Portal For Public Grievances-A System that Works

I am not sure how many of us heard about the Public Grievances services offered by Government of India and is brought to us by Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances.

So What this Portal Means–As per the portal site for Public Grievances mention it–“The Department of Administrative Reforms And Public Grievances is the nodal agency to formulate policy guidelines for citizen-centric governance in the country. Redress of citizens’ grievances ,being one of the most important initiatives of the department,DAR&PG formulates public grievance redress mechanisms for effective and timely redress / settlement of citizens’ grievances. “

 

And as per Wikipedia it goes like this—The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances is to facilitate the pursuit of excellence in governance through promotion of:

• Improvements in Government structures and processes.
• Citizen-friendly initiatives including redressal of public grievances.
• Documentation, incubation and dissemination of best practices.
• Codification and simplification of procedures.
• Networking with various agencies.

In short this is the nodal agency which look into the Grievances of Indian Citizen,but for this an Indian Citizen must lodge their Grievances with them and they have a very neat way for the Citizen to lodge the Grievances.

You can–Lodge Your Grievances,Put a reminder or Ask for Clarification on your past Grievances and Even check the status of your Grievances.

Now you all must be thinking why I am saying these things–Actually I had lodged a Grievance with this agency and to my surprise the Grievance was addressed  and they even responded to it…When I saw their response I was just unable to believe that some system in Indian Government actually works though I lodged my Grievance on January 2013 and was replied on August 2013–after 7 months but still I was happy that it was address because as we all know it is India and process here takes hell lot of time…

So,I thought of highlighting this and make the common people aware of the facility….So,if you have any Grievances please don’t hesitate to lodge it afterall it is our right to ask the Government to look into our Grievances…But I really can’t guarantee the time frame it will need to get addressed… 😛

Now here is the response I received from the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances—Grievance Status(The Response)

Save RTI from Amendments–For India’s Sake

As we all know about RTI and its Power–I also have written a post on this–Find it Here.

This post is a General request to the Public,My Readers to please to show your support in Signing the Petition in Change.Org-a Campaign started by National Campaign for People’s Right to Information (NCPRI) India.

As we all know that Political Parties are raising the voice to exclude them from RTI which will make them a free bird and We surely don’t want that to happen..So Come together and support it and believe me it works.. 🙂

Hope Every Responsible Citizen will Sign the Petition…Its a Sincere Request and not going to take more than 30 seconds..So Please Come Forward and Support.. 🙂

 

India-Corruption-A Solution Part II

In my earlier post I wrote about possible solution to Population and Pollution control.If you haven’t checked it out here it is.

In this post I will try to give some solutions on controlling Corruption.However when we hear the term Corruption,we generally erupt with anger or become very sad and start bashing our leaders.But I believe the main root of Corruption is We-The Common People who provide opportunities to Corrupted Persons and never raise their voice against them.

For Me–Those who are suffering and accepting injustice are equally responsible with those who are doing injustice for making Corruption a never-ending Business..

Corruption is Huge and it is growing day by day in a huge country like India and pushing India to backfoot.I know we can’t eradicate corruption in a day,no-one can but what I believe is with continuous effort from each and every citizen we can minimize it on day-to-day basis.As we all know ‘Impossible is Nothimg’.With this I provide my solutions to curb Corruption.. 🙂

• Education:-In today’s world there is nothing that Education cannot teach us and it should be taken as one of the main tool to educate people about their rights.Those who are uneducated do not know about the process,provisions and procedures through which they can get justice.Corrupt public servants try to make fool of them and often demands for bribe.It is due to unawareness in the field of law,public rights and procedures thereof that a common and an uneducated suffer out of the corrupt society.This suggests that if we are educated, we can understand our rights well.Even the educated pay bribes…But that’s a different story.An Educated should always use their Knowledge for the right use and not for paying bribe.An Educated person will know about the Do’s and Dont’s while dealing with procedures and they should use their knowledge in getting the job done in a clean way.

• RTI Act:-A very important act enacted by the Parliament of India  “to provide for setting out the practical regime of right to information for citizens“.You can read about more RTI here.It empowers any Citizen of India to aks questions to any Organizations that comes under RTI.If used properly it leads to transparency to all the procedures and provisions of Government.

