Umashankar’s suspension smacks of victimisation:: JAYA

“Umashankar’s suspension smacks of victimisation”
Special Correspondent News » States » Tamil Nadu
CHENNAI, August 5, 2010
 
AIADMK general secretary Jayalalithaa has alleged that suspension of IAS officer C. Umashankar smacked of victimisation by the DMK government.
In a statement here on Wednesday, Ms. Jayalalithaa questioned the powers of the State government to place an IAS officer under suspension on the pretext that he had entered the Civil Services using a bogus community certificate.
“All civil service appointments in the country are done by the Union Public Service Commission. It is the responsibility of the UPSC to vet the antecedents of every recruit and verify their certificates,” she said.
She said the DMK government’s claim that Mr. Umashankar, belonging to Dalit community, had entered the service using a forged community certificate had given room for speculation on the reasons behind this.
Ms. Jayalalithaa recalled the government’s decision to launch Arasu Cable Corporation and the appointment of Mr. Umashankar as its Managing Director, and said the real motive behind it was to pose a challenge to the Maran brothers’ Sumangali Cable Vision (SCV).
Scapegoat
Ms. Jayalalithaa said after an agreement was suddenly reached between the warring cousins of Mr. Karunanidhi’s family, the IAS officer was made the scapegoat and shunted out.
She alleged that though Mr. Umashankar was appointed as the MD of Electronics Corporation of Tamil Nadu (ELCOT), he was removed from the post because he questioned the disappearance of ETL Infrastructure Ltd., a subsidiary of ELCOT, along with Rs. 700 crore assets.
Explanation sought
Demanding an explanation from Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi on what happened to ETL and the fate of the Rs. 400 crore invested in Arasu Cable Corporation, she wanted to know why was a Dalit officer in government service being victimised.
 
Keywords: C. Umashankar, AIADMK, DMK
 
http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/tamil-nadu/article551957.ece

‘Karunanidhi family and government harassing me’

‘Karunanidhi family and government harassing me’
T S SekaranExpress News ServiceFirst Published : 27 Jul 2010 03:42:33 AM ISTLast Updated : 27 Jul 2010 09:30:35 AM IST

CHENNAI: Suspended IAS officer C Umashankar has moved the National Commission for SC/ST in New Delhi, to protect him from the illegal harassment by the Tamil Nadu government, Chief Minister M Karunanidhi’s family and the powerful Maran brothers, who are closely related to the CM.
In his complaint against the State government, Umashankar, who was suspended last week while holding the post of Commssioner, Small Savings, alleged that he was subjected to frequent transfers as he was honest and sincere in his duties and worked bearing in mind the public interest.
 
 
He said the TN government was free to institute any disciplinary proceedings against him in accordance with the provisions of the All India Service Act, Public Servant Enquiries Act, the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Code of Criminal Procedure. But the government was not competent to conduct any enquiry against him on the allegation that he had produced a false community certificate. The CM was insisting on the police to register an FIR against him. “The State government, headed by the present CM, is intolerant and vindictive against me because I recommended penal action against the Maran brothers and made public the scam in ETL Infrastructure, where the hand of MK Alagiri, (CM’s son) and a central minister of the DMK is involved. Thus, the State power is being misused against me,’’ Umashankar contended in his complaint.
 
 
He also urged the Commission to ensure that enquiry, if any, regarding his caste certificate was conducted by the Central Vigilance Commission or the Central Bureau of Investigation or any other central agency not under the control of the TN government. Appropriate action might also be initiated to allow him to work under the central government or any of the agency of the central government not under the control of the TN government, the complaint said and also requested the Commission to ensure proper security to him and his family members through the central security force.
 
 
http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/suspended-ias-officer-in-tn-alleges-harassment/193176.html

About n-Logue and Mr. Ashok Jhunjhunwala, Professor, IIT Madras

n-Logue and Mr. Ashok Jhunjhunwala, Professor, IIT Madras,

News is that Mr. Ashok Jhunjhunwala resigned from n-Logue Directorship ?

What is going to happen to all the FRANCHISEES ?

What happened to all the funds that were funded?

What happened to money given by Franchisees ??

Any one knows about this ??

What is the status of n-Logue now ?

Mr. Ashok Jhunjhunwla associated with MSSRF ??

M.S. Swaminathan
Research Foundation
3rd Cross Street, Institutional Area
Taramani, Chennai – 600 113, INDIA
Tel: +91-44-2254 1229, 2254 1698
Fax: +91-44-2254 1319
executivedirector@mssrf.res.in
http://www.nva-mssrf.org, http://www.mssrf.org

___________________________________

Cheating in the name of e-governance. The case of n-logue and Mr.Ashok Jhunjanwalla:

In the name of providing connectivity and internet to the rural masses, the women self help groups of TamilNadu and elsewhere are being deprived of their livelihood by a clever business plan played by Prof.Ashok Jhunjanwalla of IIT, Madras.

