To
Date: 3-4-14.
Dr Arvind Mayaram, Secretary,
Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry
of Finance, Government of India, North Block, New Delhi-110101.
Respected
Sir,
Sub: Information in respect Of Action taken on Memorandum no.
1/6/2011-IR dt 15-4-13 for SUO MOTU Disclosure of various provisions of
National Policy of Older Persons, 99; Maintenance & Welfare of Parents
& Senior Citizens Act, 2007; Integrated Programmes of Older Persons, 2008;
National Programme for Health Care of
Elders, 2011 etc.
Ref: Shri Sushil Kumar,
your Dy Secretary & AA`s Order no. 11/13/2014-Ad.V dt 26-3-14 received on
1-4-14.
1.Ministry of Personnel,
DOPT vide their Office Memorandum no. 1/6/2011-IR dt 15-4-13 has issued
elaborate instructions for SUO MOTU Disclosure to provide as much information
as possible to the Public so that the Public have minimum resort to use RTI Act
to obtain information and to advise them of Action Taken within 6 months of
issue of these instructions. We requested your Ministry to advise us the items
included in such Disclosure for welfare of 12 crore Senior Citizens of the
Country, as declared by Government of India in above 4 Policies under our RTI
Application dt 7-1-14.
2.There are 64 CPIOs and
large number of AAs in your Department as per your web site notification no.
F/1/3/2012-RTI dt 30-10-12. As per instructions on subject, each
department has to nominate one Nodal CPIO & AA and devise ways by which
information sought in a single RTI application for single subject is provided in a single
communication and not in a
number of separate replies. After all, the department is a
single public authority and not a conglomerate of many public authorities. Inspite of bringing this to notice of your Department,
no one bothers to streamline the working and goes on asking various CPIOs &
AAs to give reply directly to applicants! Kindly, get this regularized and
provide half-day training in RTI to all CPIOs & AA, as directed in DOPT`s
instructions no. 4/10/2011 IR dt 18-5-11.
3. DOPT has directed in
para 5 of their memorandum dt 15-4-13 to put up that directive to the Secretary
of the Ministry/Department. None of the 64 CPIOs did this. Shri Debal Patra,
one of the 64 CPIOs gave a curt reply dt 21-2-14 that our Application pertains
to Department of Expenditure only and information for Department of Economic
Affairs may be treated as Nil without examining the Application and DOPT Memo
dt 15-4-13. Shri Sushil Kumar, his AA & Dy Secretary vide his Order dt 26-3-14
advised that he has directed his CPIO to send Application to your Budget
division within 14 days to provide information to us instead of asking his
CPIO, if he is a nodal CPIO (as he has not shown his division and given reply
on behalf of your entire department) to obtain information from Budget division
and send us full information for 4 items of Application. AA has further stated
that necessary information about SUO MOTU Disclosure for your entire department
is already available in your web site. Perusal of that information in your web
site indicates that it is as old as 2012 and not as per DOPT Memo dt 15-4-13.
and not given item wise information requested on 7-1-14, though explained in
detail in our Appeal dt 13-3-14 to him
by name.
4. DOPT has directed each Ministry/Department to
put up this very important directive to the level of Secretary and desired that
nominated officer of the level of joint secretary would work under the
supervision of the Secretary, ensuring compliance of all instructions in
respect of the proactive disclosure guidelines; all statutory &
discretionary operations that are public authority`s mandate under AOB read
with TOB; preparing simplified versions of their budgets, their periodic
monitoring reports in user-friendly manner etc.
5. Though, as per AOB,
Ministry of Social Justice is a nodal Ministry for Senior Citizens, overall management and monitoring etc. of
the sectoral programmes in respect of Senior Citizens is the responsibility of
the concerned Central Ministries, State Governments and Union territory
Administrations. As far as 12
crore Elders of the Country are concerned, your Department has to examine all
the 4 policies declared by Government and disclose SUO MOTU actions required to
be taken by your department on various provisions therein. All Public
Authorities have to act on Mandate & Policy Statement of NPOP, 99 and take effective steps to improve the quality
of life of all Elders, strengthen their legitimate place in society and help
them to live their last spell of life with purpose, dignity and peace.
We have elaborated some of the provisions on
which action is required to be taken by your Ministry in our 1st
Appeal dt 13-3-14. As Department of Economic Affairs is the nodal
Department of Government of India for overseeing the public financial
management system and matters connected with State finances and so on and in
charge of Central Budget, Policies of PPF, Special Deposit Schemes, Small
savings, Tax Free Bonds, Credit, Fiscal & Monetary Policies of the whole
Country, your Ministry has to disclose every year in Budget the total funds
earmarked for welfare of elders of the country for paras 12 to 31, 36, 37,
63 & 93 of NPOP, 99 and other 3 schemes and show them under sec 4 of the
Act. Only to give some examples, your Ministry has to i) disclose proper
decisions about giving effective provisions for financial security, ii) financial proposals to strengthening the
legitimate place of senior citizens in society by providing support for
financial security, iii) take action to provide attractive returns on their
investments to take care of likely erosion in purchasing power, v) higher rate
of interest to elders for their various savings, vi) concessions in various
bank charges, vi) separate que for various transactions at banks & all
organizations under your Ministry, vii) dealing with representations on priorityand
to show in disclosure those not replied as required in terms of para 66 of
Office Manual, viii) subsidy for health insurance, ix) creating welfare
fund, x) actions to avoid age related
discrimination in entitlement of credit, xi) higher exemption limits for income
tax etc etc. Citizen Charter of your Ministry must include specific provisions
for elders for all 4 Schemes declared by Government for Senior Citizens.
We sincerely request you
to look in to this important subject affecting 12 crore Elders of the Country
and give full information, initiating sincere and speedy actions on all
provisions in 4 declared Policies for welfare of Senior Citizens.
Thanking you,
Yours Sincerely,
(M.V.Ruparelia)
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