The condition of fitness of the firemen in active Fire-Service is appalling.

The other day I received an email from Brigadier DS Grewal, the contents of which are reproduced below.

"Dear Mr Bhanot,
Greetings of the day.

You may recall, about two months back, I had forwarded you my correspondence with regards to my RTI Application on Fire Fighting Arrangements by the Fire Department, under the aegis of Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh. In their response to one of my queries on the fitness of the fire brigade Personnel, they had stated that everyone is fit as a fiddle though they have never organised any periodic medical or any training for these personnel.

I have received a letter from some Baljinder Singh at Chandigarh pointing out things to the contrary. As I am at Dubai presently, my wife scanned the letter and forwarded to me. I am forwarding the same to you for what ever it is worth. Not only I but all the citizens of the TRI-CITY will be eternally grateful to you if appropriate action is taken by you.
Fond Regards,
Brigadier DS Grewal
971 529101033"

The attachment to the email can be seen by clicking here:http://www.scribd.com/doc/113510753/Chandigarh-Fire-Department-SCAN-DOC

A few days back I received an e-mail from Brigadier D.S. Grewal the content of which are prepoduced below:

The condition of fitness of the firemen in active Fire-Service is appalling.

The other day I received an email from Brigadier DS Grewal, the contents of which are reproduced below.

"Dear Mr Bhanot,
Greetings of the day.
You may recall, about two months back, I had forwarded you my correspondence with regards to my RTI Application on Fire Fighting Arrangements by the Fire Department, under the aegis of Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh. In their response to one of my queries on the fitness of the fire brigade Personnel, they had stated that everyone is fit as a fiddle though they have never organised any periodic medical or any training for these personnel.
I have received a letter from some Baljinder Singh at Chandigarh pointing out things to the contrary. As I am at Dubai presently, my wife scanned the letter and forwarded to me. I am forwarding the same to you for what ever it is worth. Not only I but all the citizens of the TRI-CITY will be eternally grateful to you if appropriate action is taken by you.
Fond Regards,
Brigadier DS Grewal
971 529101033"

The attachment to the email can be seen by clicking here:http://www.scribd.com/doc/113510753/Chandigarh-Fire-Department-SCAN-DOC

LIC Direct makes false pitch to sell annuity product, Jeevan Akshay VI - Moneylife

LIC Direct makes false pitch to sell annuity product, Jeevan Akshay VI - Moneylife

The Hindu : States / Kerala : Kerala information commissioner suspended

The Hindu : States / Kerala : Kerala information commissioner suspended

Governor H. R. Bhardwaj on Monday suspended Kerala State Information Commissioner K. Natarajan.

The suspension is pending formal enquiry by a Judge of the Supreme Court into the allegation that Mr Natarajan had tried to interfere with the vigilance investigation into gifting of government land by Opposition Leader V. S. Achuthanandan to his relative when Mr. Achuthandnan was Chief Minister.

An enquiry ordered by the State government had found that Mr. Natarajan had tried to influence Deputy Superintendent of Police V. G. Kunhan who was investigating the case against Mr. Achuthanandan. Additional Director General of Police (Vigilance) R. Sreelekha, who conducted the enquiry, reported that the State Information Commissioner had misused his office and recommended his suspension. He had repeatedly telephoned Mr. Kunhan and his request to Mr. Kunhan to save Mr. Achuthanandan was recorded by the latter.

(Mr. Achuthanandan is accused of having allotted 2.33 acres in Kasaragod district to his relative and ex-service man T. K. Soman in an irregular manner. The Commissioner allegedly sought manipulation of findings of the enquiry to favour Mr. Achuthanandan.)

The Governor will now refer the matter to the Supreme Court seeking a statutory enquiry by a Supreme Court judge against the suspended Commissioner. If misconduct is proved in the enquiry, the Governor can remove Mr. Natarajan from his office.

Mr. Natarajan was a Deputy Inspector General of Police before the Achuthanandan government appointed him as State Information Commissioner. His appointment had attracted criticism on the grounds that he was not qualified for appointment as Information Commissioner. (The Right to Information Act specifies that Information Commissioners shall be persons of eminence in public life with wide knowledge and experience in law, science and technology, social service, management, journalism, mass media or administration and governance.)

Meanwhile, the Human Right Defence Forum and Kerala RTI Federation have urged the President Pranab Mukherjee that Mr. Natarajan be stripped of the President’s Police Medal which was awarded to him when he was serving as a police officer. Forum President P. K. Ibrahim and Federation General Secretary D.B. Binu said that Mr. Natarajan had “let down the honour of the medal” by meddling with the Rule of Law.

Keywords: Kerala, Information Commissioner, vigilance enquiry, V S Achuthanandan, Kerala RTI Federation, RTI, Surendera, 

Letter to Haryana Chief Secretary requesting to provide security to Mr. Ashok Khemka

THROUGH E-MAIL

CONFIDENTIAL

02 NOVEMBER 2012

Mr. Pradeep Kumar Chaudhery

Chief Secretary TO Government Haryana,

4th Floor, Haryana Civil Secretariat,

Sector-1, Chandigarh.

Phone no :0172-2740118

RE: PROVIDING SECURITY TO MR. ASHOK KHEMKA IAS UNDER THE POLICY TO PROVIDING SECURITY WHISTLE BLOWERS / RIGHT TO INFORMATION ACTIVISTS / [COMPLAINANTS OR WITNESSES IN SERIOUS CASES] IN HARYANA

Hon’ble Sir,

Yesterday on the Television Channels and today in the Newspaper the story of “Threat Calls” to Mr. Ashok Khemka, IAS officer of Haryana, presently posted as Managing Director, Haryana Seeds Development Corporation Limited, is a front-page anchor. This is an open secret that Mr. Khemka, who had recently ordered the cancellation of mutation of a piece of land owned by Congress president’s son-in-law, is under all sort of pressure and discriminate treatment at the hands of the Government as well as is under threat from the vested interests.

Recently on 06 September 2012, in the wake of Civil Writ Petition (CWP) No. 832 of 2011, Haryana Government has issued a Notification No. 1/6/2010-3HG-IV introduced the POLICY TO PROVIDING SECURITY WHISTLE BLOWERS / RIGHT TO INFORMATION ACTIVISTS / [COMPLAINANTS OR WITNESSES IN SERIOUS CASES], copy attached.

Mr. Khemka is a ‘Whistle Blower’ as per clause (a) (i), (ii) & (iii) of the said notification and deserves to be provided with the security as envisaged in the above notification. A Complaint, as per news reports, in the form of information has already been registered with Sector 5 Police Station at Panchkula, and the matter is already in cognizance of the higher police authorities.

As per news reports, your honour has also taken a pro-active initiative on the threat perception to Mr. Khemka and has summoned him to have a first-hand information from him. RTIFED highly appreciate this initiative and show its warm gratitude you for this timey intervention.

We have high hope that Mr. Khemka will be provided the fool-proof security under the above Haryana Government policy; and the rights, life, liberty, dignity and honour of an upright Officer as well his family members will be protected.

Thanking you

Very cordially yours,

Surendera M. Bhanot

Coordinator, RTIFED,

Chandigarh

bhanot1952@gmail.com

Enclosure:

POLICY TO PROVIDING SECURITY WHISTLE BLOWERS / RIGHT TO INFORMATION ACTIVISTS / [COMPLAINANTS OR WITNESSES IN SERIOUS CASES] @ Whistle-Blower-Policy-of-Haryana-Government