This scam is targeted at the subsidy money received by the women self help groups from Government of India. Though the said IIT Professor knows that a 32 kbps outdated wireless system is not good enough for video conferencing, he has been promoting falsehood only to gain income though business.

Mr.Jhunjanwalla is a Director in the company which markets this outdated wireless product. It is to be noted that every district has a District Blindness Control society headed by the respective District Collectors which monitors and supports blindness control.

The entire funding comes from international agencies. Thousands of poor people get 100% financial assistance every year through this exercise.

Whereas Mr.Jhunjanwalla has been promoting falsehood by stating that his outdated wireless system could provide a solution to the blindness of the people through video conferencing (Tele medicine).

What could never be accepted in urban India is being sold to the rural women self help groups using Government contacts/orders with no benefit accruing to the poor women.

The Govt may look into this affair and stop the cheating that goes in the name of e-governance.

_______________________________________________________

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[PDF]

Mission 2007

File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat – View as HTML
Information Village project of MSSRF, ITC’s e-choupal, Drishtee’s Info Kiosks, n-Logue’s ….. (Dr Ashok Jhunjhunwala,. Faculty IIT, Chennai) …
http://www.gkpeventsonthefuture.org/marketofopportunities/common/index.cfm?fuseaction=download&documentid=268

`This year 24 Indian cities will deploy CorDECT’

But Mr Ashok Jhunjhunwala, the father of CorDECT Wirelss in Local Loop (WLL), … Recently, the TeNeT Group has participated in the formation of n-Logue, …
http://www.financialexpress.com/old/fe/daily/20010205/fco05007.html – 21k –

Project floated to provide Net, voice connectivity to villages

… will be formally launched on January 25, said Mr Ashok Jhunjhunwala, professor, IIT Madras. Meanwhile, n-Logue Communications, a company, which has been …
http://www.financialexpress.com/old/fe/daily/20010116/efe16006.html –

Rampant corruption in ICDS scheme in UP [ it is all over INDIA not just in UP]

Rampant corruption in ICDS scheme in UP

http://www.ndtv.com/morenews/showmorestory.asp?slug=

Rampant+corruption+in+ICDS+scheme+in+UP&id=99896&category=National

Sutapa Deb

Watch story

Tuesday, January 23, 2007 (Varanasi):

India’s most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, gears up for another election but no politician is talking about the prevalent malnutrition among children in the state.

UP is the worst offender as far as children malnutrition levels are concerned and there has been no progress in the last eight years.

Corruption plagues the Integrated Child Development Services programme in Uttar Pradesh.

Not only is the programme a mere ritual, the food grain sent for children is being illegally used to fatten cattle.

NDTV’s Sutapa Deb reports how the ICDS staff are stealing from hungry children in UP.

One can witness stark images at Siyo village, 10 km from Varanasi. Eighteen-month-old Karishma is shrunken, almost withered. Kallu has the familiar potbelly, caused by malnutrition and weakened stomach muscle.

Fifty per cent of the children under six who do not survive each year die because they are malnourished.

Bare rooms

Chedi Ram, a daily wager, and his wife, have nothing to give their five children except for some starchy rice.

These children’s nutrition should be monitored by the government’s anganwadi workers, their families provided fortified food grain.

The village has three anganwadi centres. Every month each one gets 350 kg of ready to eat mix from the state and Centre.

But though over 1000 kg get to the village, none of it reaches the children. They are excluded from the programme, even though one of the anganwadi workers lives next door.

“Has anyone taken her weight? No one. Have you been to the centre? No. I don’t have any information, how could I go,” said Seeta Devi, Karishma’s mother.

In Sandeha village, three anganwadi centres are housed in one panchayat bhavan.

But when the centre opens over an hour and a half late, NDTV’s team discover bare rooms, except for a handful of slates, toys and utensils. There are no weighing machines meant to monitor the children’s growth.

Anganwadi workers here and elsewhere tell that the stocks of the ready to eat food grain, which is called sattu here, is kept at their home. One of the anganwadi workers has not made an appearance for over a year.

Failed programme?

A child under six is taking the class. A headcount reveals there are barely 40 children here. But the registers for the three centres record the presence of 240 in all, six times the number.

It was the same across Chiraigaon and Cholapur blocks in the area. About 15 children were present at each anganwadi centre. But matters are worse.

Even those children who are present at the anganwadi centres do not get the 80 gm, the amount of fortified food grain allotted to each one.

In Munnari village, two anganwadi centres are running from a dirty verandah. There is nothing else. Though children are supposed to be fed at centres, each child carries a small polythene packet. Sattu, they have learnt, is to be taken home.

Why is this flagship programme that spent Rs 400 crore this year in the state unable to provide the requisite amount of food grain or sattu to poor children? It is a paradox as the office of the Child and Development Officer at the block is well stocked with 2000 bags that is 50,000 kg of ready to eat mix.