• The average age of India is around 25-26 years,So it is a Young India.These young Indians must stand up against the System for the upliftment of this Country,to fight Corruption.India should have youth coming forward and taking responsibilities on the behalf of this country.I believe in every sector there should be youth involvement.Read more about Youth Power here.

• Salary of Government and PSU Officers must be of market-indexed with their responsibility.This would minimise the ‘need’ for bribes.Their salaries could be benchmarked against corporate sector salaries.But higher salaries should be combined with exemplary punishment,including dismissal from service and a police case if an employee is caught indulging in corrupt practices.

• Use of Technology:-In this Technology era we are lagging behind taking full advantages of the Technology.First and Foremost there should be a law passed on installing CCTV camera on each and every Government office.Regular Inspections of the CCTV Footage.Today almost everyone use a Mobile Phone,so I urge that when we are going to any Government Office we should always keep our Phones in recording mode or if that facility is not available–call someone who can record all the stuff(be sure that you don’t get caught).

• Social Media:-Social media is a boon in recent times.Instead of using it for useless work,try to utilise it for making any corruption related news popular.I am sure within no time it will reach to larger mass.Share your views on sites like I Paid a Bribe.

• Corruption can be reduced by increasing direct contact between government and the governed. In this regard E-Governence can help a lot.It has been implemented carrying out many Government Works but still more needs to be done.

• Whenever you feel cheated never hesitate to visit organisations like Consumer Forums for Consumer Complaints,Banking Ombudsman for Bank related Complaints,Central Vigilance Bureau for any Government related Corruption.

All this for now.I hope this articles help the people of India to gather courage and fight against Corruption.

“The fight for justice against corruption is never easy. It never has been and never will be. It exacts a toll on our self, our families, our friends, and especially our children. In the end, I believe, as in my case, the price we pay is well worth holding on to our dignity—–Frank Serpico”

Corruption

India-Population,Pollution and Corruption

The Other day I was watching the movie PoliceGiri starring Sanjay Dutt and Prakash Raj,By the way let me clarify this post is not on reviewing the movie instead it is on the issues mentioned on the post title…But before that let me say something–Sanjay Dutt who is playing the Role of a DCP has said so many dialogues on Moral value and Ethics,I somehow felt that he really don’t have any shame..I mean the guy who is accused of illegal activities and is in jail(I know I know it was his job to say such dialogues)..

Ok enough about the movie–Now in that movie Prakash Raj The Villain put up a dialogue–“India mein teen cheeze control nahi kar sakte-Population,Pollution and Corruption” meaning “In India 3 things can’t be control Population,Pollution and Corruption“,So by now all must have understood the meaning of my Post Title.If we give a closer look then these 3 things really can’t be control…So let me explain these 3 things precisely and their effect in India:-

1.Population:-As defined by wiki Population is a summation of all the organisms of the same group or species,who live in the same geographical area,and have the capability of interbreeding.And the species I am talking here is Humans.In India Population is around 1.27 billion and our Rival China is leading 1.36 billion according to 2013,the second most populated country in the world.The figures show that India represents almost 17.31% of the world’s population,which means one out of six people on this planet live in India.Although,the crown of the world’s most populous country is on China’s head for decades,India is all set to take the numero uno position by 2030.With the population growth rate at 1.58%,India is predicted to have more than 1.53 billion people by the end of 2030.So,Indians get ready to cheer up for India…and now you say can it be controlled,I know it can be controlled but I don’t know how.For more information please visit here.

2.Pollution:-Generally speaking Pollution is the addition to the ecosystem of something which has a harmful effect on the Environment.One of the most causes of pollution is the high rate of energy usage by modern,growing populations.There are 3 main types of pollution Air Pollution,Water Pollution and Noise Pollution.

India in terms of pollution is not lacking behind placed among the top 10 worst environment polluters.The 10 countries with the worst global footprint were Brazil,The US,China,Indonesia,Japan,Mexico,India,Russia,Australia and Peru.

As per Pollution Index for 2013 Lucknow(UP) is ranked as the most polluted city in the World.Here is the report.Seems like another milestone for India

It is not that we cannot control Pollution,but with increasing population we are left with no choice but to meet our needs at the cost of nature and hence any measure taken to control pollution will have very little or no impact at all.

