Private sector salaries for Govt employees?

I don’t know whether this is a good move or a bad one. On one angle, in the light of news like this, it seems that increasing government salaries is the right thing to do. It might attract the younger generation to look at government jobs as a career.

On the other hand, I feel bad that more of my tax money is going to go to people who sit on their asses doing nothing. As it is, any Indian knows what kind of treatment can be expected in the government office. Now, I hate to be paying them more from my pocket and then get insulted. But, I hope that atleast bribery and corruption comes down a bit after a pay hike.

If you look at what used to happen 10-12 years ago, when government servants used to be paid as much or as well as the private sector. But today, its very different. Today, private sector salaries are 10 times government salaries, especially at the top. So in India, people in the government are sort of overstaffed, overpaid and under worked at the bottom and understaffed, overworked and underpaid at the top. This has to change if you want the government to do well.

[ Source: Private sector salaries for Govt employees? ]

0 rupee currency – to eliminate corruption

I first saw this here and then found out more about it here and here. Really interesting! Worth the time. Do read it!!!!

CHENNAI: Next time when you are asked to cough up extra money to get a driving licence or a birth certificate, shock the bribe-seekers with a ‘zero rupee’ note.

This is a novel campaign launched by ’5th Pillar,’ a non-profit non-governmental organisation formed to fight the common enemy of the nation — corruption.

The ‘zero rupee’ note, which resembles an original thousand rupees note, is a sign of unwillingness to bribe. It has the picture of Mahatma Gandhi on it with a pledge “I promise to neither accept nor give bribe” printed both in English and Tamil. It also resolves to ‘eliminate corruption at all levels.’

The rupee note has also been printed in Hindi and other regional languages to take up the campaign against corruption at the national level.

Founded recently by noted environmentalist and Exnora founder M B Nirmal, the NGO seeks to reduce the scale of corruption problem in the country by fostering attitudinal change among citizens and advocating the use of Right to Information (RTI) Act to ensure transparency in all governmental organisations.

Tale of a 100 rupee note

A really amusing tale of a 100 rupee note in aamchi Mumbai!!!

Indian Minister vs. US Senator

An Indian politician went to the US to visit his counterpart. When the senator invited him home for dinner, the minister was very impressed by the lavish mansion, grounds and the costly furnishings.

He asked, “How can you afford all this on a meagre senator’s salary?”

The senator smiled knowingly and took him to the window.

“Can you see the river?”

“Yes”

“Can you see the bridge over it?”

“Of course”, said the minister.

“10 percent”, said the senator smugly.

Some time later, he had occasion to pay a return visit. The Indian minister lavished all hospitality on him. When they came to his house,the American was stunned by the huge palace the minister had built, glittering with precious art, hundreds of servants etc etc.

“How can you possibly afford this, on a salary in Indian Rupees,” he asked.

The minister called him to the window.

“See the river over there?”

“Sure”, cried the senator.

“Can you see the bridge over it?”

The senator looked, was confused, peered closely and said, “No, I don’t see any bridge.”

“100 percent”, said the Indian minister !!

Coal India swindle Rs.100,000,000.00 from PM Fund

Here’s news item from CNN-IBN. As big as the number sounds, I think when compared to the amount the politicians and the corrupt officials are cheating from us – the tax payers, on a regular basis, this amount would be peanuts!!!!

New Delhi: Under an RTI (Right To Information) filed by an employee of South Eastern Coalfield Limited, the PMO has revealed startling facts about how an amount of Rs 10 crore, collected by Coal India Ltd (CIL) from its employees for over a decade, was misappropriated.

Here’s a look at what the PMO Inquiry Report says:

• Rs 40.65 crore collected from CIL employees for PM’s Relief Fund
• Only Rs 30 crore submitted
• Rs 4.71 crore used for unauthorised purchase of relief material
• Rs 5.93 crore still in CIL coffers

The report from PMO targets one of India’s biggest PSUs, Coal India Limited.

The man who brought the corruption to light, Mujibur Rehman, is a lab technician at a Coal India subsidiary. Rehman filed an application under RTI last year seeking details of the money collected for the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund after which the PMO was forced to conduct an inquiry.

The result was shocking: Coal India withheld Rs 10 crore from the relief fund.

Rs 30 lakh collected during the 2004 Tsunami and 17 lakh during the 1999 Orissa cyclone was never handed over and that’s not all. While Kargil collections were submitted eight years late in August 2007, Rs 7 crores collected for the 2005 J&K earthquake have not yet been deposited.

Funds have been used illegally as working capital causing loss of interest to the PM’s Fund. For all his efforts, Rehman has been shunted around, threatened and charge-sheeted twice by CIL for using the RTI Act. “The CMD warned me to quit this,” says Rehman.

It is ironic that while the government passes an Act like the RTI the system and society penalises the individual for using it. The PMO says while it is accountable for the money that has come to them, they are not responsible for the money that was supposed to, but hasn’t reached them.

RTI experts are livid and want the PMO to fix responsibility. “People gave money generously and now after 7-8 years, it’s shocking to see the money is lying in FDs. The company is using it as a working capital. It’s a breach of faith,” says RTI activist Arvind Kejriwal.

This is the result of just one enquiry and with more probes on the cards, Coal India could see more skeletons tumbling out of its cupboard.

[ Source: CNN-IBN ]