Missing food grains

The centre is bursting with bags of fortified food grain. But none of it is reaching them. So who is stealing the food meant for Uttar Pradesh’s malnourished children?

The answer, villagers say, is the ICDS bureaucracy, which runs the anganwadis. The children’s food grain is reportedly siphoned off and sold as cattle feed on the black market. And the sale is organised by the anganwadis workers.

Every month the anganwadis worker generates Rs 300 that she pays her supervisors.

“In every area it is being sold in black. Not just in ours. Every one has to give, including me. She takes Rs 300 every month,” said Bindu Pandey, an anganwadis worker.

“I don’t sell it. I feed it to cows and buffaloes,” said Meera Devi, another anganwadi worker.

“Everybody pays and will continue to pay. Your coming here will not put a stop to this. Do you know that the CDPO spoke to me a moment ago on the phone? The food grain is expected and she wants the money tomorrow. I am telling you that your words or your camera will not change anything,” said Chandrakala, an anganwadis worker.

Corrective measures

The state of the anganwadis in Varanasi may be common knowledge, but not for its district magistrate.

“We will be getting an inquiry conducted and working on this as to where exactly does the malady lie and what are the corrective measures that are required. You have outlined a few problems,” said Ravi Aggarwal, District Magistrate, Varanasi

“There is no doubt that the centres are supposed to open on time. The activities are supposed to be held. If at a few places these activities are not being held then it definitely calls for action. And by action I would not only mean at the village level or the anganwadis worker, definitely at the supervisory level, because there is a whole system of supervision,” he added.

Manju Devi has a malnourished girl, Kajal, at her anganwadis centre. But Manju seems more concerned about collecting the money she has to pay as a bribe to get a senior job as supervisor.

Mr. Rajeev Chawla’s mischievous role again in eProcurement tender in GoK to HP.

Mr. Rajeev Chawla’s mischievous role again in eProcurement tender in GoK to HP.
NOW THE details of eProcurement Tender awarded to HP.

Antares System a Local Company in Bangalore has been marketing their eProcurement / eTendering solution through KEONICS and ITI Limited. And as on date all the orders are on KEONICS and ITI Limited and from them Antares get on back to back basis.

Antares e-tendering/e-procurement product, TenderWizard (also called as simply TW), has been deployed at more than 20 departments in Govt of Karnataka (GOK). Some of these depts are using this system for their tender activities for more than 2 years. Almost all of them use the system in an ASP mode and pay us rental every month. Most of these initiatives have been deployed with KEONICS as supplier. Antares has MOU with KEONICS providing solution/support for the same (Antares is in the background with KEONICS).

By Rajeev Chawla’s Mischeifs:

C1 has signed a MOU with KEONICS (Though KEONICS Chairperson exposed them) probably utilising the help of Mr.Rajeev Chawla and Antares MOU has been Withdrawn. Even C1 went to ITI Limited and curtailed Antares MOU.

Why Rajeev Chawla did not support a Home Growm Technology Antares who are working with KEONICS ?

MONEY MIGHT BE INVOLVED HERE !!

Shows how Rajeev Chawla CORRUPT politicians and CORRUPT eGovernance also in GoK !!!

Mr. Rajive Chawla’s mischievous role all the way as he done in Bangalore One and now in eProcurement tender.

As we all know that HP has been awarded tender for eProcurement in Karnataka State whereas HP does not have software or at least do not have background to claim so.

As you all are aware that HP has been awarded tender by the Karnataka Govt. despite they were 2-1/2 time higher i.e. Rs. 32 Crores than the next player M/s Wipro Limited who was less than Rs. 20 crores. You know obvious reasons for the same, particularly knowing fully well background of Mr. Rajeev Chawla. The HP has been granted tender despite the below noted disqualifications :-
• HP does not have any e-procurement experience in India.
• Their demonstrated software which is being used in Japan only, which has no relevance in India.
• Three other players with experience in India i.e. Wipro, C1 India and Antares have been disqualified on pre-qualification and technical grounds. This is surprising as these are the only player with any e-procurement experience in India.
• NISG who was the consultant for this tender was also the consultant for the Govt. of Chattisgarh tender, both of which were called around the same time. In Chhattisgarh Wipro Limited has been awarded contract for mere1.58 Crores per year.
• It is surprising that HP, who does not have a solution, was qualified technically where as the other players who have the solution were disqualified.
• The requirement in both the tenders are the same, however the qualification criteria in Govt. of Karnataka were altered to favor HP.

__________________________________________________________________

Antares has been marketing their eprocurement /eTendering  solution through KEONICS and ITI Limited. And As on date all the orders  are on KEONICS and ITI Limited and from them Antares get on back to back \nbasis. C1 has signed a MOU with KEONICS (Though KEONICS Chairperson  exposed them) probably utilising the help of Mr.Rajeev Chawla and Antares MOU \nhas been Withdrawn. Even C1 went to ITI Limited and curtailed Antares  MOU.

