Wednesday, November 6, 2024
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Limitations of RTI

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Editor,

Apropos your response to my letter, I would like to state that as NGOs we have always welcomed constructive criticisms and do not call names at those who criticise us or who differ with our views and opinions.

With regard to “the Rs.9 crore CGI sheet scam” as mentioned by you, I wish to remind readers that we had twice conducted public hearings on the RTI findings relating to the purchase of CGI sheets by the state housing department and on both occasions we had submitted our findings to the Chief Minister and to the Commissioner of the State Vigilance Commission with a request that an enquiry be conducted and action taken against anyone found guilty. But as I had written in the letter to the editor published in your paper (ST Aug 31 2012) that having brought to the notice of the government the RTI findings, “it is the duty of a responsible government to take corrective steps, which sadly is not happening in our state so far”. Had the government taken action on these RTI findings which we had submitted, ” it would have had a deterrent effect on future scams, to a great extent.”

May I remind the public that the RTI is, as the name implies, our right to get information. It has no executive powers to punish anyone. For that we need another strong and independent constitutional body/ authority like the Lokpal or the Lokayukta to take action against those found by the RTI to be indulging in irregularities and for this to materialise, the MRTIM is campaigning for a strong Lokayukta Act in our state that will have an independent authority with powers to investigate and prosecute and we appeal for public support in this campaign.

Yours etc.,

Michael N.Syiem

Via email

 Concerns of ordinary traveller

 Editor,

It is noteworthy that the Urban Affairs Department has recently introduced some SPTS buses for ferrying students to and from their respective destinations. This will reduce traffic congestion in the city during peak school hours. This is also a boon for those the middle class people of this city. However, there are a few things that need to be addressed. I request the authorities to revive the electronic ‘Traffic Signals’ in the city since several crores of rupees had been wasted by the erstwhile government. Irrespective of what had happened, the present Government needs to re-install the automatic traffic signals so that pedestrians can safely cross the road.

I also request the District Administration to be stricter with local taxi owners. They should install fare meters (for full taxi booking) and also display the fare chart so that no driver can charge exorbitant fares arbitrarily. Also at one time the police had become very strict with overloading but now things have gone back to the bad old days.

Lastly I wish to remind the authorities that there is no direct SPTS bus service from Laitumkhrah/Fire Brigade/Nongthymmai to Laban area and vice versa. Anyone who has to go to Laban has to hire a local taxi at an exorbitant rate. If Government can connect Laban to other parts of the city either by SPTS or Supplementary Transport Services it will be a great help to ordinary people.

Yours etc.,

PB Das,

Shillong -3

 MPSC at it again!

 Editor,

Through your esteemed daily, we want to address our grievances in relation with the Meghalaya Public Service Commission (MPSC). The Commission vide its notification MIPR No. 877 dated 12.02.2010 invited applications for approximately 66 posts of Junior Divisional Accountant (JDA) under the administrative control of the Director of Accounts and Treasuries in all the previous seven districts. The written test for the same was held on 15.10.2011 and as per the results declared vide notification MPSC/Ex-C/9/2011-12/15 dated 16.07.2012, sixty (60) candidates were declared to have passed the written test. We, who are among the 60 candidates, were called for a personal interview on the 13th and 14th of August, 2012, the results of which have not been declared.

What surprised us was that two days after the personal interview i.e., on the 16th of August, 2012, another notification viz., MPSC/Ex-C/9/2011-12/30 dated 16.08.2012 came out which was put up on the Commission’s notice board and also uploaded on the MPSC website only on 22.08.2012. This notification contained an additional list of 138 candidates, who were also declared to have passed the written test for the above mentioned posts in view of the relaxation of the qualifying marks by the Government from 40% to 30% (vide Govt. Letter No. FEG/62/2007/231 dated 31.07.2012). This raises serious questions about the functioning of the MPSC. Is the Commission serious with regards to appointing those who have qualified to the above posts? If so, and the available posts happen to be 66, why doesn’t it appoint us initially and seek 6 more from the additional list? Does the MPSC feel that it will find more suitable JDA’s from those securing 30% – 40% than from those who have scored 40% and above? Does MPSC have another definition for the term “MERIT”? Will Government relax the qualifying marks of other exams hitherto conducted by the MPSC? Or is this a ploy to accommodate someone’s son/daughter, niece/nephew etc., who failed to attain the required percentage?

Yours etc,

Concerned candidates,

Via email

 

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