Reforms: It’s easier to find god than govt: Shailesh Gandhi

Friday, July 6, 2012

It’s easier to find god than govt: Shailesh Gandhi

NEW DELHI: Outspoken RTI activist-turned-information commissioner (IC) Shailesh Gandhi slammed judicial and quasi-judicial authorities for the tardy pace of disposal adding that citizens are not " immortal".

" Judicial and quasi-judicial authorities don't think timelines are important. Cases remain pending for 15-20 years. Citizens and issues are not immortal but no one seems to give this importance," he said. His statements come at a time when the Central Information Commission (CIC) continues to hear cases dating back to 2010.

Gandhi, who retired on Friday, described ICs as a " senior citizens' club", taking a dig at the government's penchant for appointing retired bureaucrats. " We need younger people in the Commission," he said, adding that the number of civil society representatives as commissioners should be higher as well.

Targeting government inefficiency at delivery of services, Gandhi said scathingly, " It is easier to find God than government today." He added that simple steps like computerization of records would bring down corruption by 30% making it difficult to use excuses like the file is " lost or damaged".

Gandhi said that the process of appointment must be transparent and through public consultation. He has even written a letter on this issue to DoPT minister V Narayansamy elaborating on the procedure which should be initiated through an advertisement. He said that each commissioner should be given a benchmark of 5,000 cases to dispose of.

Gandhi has given decisions for an unprecedented 20,400 cases in the last four years, with 5,900 since the last year.

When asked if the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) should remain exempted under the Act, Gandhi said that the immunity given to the agency was not as per law and it was " unfortunate" that citizens' groups had not protested more vehemently on the issue.

Gandhi said he hoped that the Commission would make a commitment that the pendency would be between three to four months, if not now, in the next three or five years. "I have proposed this in the Citizen's Charter which initially had found favour but ultimately the Commission refused to accept the Citizen's charter. It has not been willing to make commitments to citizens," Gandhi said admitting that he had been unsuccessful in getting the Commission's nod for the proposal.

However, he has not given up on the hope yet and plans to pursue adopting of a citizen's charter with CIC and state commissions as an RTI activist.

Source: The Times of India Himanshi Dhawan, TNN | Jul 7, 2012, 12.43AM IST

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Election Commission, one of India’s finest brands

Democratic elections provide the method through which citizens assert their civil and political rights. Founders of modern India adopted universal adult suffrage thus reposing faith in the wisdom of the common Indian to elect his/her representative to the seat of power.

Choice of electoral democracy for India was variously termed at that time as a giant leap forward, a bold enterprise and an unparalleled adventure. The makers of the Constitution had realised quite early that elections provide the starting point of justice and equality. Despite a 16% literacy rate and a caste-based hierarchical social system, the independence came directly to the hands of ordinary people in the form of a vote. Oppressed masses of India had voted in many elections before Switzerland allowed its women and Australia its aboriginals to vote.

A thriving and vibrant electoral democracy has been India’s distinct and durable identity at the global stage, long before it asserted itself as economic, nuclear or IT major. This brand, which was founded by our freedom fighters and makers of the Constitution, has been nurtured by Parliament, Judiciary, Political Parties, Media and above all by the People of India, with some distinct contribution from the Election Commission.

Over the past 61 years, the Election Commission has delivered 15 elections to the Lok Sabha and over 330 elections to State Legislative Assemblies, thus facilitating peaceful, orderly and democratic transfer of power. Elections to the 15th Lok Sabha held in April-May 2009 have been described as the biggest management event in the world. It involved 714 million voters, 8,35,000 polling stations, 1.18 million Electronic Voting Machines and 11 million personnel. India’s electorate is larger than that of any continent and even several continents put together.

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