Antares wings are clipped. Antares cannot participate in any  of the forthcoming tenders like Government of Madhya Pradesh (already Announed) and Government of Chattisgarh (PWC has finalised the tender document through NISG and gave the same to CHIPS).

Antares understand that the Secretary of MCIT, goverrnment of India is behind the development with ITI Limited and C1 might have favoured them.

Antares realise, there is no encoragement for a home Grown Technology in India and it is true that honestt man comes last.

Well it is very diffficult to confront C1 as they have money and muscle power.

• Both Wipro and C1, who were disqualified by Govt. of Karnataka were qualified in the Govt. of Chattisgarh tender, both of which were prepared by NISG.
• The price of HP is way higher than the other players. HP bid was the only one left. This is the reason only HPs bid was opened.

IS THIS AMOUNTS to TRANSPARENCY ? and ACCOUNTABILITY ? What Rajeev Chawla did here ?

Did Rajeev Chawlaand Associates paid off any in Govt. of Karnataka to award this contract to HP which has no experience in eProcurement in INDIA ?

Why NATIONAL AWARD in eGovernance for committing FRAUD in eGovernance ??

 Any one CRAZY to give NATIONAL AWARD to people who have committed FRAUD in eGovernance ??

eProcurement developed by these people is generating FUNDS for these people !!!

eProcurement developed by these people is NOT TRANSPARENT and ACCOUNTABLE !!!

WHY national award for commiting fraud in e-procurement ?

Why eGovernance Award for these people ?

They do not even think of what they are doing in eGovernance!

They have spoiled the eGovernance in INDIA.

eProcurement Case Background

eProcurement Case Background

https://egovindia.wordpress.com/2006/06/27/eprocurement-case-background/

eProcurement Case Background1. October 2000
Information Technology Act 2000 was passed. Use of 128 Bit SSL & Digital
Certificate made mandatory for ecommerce activities. As per IT ACT 2000 for
any electronic document to be legally valid, it should be digitally signed by
Digital Certificate issued by any Liscensed Certifyign Agency (CA) approve by
Controller of Certifying Agency (CCA).

2. September 2001
Government of Andhra Pradesh (GoAP) Core implementation committee was
formed to implement eProcurement and PWC (Price water house coopers was
appointed as consultant). They were paid Rs. 1.75 Cr for 5 projects, approx Rs. 35Lakh/Project as consultancy fee. Ref. pwc hired as consultant.pdf.

3. Feb 2002
CCA granted license to Safescrypt on 5th February, 2002, India’s first CA.
SAFESCRYPT Ltd, a Satyam Infoway company affiliated with VeriSign Inc,
issued the country’s first digital signature certificate to the Minister for
Communications and IT & Parliamentary Affairs, Mr Pramod Mahajan, at an
official ceremony here on Wednesday.
SafeScrypt is the first Indian company to get a certifying authority licence for
digital signature from the Controller of Certifying Authorities (CCA). The
company received this licence earlier this week.

4. In Feb 2002,
Department of Public Relation, Madhya Pradesh floated a tender for eTendering,
eProcurement which categorically specified that IT ACT 2000 needs to be
complied and Digital Certificate/SSL/PKI should be used to ensure secrecy of
price bid. No MNC consultant appointed to draft tender document. 5 Companies
participate in the same including Applitech Tenercity.com I Pvt. Ltd (Tendercity),
NexTenders, ITI/Antares, CNet, etc.

5. May 2002
Sometime in May 2002, GoAP floated a Tender for eProcurement software more
specifically eTendering and Reverse Auction engine by Govt. of AP. No mention
of PKI/SSL/Digital Certificate � what was Rs. 35 Lakh paid to then to PWC?

6. Mid 2002
Out of many bidders who had submitted the tender a consortium comprising of
C1 India Pvt. Ltd., Microsoft & Antares System Ltd & Compaq had submitted the
bid. Other bidders included companies like Wipro and consortium of Boradvision
and TCS. Consortium head by C1 India Pvt. Ltd (C1) won the tender. GoAP
approves rate of Rs.4500/Tender (GoAP Pays) & 0.24% of the Tender Value
(winning bidder pays to C1 India Directly)

7. In June 2002,
GoAP enters into a secret agreement with C1 India to do a pilot project and not
the consortium which had won the contract? WHY?

8. On 29 th Jan 2003,
www.eprocurement.gov.in launched without compliance to IT ACT 2000, Digital
Certificate, PKI. GoAP gives lame excuse that since Digital Certificates are not
available, hence the same was not integrated in spite of the fact that first Digital
Certificate was issued to Shri. Promod Mahajan as early as Feb 2002.
What started as a Pilot Project for nine months, gets extended for another 9
month unilaterally in spite of the fact that system did not comply to IT ACT
2000.

