FORUM

Corona  changes entire scenario

The corona virus is making people run for life. Life is at a standstill, After Govt. announcements people are on lockdown. No parties no gifts. We are now on a lonely planet, maybe space, the final frontier. In Nainital, we had a cove on the hillside facing Hanumangarhi. I have spent hours there reading books. The Deodars stood tall graceful and stately. The hillside had gladiolis, lilies, daisies cosmos, marigold etc. Peace prevailed away from the din of modern life.

Rekha Bhargava

 

“Travails of Delhi’s Residents Welfare Societies “

While fully endorsing S. Gopal’s views ( WIC dt March 27,2020),I would like to carry out a reality check. The truth of the matter is that the guidelines laid down by the office of  Registrar General of co-operative societies (RG) are seldom followed by the office bearers  of Residential Welfare Societies/ Associations .

RG’s office is a den of  corruption - both collusive and coercive . And, I say this with all emphasis at my command.  Raids conducted  by anti-graft agencies  vindicate the position. It merely  revealed total absence of  Accountability. There is no practice of conducting  suo moto surprise checks into the accounts of co-operative societies by RG’s office . I am not aware whether rules provide for it. But, the ground realities are alarming. The whole system is flawed. RG’s office runs on the basis of discretionary powers vested in the hands of its officers and staff. Doctrine of Quid pro quo decides grievances of hapless residents. The annual accounts of  Societies’ AGMs are audited by private chartered accountants ,who are empanelled by RG’s office. Due diligence is never followed.

Appointment of private security agencies for providing security guards to gated societies, is a matter of grave concern. The credentials of a majority of security guards are never vetted by the local police. The beat constables are kept satisfied. The contractors take their cuts, share it with the local police and the matter is allowed to rest .Govt of NCT, Delhi turns a blind eye to the widespread corruption, despite tall claims by CM Kejriwal. The situation is equally deplorable in all societies  of  national capital

A K Saxena (A former civil servant)

 

Suddenness of exigencies and unprepared administration

 

It was Sunday on June 3, 1984,when  a deputy Commissioner, got  message from the SSP on walkie- talkie, about the state- wide  promulgation of prohibitory orders  of curfew. There was no doubt left that the coming days were to be very tense. At that time ,he was hunting in the foothills of Shivalik range. He rushed back to the district headquarter and continued talking to his police counterpart on the way. He was immensely worried as all movement of persons and vehicles including bicycles etc in the cities and the villages was banned. He asked his gunman to tell police control to inform the local ADC,SDM and other important officers to reach his residential office after half an hour. Communication ,in those days was extremely difficult unlike ease of the present day mobile phones. When he reached his residence, he was astonished to see that not a single officer had turned up. He asked his residential telephone operator to contact the officers. Many phone numbers did not respond, and from others the information was received that the officers had gone out locally. So many orders were to be issued. Curfew passes were to be arranged, availability of essential commodities  was to be checked and in the meanwhile the police had started asking for deployment of Executive magistrates on duty, as worrying reports from Amritsar had started pouring in. In the outside sub-divisions, only one SDM was available, where only one Naib Tehsildar was also present.

Even after two hours, no officer was available. The deputy Commissioner had completely lost his temper and thought of immediately suspending the absent officers. The office superintendent and some officials were called to issue various orders ,which had to be signed by the deputy Commissioner as district magistrate. SSP was asking for duty magistrate, as some law and order problem had erupted. He was lost in embarrassing thoughts when the  peon told him that PGO sahib had come. Public grievances officer was  a very senior PCS officer, who had been superseded during selection to IAS and who had worked as ADM for more than three years. The deputy Commissioner had very poor impression of him, considered him irresponsible and a hardcore drunkard. He always ignored him and never took him seriously. And now the deputy Commissioner thought that in him God had arrived. He very warmly greeted him. Although PGO sahib seemed to be in the hang over stage of drinking, yet he very attentively listened to everything what the deputy Commissioner told him and he repeatedly assured the deputy Commissioner that he would do everything. The first thing he did was to reach the trouble spot and defuse law and order situation. He had also called his staff. He worked 24 hours ,till more officers started arriving on the scene and situation was saved. Later on, when deputy Commissioner, in a lighter vein, asked him as to how he was there on a holiday, when he would remain untraceable even on a working day. He told him,'' I could not get up for 2 days because of heavy drinking. On getting  up, I reached Bus stand, where i was informed that Curfew had been promulgated and no vehicle would move. I thought , i would request you to spare Red cross vehicle for taking me home, Ki patta si aa ke phass jana a (Not knew I would be trapped). ''His respect in the heart of the deputy Commissioner immensely grew, as he made no excuse of any sort while performing his duty. The officers, who were not available on that day, remained in trouble for many years.

Surinderjit Singh Sandhu

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