Nasheman

India's largest selling Urdu weekly, now also in English

You are here: Home / Archives for UPA

‘UPA awarded Aadhaar card projects over Rs.13,000 crore without tenders’

by

Aadhaar

Mumbai: Aadhaar card projects of the UIDAI worth over Rs.13,000 crore were awarded without issuing tenders by the previous UPA government, according to a RTI response, an activist said here on Saturday.

RTI activist Anil Galgali had submitted queries under the RTI to the UIDAI officials, Public Information Officer S.S. Bisht and Deputy Director-cum-PIO R. Harish who provided the replies about the amount spent on the projects which was then headed by technocrat Nandan Nilekani.

In the reply, the UIDAI officials disclosed that total project contracts worth Rs.13,663.22 crore were awarded without any tenders of which an amount of Rs.6,563 crore has been already spent on issuing 90.3 crore Aadhar Cards till May 2015.

They further informed that a total 25 companies were awarded different responsibilities for the massive project and their empanelment was done under the process guidelines of Request For Empanelment of May 19, 2014.

“This is shocking as various sections of people, including the Supreme Court and civil society groups have expressed serious concerns about the right to privacy with sensitive personal data of 125 crore population going in the hands of private companies,” Galgali told IANS.

He urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to order a probe into the UIDAI to ensure transparency in the award of contracts for Aadhaar cards.

“The sensitive datas of finger prints and iris of each and every Indian could be unsafe with private companies,” cautioned Harsheet Shah, cyber law expert-cum-researcher.

According to the information, some of the companies awarded more than one project works include: Tata Consultancy Service, Mac Associates, Wipro, HCL, HP India Sales Pvt. Ltd., National Informatics Centre, Sagem Morpho Securities Pvt. Ltd, Satyam Computer Services Ltd, L1 Identity Solutions, Totem International Ltd., Linkwel Telesystems Pvt. Ltd. Sai Infosystems India Ltd, Geodesic Ltd, ID Solutions, NISG, SQTC, Telesima Communications Pvt. Ltd.

Others which secured a single contract include: Reliance Communication, Tata Communications, Aircel, Bharati Airtel, BSNL and Railtel Corporation of India Ltd.

(IANS)

Manmohan Singh warned me of harm in 2G issue: TRAI Chairman

by

Pradeep-Baijal-Manmohan-Singh

New Delhi: Yet another book has come out damning the previous UPA government with former TRAI Chairman Pradip Baijal alleging that the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had warned him of harm if he did not cooperate on 2G telecom licenses.

An accused in the 2G spectrum allocation scam case, he also claimed that the CBI wanted him to “implicate” Arun Shourie and Ratan Tata in the case. In his self-published book, The Complete Story of Indian Reforms: 2G, Power and Private Enterprise — A Practitioner’s Diary, Mr. Baijal, who was appointed head of the telecom watchdog by the NDA government in 2003, said the 2G scam trail began under UPA’s Telecom Minister Dayanidhi Maran regime.

“They (CBI) had warned me in each case that I would be harmed if I didn’t cooperate. Incidentally, this was exactly what the eminent economist Prime Minister had told me would happen if I did not cooperate in their scheme of things in the 2G case,” Mr. Baijal writes in an apparent reference to 2G case and disinvestment issues.

There were no immediate comments available from the former Prime Minister, while Mr. Baijal told PTI, “I have said everything. It is 100 per cent correct and I have evidence to prove everything.”

This is the third book in last more than a year that has come to haunt Dr. Singh and his government about state of affairs during his regime. The first book was written by his aide and media advisor Sanjaya Baru and later by former coal secretary P.C. Parekh who is also an accused in the case relating to coal blocks allocation.

Mr. Baijal said he was “not treated properly” after he gave recommendations on the unified licensing regime. “That led to many problem and that led to adverse inference against me by the ruling party then. When I met Prime Minister late, he said that you must listen to your Minister and you must take his view in to consideration. I said his view will get me in to lot of trouble,” he said.