9. Jan 2003
C1 India gets a 128 bit SSL Certificate from Verisign for
www.eprocurement.gov.in domain? WHY?
1.) .gov.in domain belongs to only government organizations, how come the same was issued to a private company.
2.) 128 Bit SSL was procured from a US Company, whereas IT Act mandates that it should be procured only from liscensed CA. Why was the same not procured from TCS, Safescrypt.
3.) TCS, Safescrypt would have never issued a 128 Bit SSL certificate to C1 India Pvt. Ltd, as .gov.in domain belongs to only Govt. departments. A US company issued the same without any verification, because they were interested in dollars.

10. March 2003
PWD, Chhattisgarh floats a tender for eTendering with Department of Public
Relations, Madhya Pradesh specifications.
Tendercity, C1 India, Wipro, Antares/ITI, Nex Tener & other 3 companies
participated in the tender. Tender gets awarded to NexTender, a mumbai based
company in spite of Tendercity Being the lowest Bidder.

11. April 2003
C1 quotes to PWD, Chhattisgarh Rs. 1000/Tender as fix service charge
irrespective of Tender Value & No fee to be paid by PWD, Chhattisgarh?
Tendercity shares the same information with GoAP. GoAP calls for a steering
committee and yet no action is taken to revise fee being paid to C1 India i.e.
Rs. 4500/Tender (GoAP pays) & 0.24% of Tender Value (winning bidder pays)

12. July 2003
The first lawsuit under Indian cyber law, Antares Systems Ltd, the Bangalore-
based IT firm, has filed a case against an e-governance project in the Delhi High
Court for alleged infringement of intellectual property rights (IPRs) and unfair
competition. The case has been filed against C1 India Pvt Ltd, a subsidiary of
Nasdaq-listed CommerceOne. The Government of Andhra Pradesh and Principal
Secretary, Department of IT and Communications, AP have been arraigned as
parties.
Antares has urged the Delhi HC that C1 India and the AP Government be
restrained from infringing its copyright in its e-tendering software product
Tenderwizard and from relying upon, in any manner whatsoever, the features of
Tenderwizard, said the company’s Senior Vice-President, Mr R. Kamath.

13. July 2003
India’s First Digitally Singed eTender was enabled by Tendercity for Madhya
Pradesh Poorva Kshetra Vidyut Vitran Company Ltd, Madhya Pradesh Electrictiy
Board, MP (MPPKVVCL, MPSEB,MP). 10 Digital Certificates (TCS) were
issued to contractors across India.

14. December, 2003
Northern Railway floats a Tender for eTendering. C1 India, Wipro/NexTender,
Antares, HCL, Tendercity Participated in the tender. Tender awarded to
HCL/Boradvision Consortium. Rate approved Less than Rs.1500/Tender. GoAP
takes no action and does not revise the service fee it pays to C1 India.

15. Feb 2004
Tendercity writes letter to IT Secretary, GoAP, and Principle Secretary GoAP and bring to their notice that PKI compliance is not there on eprocurement.gov.in and that the eTendering services available at a very competitive rates in open market. No Action taken by the GoAP Officers.

16. Mid 2004
On PWC recommendations, JV option was dropped (JV between eTendering
service provider and Government of AP) and eProcurement services was
continued to be used in ASP model
Why did PWD suggested not to go ahead with JV option? probably because in
case of JV Government of AP would have made a lot of money? Total fee
reimbursed by GoAP & Various Bidder to C1 India in last 3 years is in tune of
Crores of Rupees. If GoAP had procured the software, it would have costed
Rs. 0, because that what C1/PWC quoted to NIC, in December 2004 for
eTendering Software.

17. July 2004
GoAP steering committee meets in October, 2004. Price bid revised to as follows w.e.f. 1 st April 2004 as follows
– GoAP pays nothing � i.e. Rs. 4,500/Tender waived off
– For Tender<50 Cr � each participating bidder pays 0.04% of Tender value or
Rs.10,000/Tender as processing fee, which ever is higher.
– For Tender>50 Cr � each participating bidder pays 0.04% of Tender value or
Rs.25,000/Tender as processing fee, which ever is higher.
– Still the same is very very high compared to open market rates. GoAP Continues with C1 India, when the contract though an illegal contract.
– GoAP accepts non compliance of IT ACT 2002 and yet gives C1 India 6 month
period to make their product PKI enabled, by March 2005. Why, was the project
not scrapped in then and then itself till the PKI compliance was not complete.

18. December 2004
PWC Partners with C1 India for NIC tender for eTendering.
Having played a instrumental role in causing great exchequer loss of GoAP, by
recommending ASP Mode, C1 India reward PWC with partnership for NIC
Tender. C1 ditched PWC (presumably) by quoting Rs.0 as software price to
NIC.

19. 1st April 2005
Digital certificates made mandatory from April 2005. Digital certificate are used
only of Authentication purpose at time of Login. Only price bids are digitally
signed and leaving room for service provider to tamper with technical bids,
document uploaded, etc.