3.Corruption:-Writing about Corruption in India I feel like I can write a book on this topic.As per Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index(CPI) India is ranked 94th out of 176 nations surveyed,even China-The Most Populous Country is way above India with a rank of 80.With around half of the citizen of India having paid a Bribe or was asked for a bribe,still we are not able to find the problem of Corruption.We all say it lies in inefficient Government but who makes the Government inefficient…

Scams and only Scams is on the news for North to South,East to West with Government looting hundreds of crore of rupees every year and we common people let it go just by saying ‘Chalta Hai Yaar’…So,I think with this attitude even Corruption is very hard to stop….

Ending the Post with a Cartoon for all to Enjoy.. 🙂

*Click on the Image for better view…

Population,Pollution and Corruption

Food Security Bill-Will Benefit or Another Scam

The President of India ‘Shri Pranab Mukherjee’ has signed the ordinance of Food Security Bill.It means that now the Bill will be presented in both the house of Parliament in its Monsoon Session before it is passed.

The Food Security programme will be the biggest in the world with the government spending estimated at Rs 125,000 crore annually on supply of about 62 million tonnes of rice,wheat and coarse cereals to 67 per cent of the population.It aims to provide 5 kg of rice,wheat and coarse grains at Rs 3,Rs 2,Rs 1 per kg,respectively,every month to three-fourths of rural population and half the urban population in the country.

So,My fellow Indians what is your take on this..Will it be another Scam by our Government or Will it do any Good to the People of India?Because generally such bill never reaches to beneficiaries in India.

In case you want to study the Food Security Bill,here it is National Food Security Bill(Courtesy-The Hindu)

Here is what I have to say…Though I really wish that this time the Bill fulfill its purpose but looking at the reputation of Indian Government I hesitate to feel that way… 😦

Food Security Bill

RTI and RTE-Our Right

Right to Information Act 

RTI as we all know stands for Right to Information and is a very important act and right that we citizen of India can use for our goodwill.It came into force on the 12th October, 2005.The RTI 2005 is an Act of the Parliament of India “to provide for setting out the practical regime of right to information for citizens.” The Act applies to all States and Union Territories of India except the State of Jammu and Kashmir.Under the provision of this act any citizen may ask information from Public Authority and they are expected to reply within 30 days or 48 hours in case of life or liberty of person that sought concerns.If the citizen does not receive any reply or is not satisfied with the information provided by the Public Information Officer regarding RTI Act within the stipulated time frame,he/she can appeal to a higher rank authority within 30 days.

The Right Empowers every citizen to:-

• Ask any questions from the Government or seek any information.
• Take copies of any governmental documents.
• Inspect any governmental documents.
• Inspect any Governmental works.
• Take samples of materials of any Governmental work.

So Citizen know your right and never hesitate to question the Government on any issue ,after-all India is a Democratic Republic and its ultimate authority and power is derived from the citizens of India.

Here is the FAQ on RTI for reference.

Right to Education

RTE as known is Right to Education Act 2009 is an act enacted by the Parliament of India on 26th August 2009 and commenced on 1st April 2010 which describes the modalities of the importance of free and compulsory education for children between 6 and 14 in India under Article 21a of the Indian Constitution.

This Act serves as a building block to make sure that every child has his or her right (as an entitlement) to get a quality elementary education until the age of 14 free of charge, and that the State, with the help of families and communities, fulfills this obligation.

If we want to see India in the path of development,we all must come together hand in hand and make this act a huge success,why I am saying this is because even after like 3 years of its commencement there has not been much improvement educational front.The Government and even the Parents and not much interested in the act,whereas the urban population is aware of it,the rural population does not find it as a profitable scheme to send off their ward to school. Gandhiji once said “The real India lies in the villages. Development is possible when the villages prosper!”, so I think I made my point.The Rural India can be developed only and only by Imparting Education to the Rural Mass and in turn it will develop India.

Here is the Main features of Right to Education 2009 act for reference.

RTE help-desk can be reached at (044-28278742) for any queries or informing any violations of RTE act.