delhi: Hit by yet another corruption scandal, the Manmohan Singh government is staring at the possibility of two ministers — law minister Ashwani Kumar and railway minister Pawan Bansal — resigning in the face of an all-around Opposition onslaught.

As the Congress assesses the damage, the Manmohan Singh government’s political gameplan to end its tenure with a blaze of populist projects like food security and land compensation bills has received a hefty blow.

The embarrassing arrest of Bansal’s nephew Vijay Singla for accepting bribes for a senior railway appointment can scupper the government’s attempt to argue that while it is keen on legislating benefits for pro-a a m a a d m i, an obdurate Opposition, led by BJP, was standing in the way by disrupting Parliament.

The strategy to paint the BJP as overly obsessed with issues like Coalgate and being out to garner political mileage was intended to put pressure on smaller Opposition groups, but the Bansal saga will almost certainly ensure Parliament does not transact business next week.

Scenting an opportunity to corner a wounded government, the Opposition is raising the tempo on the CBI arresting Singla and also demanding Kumar’s resignation for vetting a CBI report on the Coalgate investigation.

With both Bansal and Kumar looking vulnerable, the Opposition is hoping to end the Budget session on May 10 with two trophies in the bag. This would further reduce the UPA’s already depleted political capital and fuel speculation about the government’s ability to last its full term till April, 2014.

“The Prime Minister must immediately seek the resignation of the railway minister. The bribe giver and taker have been caught. One is a nephew of Bansal who could not be unaware of what was happening,” said BJP leader Prakash Javadekar.

Congress media in-charge Janardan Dwivedi sought to counter the demand by saying the Opposition was in the habit of demanding resignations and this has become a “disease”.

Although Congress seemed to back Bansal, at least for now, its response invited more Opposition attacks with Javadekar wanting to know whether the ruling party intends to reward Bansal for a job well done.

The Samajwadi Party had a harsh word for Bansal too, with party general secretary Ram Asrey Kushwaha saying the minister must quit on moral grounds. CPM’s Sitaram Yechury also sought the minister’s resignation and Trinamool Congress’s Derek O’Brien said the incident exposed the “retail bribery” in the UPA.

The railway scandal threatens to reduce the feel-good factor the Congress is anticipating in the Karnataka poll where it looks set to trounce the BJP and return to power. Resignations of the two Chandigarh politicians will certainly take away some of the shine.

With Bansal showing no signs of putting in his papers, the Opposition is certain to kick up a ruckus in Parliament when it meets on Monday unless the minister throws in the towel before that or is forced out of office by the Congress high command.

The Congress will be left with no defence against the Opposition onslaught as any ditherers in the non-UPA ranks will be silenced by the developments. Not only will the ruling party’s hopes of passing crucial legislation be dashed, ramming through legislation will be seen as a thoroughly inappropriate action.

Apart from the railway bribery scandal, the government has to contend with the CBI filing an affidavit before the Supreme Court listing the changes made by the law minister in its status report on the Coalgate investigation on Monday. Thereafter the court is to hear the case two days later.

Congress managers will remain on tenterhooks and unless the party high command undertakes surgical measures, it will be a testing time for the ruling coalition.
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RAILWAY POSTING SCAM: Pawan Bansal should resign, say BJP, CPM
New Delhi: The BJP and CPM on Saturday demanded Pawan Bansal’s resignation, disregarding the railway minister’s defence that he could not be punished if his nephew allegedly took bribes for fixing appointments to the Railway Board.

Dismissing Bansal’s claim that he never let his sister’s son, Vijay Singla, influence his decisions, BJP leader Arun Jaitley said: “It is an open-and-shut case. People who have taken money was clearly acting on behalf of the minister. Neither Singla nor the contractors who organized the transaction make the appointments. It is the minister who makes the appointment”.

The Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha further said : “Just as his wife Ceasar’s nephew should also be above suspicion”. However, he added that it was not just a case of moral culpability. “In any other country, Bansal would have been behind the bars”.

He also joined issue with Congress general secretary Janardan Dwivedi for the latter’s statement that the Opposition has developed a disease of demanding resignations.” Given the epidemic of corruption that has swept the government, Opposition has every right to demand resignations,” Jaitley said.
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RAILWAY POSTING SCAM: Rail official’s arrest bares rot in govt appointments

New Delhi: The arrest of a senior railway official brings into the open one of the worst-kept secrets on government appointments.

It’s not just the neighbourhood station house officer who is handpicked by political masters, but the central government too has its share of appointments that are often shrouded in controversy. From secretaries of key ministries to heads of public sector banks and state-run companies and regulators, the rot has spread—at a faster pace in recent years—far and wide.

While nobody is willing to come on record, often money or sweetheart deals swing appointment processes, which go through multiple layers. Often, there are hushed whispers of huge money changing hands and private companies willing to be partners, hoping to encash their investment some time later.

Mahesh Kumar, a member of the Railway Board and a secretary-rank officer, occupies the top rung in the hierarchy of the state-run transporter and sits on its apex decision-making panel. Irregularities have become the norm

Over 15 years ago, it was the revenue department where appointments even at junior level were said to have been rigged with top officials involved in fixing transfers. In fact, the MDMK’s Gingee Ramachandran was forced to resign after allegations surfaced that his personal assistant was facilitating appointments. He, however, made a comeback into the NDA government after no evidence of his involvement was found.

Since then, irregularities seem to have become the norm in the financial sector as well as appointments to top posts in state-run companies. There are murmurs of officials accepting favours to appoint “chosen ones” in larger entities. “Instances of persons with mediocre records through their career getting plum jobs while top performers end up in insignificant departments or small public sector companies have increased,” said a former bureaucrat.

There have been whispers about former bank chiefs who restructured loans of private companies ahead of an election getting rewarded with post-retirement jobs, including one of them making it to a regulatory agency. Another chairman almost made it but for a lastminute objection by the CVC.
COURTESY:
Surojit Gupta & Sidhartha TNN
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