20. Mid 2005
Tendercity alleges of eProcurement scam in one of the reply it filed in Delhi
High Court. The same document is shared with various AP departments, but no
action is taken.

21. 24 thNovember 2005,
Tendercity demonstrate to IT Secretary Shri Narsing Roa, the loopholes and
security defects in www.eprocuremnet.gov.in in person in his chamber. IT
Secretary assures that proper action will be taken against the culprits.
Tendercity gets an invitation from HUDA for demonstration of security loopholes
in the system but the same is postponed by CE after a brief 5 minute meeting.
Reason for postponement not specified. Subsequent meeting doe not take place.

22. 3rdDecember, 2005
Tendercity demonstrates to Principle Secretary & MD APTS the security
loopholes in www.eprocuremnet.gov.in and ideal security features that should be
enabled. Principle Secretary IT&C promise to take the appropriate action.

23. 5th December, 2005
GoAP accepts vide their email dated 5 th December, 2005 that
1.) www.eprocurement.gov.in is property of GoAP
2.) GoAP sees no harm if a 128 Bit SSL Certificate has be procured from USA
instead from a licensed CA as per CCA norms and that too by C1 India. In
layman terms it means a private company owns www.eprocurement.gov.in
3.) GoAP accepts that till December 2005, price bid submitted by 10,000 of
contractors 9800 eTender enabled so far reached the server in readable fashion
without any encryption, but that OK. It’s public money and it can go down the
drain.
4.) GoAP accepts that only C1 India can access the Price bid of contractors, as
they are the system administrator and super Admin of the website. Since no
government office has access to database, and generally they are corrupt the
system is secure. As per GoAP, private company which has been given the
custody of Rs.32,000 Cr. worth of eTender price bid security are trustworthy and
walking gods.
5.) GoAP states that C1 India does not access the readable price bid of all
contractors that is there in Database, and which can be accessed by C1 India
anytime from anywhere. GoAP goes on record that since not a single case of
tampering has been raised, there is nothing wrong with present system and they
have full faith on C1 India. They have full faith on PWC, so what if they partner
with C1 India for other government departments.
6.) GoAP does not care about Antares software being illegally used, since the
matter is sub-judice.
7.) GoAP has accepted that the system was so insecure, that had they told the
contactors and public at large about the security loopholes, no contractor would
have submitted the bid and hence all contractors, public, government officers
were kept in dark about the security loophole.
8.) GoAP has accepted that Detached Signature and Server Side encryption are
international practice as per their MNC consultant PWC, so what if C1 India get
the privilege to access the price bid of each and every contractors.

24. 10 th December, 2005
To cover things up, IT Secretary gives a clean chit to Service provider � C1 India
by means of issuing unsigned certificate making a claim that there is nothing
wrong with the system.
__________________________________

Please read this article.

The E-governance Muddlehttp://www.dqindia.com/content/search/showarticle.asp?artid=74532

What was expected to bring transparency in government transactions has got mired in a slew of allegations. Dataquest probes the charges made by an IAS officer against his own clan…Shubhendu Parth Friday, September 02, 2005

E-Governance efforts in Kerala : CAG indicting IKM

E-Governance efforts in Kerala : CAG indicting IKM

http://cag.nic.in/cag_reports/kerala/rep_2004/LB_08_CHAPTER_IV_.pdf 
is the original document of Comptroller and Auditor General indicting
(the most dubious e-governance project in the subcontinent) IKM and
Government (exposing the links that senior IAS officials have with the
project and Microsoft).

“A review of the implementation of the project was conducted by Audit
during February – July 2003 with reference to records in IKM
headquarters, one Grama Panchayat2 and two Municipal Corporations3. The bilingual
data base in SQL4 Server in MS Access format was analysed using
Computer Assisted Audit Technique and sample test method.”
==> Project clearly involves proprietary corporate solution.

“Government stated (July 2004) that the unutilised Central assistance
of Rs 25.72 crore released during March 2003, according to ways and
means position, had been deposited in the PD account of the Director of
Panchayats. As IKM had utilised only Rs 2.37 crore during 2003-04, there
was no justification to release funds of that magnitude to them.”
==> (in this period we have farmers committing suicides)

“Wasteful expenditure of Rs 69.78 lakh to train technical persons
The expenditure of Rs 69.78 lakh incurred on selection, training and
stipend to the apprentice trainees had become a waste. The Government
stated (November 2004) that the expenditure incurred on training of
technical persons was insignificant compared to substantial cost
benefits that would accrue from BOLT mode. The reply is not tenable as
the wasteful expenditure represented 22% of funds earmarked for
training (Rs 3.15 crore)..”
==> 3.15 crore for training - includes food, accommodation, travel and
campfire expenses - truly 5 star for a State like Kerala.

