"Former Chief Information Commissioner Dr Suresh Joshi will soon come here as Advisor to YASHADA," revealed YASHADA'S Director General Shailesh Kumar Sharma at a consultation meeting on 14 November in Pune. This was told to about 30 RTI activists from Pune, Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra. DoPT's Jt Secretary Rajeev Kapoor and Prahlad Kachare, Director of Centre for Public Policy were also present. YASHADA -- Yashwantrao Chavan Academy of Development Administration -- is a premier training institute for administration and also Right to Information.
The question is: Is it fair that Dr Joshi should be further rewarded with this post-retirement position at taxpayers' cost?
About his role in the Adarsh scam, The Times of India, Oct 31, says: "Sushil Kumar Shinde forwarded the file to the urban development department, which on October 3, 2001, issued a notification for reduction of the roads width and inclusion of a portion of the land freed as a residential zone. Suresh Joshi was then principal secretary, UD… The Adarsh file followed Joshi, who was later made MMRDA commissioner. MMRDA agreed to dereserve a transit camp reservation on a nearby plot."
Also, think about Dr Joshi's role in RTI implementation. We feel that he harmed Right to Information in Maharashtra. Do you?
If so, please write this letter (COPY-PASTED BELOW) to Mr Sharma and also Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, urging them not to appoint Dr Joshi.
Warm Regards,
Krish
_______________
LETTER DRAFT:
18th November 2010
To
Shri Shailesh Kumar Sharma,
Director General, YASHADA,
Raj Bhavan complex,
Baner Road, Pune 411007
Sub: Please don't appoint Dr Suresh Joshi as Advisor to YASHADA
Sir,
We are shocked and dismayed to learn that Dr Suresh Joshi is about to be appointed as Advisor to YASHADA. Surely you are aware that he is a tainted bureaucrat, and that his appointment as Chief State Information Commissioner (CSIC) was a probably a reward for undue favours that he rendered in Adarsh and other dubious projects.
AS CSIC, DR JOSHI LAUNCHED SEVERAL BAD PRACTICES
1) Maharashtra SICs follow unlawful procedures in case disposal. Procedures such as "Remand back to FAA", which have no basis in the RTI Act, are being followed by individual State Information Commissioners. These are used to frustrate the appellant's quest for information. Also, necessary principles of law such as "continuing mandamus" are not followed by Maharashtra SICs i.e. After giving orders stating "Give Information within 15 days" etc., they take no further responsibility for ensuring compliance by PIOs. Dr Joshi nurtured such unhealthy methods of working.
2) SICs are not putting onus on PIOs. Section 19(5) and 20(1) last paragraph state that the onus is on PIO to justify that he acted diligently under the RTI Act. Maharashtra SICs are deliberately not putting onus on PIO. They do not demand reasons for denial u/s 8 and 9 etc. Instead, the appellant is being put under pressure during hearings to argue his grounds of appeal. Also, instead of acting as judges, SICs are acting as advocates of PIOs, suggesting justifications for denial of information. Dr Joshi started this trend in our State, damaging the soul of the RTI Act.
3) Maharashtra SICs do not follow court-like proceedings. Statements are not recorded by a steno-typist, and barely any notes are taken even by the SICs themselves. SICs conducting hearing write down or ignore points as they please. As a result, relevant facts, law-points and the self-contradictions of public authorities go unrecorded. SICs frequently pass orders with no relevance to the hearings. Dr Suresh Joshi is responsible for setting up such an atmosphere where quasi-judicial discipline is absent, and loose talk prevails.
DR JOSHI'S INVOLVEMENT IN ADARSH SCAM
The Times of India, Oct 31, says: "Sushil Kumar Shinde forwarded the file to the urban development department, which on October 3, 2001, issued a notification for reduction of the roads width and inclusion of a portion of the land freed as a residential zone. Suresh Joshi was then principal secretary, UD… The Adarsh file followed Joshi, who was later made MMRDA commissioner. MMRDA agreed to dereserve a transit camp reservation on a nearby plot."
Sir, Dr Suresh Joshi is exceptionally unsuitable for the role of Advisor to Yashada, or any similar posting. He has done enough damage for one lifetime; please don't give him further assignments at taxpayers' cost.
Yours Sincerely,
(Name and Address)
Copy to: Shri Prithviraj Chavan, Chief Minister of Maharashtra,
Mantralaya, 6th Floor, Madame Cama Road, Mumbai 32
DOWNLOAD READY-TO-PRINT LETTER: http://tinyurl.com/svjoshi2
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