PM misguided by babus: CAT asks RAW to take back officer

The toxicity of file notings & minute sheets in the Indian context has been discussed umpteen number of times.
Now comes the clincher. In a scathing order, the Principal Bench of the Central Administrative Tribunal has come down heavily upon reports presented by lower staff to the PM resulting in an incorrect decision. The Hon’ble CAT was dealing with a case of a RAW officer who was removed from service after her ‘identity’ became public. The CAT also commented that the anonymity of RAW personnel was more myth than reality.
My friends, again, beware of the note maker. One may be lurking in your very own office.
Posted by Navdeep / Maj Navdeep Singh at 5:01 AM

CAT asks R&AW to take back officer
Satya Prakash, Hindustan Times
New Delhi, March 18, 2010
The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) has ordered the reinstatement of a senior officer of the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), who was compulsorily retired from service for security reasons after her identity become public.

“We are of the confirmed opinion that the applicant has been treated with a large doze of arbitrariness and her statutory we well as constitutional rights stand violated,” the tribunal said, ordering the reinstatement of R&AW director Nisha Priya Bhatia with all consequential benefits.

Bhatia was given a posting in an inferior cadre in 2008. When she challenged the posting, the government told the tribunal on November 26, 2009, that she would be taken back to the executive cadre after six months. But after three weeks, she was removed from service on December 18, 2009.

Bhatia alleged that prostitution rackets were being run from R&AW office premises and funds were being misused. R&AW had denied the charges.

The government counsel argued: ”It was only after mature reasoning that the competent authority, the Prime Minister, decided to retire her from service.” The actual order, however, was signed by an undersecretary in the cabinet secretariat.

A bench headed by CAT vice-chairman M. Ramachandran said: “The Prime Minister obviously might have been acting on the basis of reports presented before him. But it could have been only one-sided, and reports have been prepared by persons who are not friendly with the applicant (Bhatia). The opportunity for hearing any other version has been virtually denied.”

It said: “So long as we are expected to uphold constitutional rights of an individual, we cannot be silent witness to at least such unpalatable happening brought to our notice.”

The bench wondered why Bhatia was not given the protection available to civil servants under Article 311 of the Constitution.

On the government’s contention that an R&AW official becomes “unemployable” once his/ her identity is made public, the tribunal said: “Anonymity of personnel of R&AW is more a myth than reality.”
CAT asks R&AW to take back officer
Related story:
IB and RAW are supposed to collate and analyse intelligence reports, but the chiefs play a game with one end: access to the prime minister.
Why our spies fail us

DA Rates Jan 1986 To Jan 2010

Dear Friends.
Jai Hind.
I have been getting many queries regarding the DA rates for period Jan 1986 onwards. I expressed my helplessness to all of them.
And here is now a gift from Brig AN Suryanarayanan surivini@gmail.com .
On behalf of YOU ALL, ‘i’ thank Brig Suryanarayanan for sending this information to us.
In service of Indian Military Veterans
Chander Kamboj

From: Brig Suryanarayanan
Sent: 20 March 2010 19:27
Subject: DA RATES FROM 1-1-1986 to JAN 2010
Keep this info handy. IF and WHEN, we get the arrears of Rank Pay (Dhanapalan Case), this may be helpful to check!
Brig AN Suryanarayanan (Retd)

* In April 2004 50% DA merged into basic pay/pension and 11% carried forward. Therefore the basic pay/pension became 1.5 into Basic pay/pension. Let us call the (1.5 x basic pay/pension) = RB (Revised Basic)
Therefore, In April 2004 the effective Pay/Pension plus DA became–RB + [11% of (RB)]

ECHS: Valuable suggestion to run Polyclinics smoothly

Dear Rakesh,
The point regarding support by area is genuine.With out their support most of the additional staff employed in excess of the sanctioned compliment will not be paid.

In my polyclinic we have a data ebtry operator and a watchman paid out of GOC's funds. I do not get any money from any one for running the polyclinic. We are given a sum of Rs 5000/- per quarter towards routine expenses like postage,cleaning gear etc. This amount is grossly inadequate. It does not even meet the courier expense of bills forwarded to SEMO.

I have a suggestion. There are three ESM canteens, one Station HQ canteen (with 500 ESM members) and one NCC Canteen in my area of operations. If they could give a token amount of Rs 1/- per bill of the ESM, to the polyclinic we will have sufficient funds to run the ECHS including buying emergency medicines. Will it be possible to take up this matter at the highest level?
Regards
Cdr Vaithy


Dear Gen,
the idea mooted by Vaithy is sound and also very justifiable. ESM form a very large part of all canteen clientele. just as canteen profits of all canteens are given to offrs messes, jco messes etc etc a proportionate amount as suggested could be given to each poyclinic from the canteens. though the AG and Comds do give funds to the ECHS there are hundreds of petty expenses that a oic polyclinic needs to incur on a daily basis for eg in the noida polyclinic i have seen the oic run around after the Arun Vihar RWA for repair of small items like a broken door, repair of elec items and the list is both petty and endless. canteen funds based on the ESM billing is a legitimate demand. the AG could take up this case with the QMG and since this is a totally inhouse army decision i do not see any problem in its acceptance. implementation too is simple and already tried and tested.
We could discuss this in our quarterly meeting on 25 Mar 2010.
Brig Sateesh Kuthiala (Retd)