“Though the administrative control of IKM was transferred from the SPB
to LSGD in July 2001, no fresh agreement was executed between C-DIT and
LSGD for continuation of the project after 31 March 2001.  Government
stated (November 2004) that steps were taken to sign the MoU between
C-DIT and LSGD with effect from April 2001. Such agreement with
retrospective effect will not serve the desired purpose.”
==> Conspiracy between State Planning Board and Local Self Government
Department

“In the absence of higher level suitable provision for validation of
data at an upper level, there was a risk of issuing incorrect
certificates, as the integrity of the data input cannot be
vouchsafed. ”
==> Even if it is technically corrected, the platforms and standards
are proprietary and the risk  would only continue.

“The Government stated (November 2004) that online operation of
Soochika and Sevana had commenced. But online operation of Sulekha, Sanchaya
and Samkhya is yet to start.”
==> IKM presenting plain lies before public with Government approval.

“Due to inadequate controls for authorizing and capturing system access
logs, the security of the system cannot be vouchsafed.”
==> Since freedom to access software components is missing, security is
not there and can never be there.

All this and more at
http://cag.nic.in/cag_reports/kerala/rep_2004/LB_08_CHAPTER_IV_.pdf
========
As of now, the Executive Mission Director of IKM has been promoted to
be Chairman of IKM and is a member of State Planning Board. The earlier
Planning Secretary, SPB is now Secretary to LSG Department (under whose
control now IKM also comes). ==> simple switching theory.

CK Raju
Thrissur
______________________________
A local state affair is now part of a global corrupt mafia !
 
Its not just an in-house affair, the nexus spreads it wings beyond and
extends them to bodies like United Nations - with a different theme
altogether.

http://www.itu.int/osg/spu/wsis-themes/ict_stories/themes/case_studies/kerala.html

A local state affair is now part of a global corrupt mafia !

CK Raju — doxa@sancharnet.in 
				

Corruption in implementation of NREGA

Corruption in implementation of NREGA
New Delhi | July 28, 2006 3:47:32 PM IST

http://news.webindia123.com/news/Articles/India/20060728/405244.html

Complaints of corruption have been received from certain states in the implementation of the much-touted National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), Rural Development Minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh informed the Lok Sabha today.

”A few complaints in the implementation of the NREGA have been reported. The reports have been referred to the states concerned for examination and for taking remedial action,” Mr Singh said during Question Hour.

In a complaint received from the Madhya Pradesh government, the Centre has deputed two national level monitors (NLM) to look into the allegations made, he said.

He, however, denied the charge made by Ram Kripal Yadav (RJD), amid loud protests, that corruption was rampant in the implementation of the Act in Bihar.

”No complaint has been received from Bihar,” Mr Singh declared, and said he was willing to order an inquiry if desired.

He said the state governments had been instructed by his Ministry to make adequate staff available with the concerned agencies for effective implementation of the Act.

UNI YJ MSJ HT1350

Victories in India’s war on corruption

Victories in India’s war on corruption
By Raja M

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/HF29Df03.html

MUMBAI – In a significant sign of a renewed battle to curtail corruption in India, the Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC), India’s most valued company (market cap US$21.8 billion), this year drew up a memorandum of understanding with the India chapter of Transparency International (TI) to clean up its procurement processes.

The April contract with the TI Integrity Pact exemplified the resurgent public battle to restore honesty in private and public corporations in India, consistently and accurately ranked as one of the world’s most corruption-damaged economies. A recent TI India study noted that petty corruption in government hospitals alone costs an estimated $440.27 million annually.

“After the ONGC Integrity Pact, other leading governmental bodies such as the Railway Board [became] interested and asked us to make a presentation,” G N Shrivastav, of New Delhi-based TI India, told Asia Times Online.

Shrivastav, a retired Health Ministry official, felt that in India “definitely there is a greater public awareness and support” for anti-corruption campaigns, adding that he is convinced voluntary organizations work with more dedication and credibility, compared with professionals of the corporate social responsibility (CSR) variety.

While Shrivastav’s boss, TI India chairman R H Tahiliani, a retired admiral who is India’s former chief of naval staff, was busy getting the Defense Ministry to use the Integrity Pact to protect contracts worth more than Rs3 billion ($64.6 million), the Berlin-based TI in its annual survey for 2005 said Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea had improved their ratings since 2004, while Sri Lanka and Bangladesh dipped. India remained in the bottom half, with a ranking of 2.9, the same as Armenia and Gabon.

TI International said South Korea progressed by developing anti-corruption institutions such as the Korean Independent Commission Against Corruption (KICAC) in 2002 and the K-PACT (Korean Pact on Anti-Corruption and Transparency), signed by 120 political, business and social leaders in March 2005.

While India’s governmental countrywide Anti-Corruption Bureau deals with bribe-hungry public officials, corporate India is more easily adopting governance codes. Pradipta Bagchi, general manager for corporate communications of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), India’s first $2 billion information-technology company, told Asia Times Online that his company has a corporate-governance policy, the 2,400-word Tata Code of Conduct, laying down such principles as: “specifically, a Tata company shall not engage in activities that generate or support the formation of monopolies, dominant market positions, cartels and similar unfair trade practices.”

In addition, recognizing that the corruption problem is as much a moral as a governance issue, Indians have tapped the country’s spiritual traditions to beat corruption. For example, business leaders ranging from Fortune 500 company managers to business students have studied an ancient system of mind purification called Vipassana; research suggests that Vipassana is effective in helping to understand the self-destructive nature of corruption.

A senior Indian government official, D R Parihar, in his research study “The Impact of Vipassana on Government”, concluded that Vipassana has a direct role to play in improving public administration. Leading Indian corporates such as ONGC, Indian Railways, auto maker Mahindra & Mahindra, and nuclear facilities such as the Bhabha Atomic Research Center regularly send employees to attend Vipassana courses.

In fact, a large variety of initiatives are under way to dent corruption in India, including the enacting of a Whistleblowers Act, a compulsory audit of political parties’ accounts, quick trial of criminal cases against legislators and seizing the illegally obtained property of corrupt public servants, a method successfully used by Hong Kong’s Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC).

On June 15, the Second Administrative Reforms Commission (approved by the Cabinet of Ministers on April 8, 2005) supported the Law Commission’s recommendation for a law to protect whistleblowers. Commission chairman Veerappa Moily released the 140-page report “Right to Information – Master Key to Good Governance” to the media, saying such a law was integral to democracy.

“Confidentiality of the whistleblower in such cases, if she or he seeks it, as well as protection from harassment by superiors should be integral to the transparency regime,” the report said. However, cynics pointed out that the government has yet to implement many of the recommendations of the first Administrative Reforms Commission, which served from 1966-70.

The notion of a whistleblowers’ protection law gained definitive momentum in India after a 31-year-old civil engineer, Satyendra Dubey, was murdered in 2003, days after he wrote a letter to the then Indian prime minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, complaining about corruption in a major highway project in the mafia-dominated eastern Indian state of Bihar. The Prime Minister’s Office had distributed his letter even after Dubey had specifically requested anonymity. The murder shocked the country, and even resulted in the founding of a “Satyendra K Dubey Foundation for Fight Against Corruption in India”, based in the US. That foundation declared November 27, the day Dubey was killed, as “Anti-Corruption Day” as part of its voluntary work against corruption.

Local governments are getting dragged into the anti-corruption act, with the Maharashtra state government this month promising Anna Hazare, one of the advisers to the Dubey Foundation and a highly respected local social leader, a regulation to punish officials who dubiously dawdle over files. But the proposed law controversially only targets junior officials, allowing the bigger fish to escape.

Pressure for cleaner government in India is also growing through networking of various local and overseas anti-corruption organizations, such as the Hyderabad-based Lok Satta, the Delhi-based Parivartan, the Ahmedabad-based Association for Democratic Reforms, the Pune-based Nagrik Chetna Manch, and non-resident Indian efforts such as the Dubey Foundation and the California-based PrajaNet (People’s Resolve to Act for Justice and Accountability Network). From July 1-15, PrajaNet will be part of an India-wide information campaign against bribery, by making people aware of the Right to Information Law passed in May 2005.
Other successes are being steadily notched up, such as TI India persuading the Supreme Court to make it mandatory for all candidates contesting elections to declare their educational, financial and criminal background, if any. Members of state legislatures and governmental servants can also come under the Prevention of Corruption Act hammer.

Outfit launched to weed out bad governance

Aradhana Sharma

Thursday, June 29, 2006 (New Delhi):

http://www.ndtv.com/morenews/showmorestory.asp?category=National&slug=Outfit+launched+to+weed+out+bad+governance&id=89595

No one knows the system better than those who have been in it. And so, some of the finest from the system have taken it upon them to change things, hopefully for the better.

Former Chief Justice R C Lahoti, former Chief Election Commissioner J M Lyngdoh and former DGP of Punjab Julio Reberio are all part of an India Rejuvenation Initiative. The initiative is a nationwide drive to weed out the bad governance in the corridors of powers.

“Most of the bad governance today is a result of bad choices of people in important positions, say the chief secretary or the DG of police. There are certain key appointments and we want to ensure in whatever way we can ensure that correct people are put in correct positions,” said J F Ribeiro, Former DGP, Punjab.

Besides retired bureaucrats, some serving officers too will be part of the initiative. One of the first things on the agenda is to ensure that political executives and bureaucrats remain just what they were meant to be, public servants. To achieve this, the group will first try to stop the misuse of VIP facilities.

“It is offensive, when VIP’s stop traffic when they pass by, sometimes for minutes and sometimes for half hour and they create commotion. In civilised democracy its even more offensive. That’s why the relics of the past feudal or otherwise have to be stopped and removed,” said J M Lyngdoh, Former Chief Election Commissioner.

The group does not have official sanction so far. So all that the informal group would be able to do is make recommendations and lobby for them to be implemented.