Mr. Maran, who was Telecom Minister in UPA I from May 2004 to 2007, threatened Mr. Baijal with “serious consequences” if he gave recommendations on Unified Licences that would have replaced the old system of giving out permits on first-come-first-serve basis. “Dayanidhi Maran told me in my first meeting with him not to give Unified Licensing recommendations as directed by the Cabinet of the previous government. He further indicated that there would be serious consequences if I did,” Mr. Baijal wrote.

When he took up the matter with the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, he wrote that “The PM also told me to cooperate with my Minister in the coalition government he headed, since non-cooperation could compromise his government.”

Mr. Baijal said that both Mr. Maran and his successor A. Raja suppressed his recommendations and sold spectrum to “a selected few without following any rules or procedures.”

He claimed that CBI wanted him to implicate Ratan Tata and Arun Shourie. Mr. Baijal writes that Mr. Maran knew exactly about discussion between him and Dr. Singh.

“I can only surmise that they were all working in tandem possibly along with the PM, Chidambaram and Kapil Sibal at different stages and were guiding the CBI enquiry, getting files removed and, making false statements in the media to make a case against the erstwhile TRAI.”

Mr. Baijal has alleged that Ratan Tata in 2004 informed him that “he was being threatened by Dayanidhi Maran that unless he accepted the merger of Tata Sky with Sun TV, he would ruin him. Ratan Tata refused to cooperate. They would alternatively threaten to harm me and my family and then dangle a carrot of sparing me if I implicated Ratan Tata and Arun Shourie,” he wrote.

Mr. Baijal said that his recommendation was meant to replace Unified Access Services Licence that were allocated with spectrum but TRAI’s “recommendation was not considered and the old regime continued which led to 2G scam later.”

The recommendation on UL was followed by another recommendation on spectrum related issues in May, 2005 that suggested bidding of spectrum in case adequate spectrum is not identified despite best efforts.

He said that bidding process must be avoided in view of the existing high burden of license fee, service tax, spectrum charges, etc. “Had I cooperated with Dayanidhi Maran and the PM, I would have been in jail today, held guilty for the 2G scam,” Mr. Baijal said.

Mr. Baijal said that he flagged issue of Mr. Maran being appointed as Minister as he is also a broadcaster but the “PM dismissed the concerns with serious argument that there is no conflict of since TRAI was an independent regulator.”

(Agencies)

Modi government has only renamed the previous UPA government's policies: Chidambaram

by

P-Chidambaram

New Delhi: The Narendra Modi government has advertised its work better though it has only renamed the previous UPA government’s policies, former finance minister P Chidambaram today said.

“We didn’t trumpet our achievements as well or as cleverly like this Government does. We have to acknowledge they have advertised their work better,” he said.

“Best flattery is imitation. I am very happy that NDA is following UPA policies,” he quipped.

Mr Chidambaram, one of the seniormost ministers in the Congress-led government, addressed the press conference in response to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley’s briefing on Friday to mark one year of the Modi government.

He took on Prime Minister Modi on his comments in Shanghai, China, about Indians being ashamed to have been born in India.

“I was born many years ago. I was not ashamed to be born in India. I asked many people – have they been ashamed to have been born in India. If anyone born before May 26, 2014 was ashamed to be born in India, let them ask me a question…,” Mr Chidambaram remarked.

The PM had said, “Earlier, you felt ashamed of being born Indian. Now you feel proud to represent the country. Indians abroad had all hoped for a change in government last year.”

(Agencies)

UPA hanged Afzal Guru for political reasons: Omar Abdullah

by

He said no as he had signed the paper and warrant has been issued and asked me to deal with the implications.”

omar-abdullah

New Delhi: The controversial hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru had been carried out for “political reasons” by the UPA government which had informed him “only hours before,” former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah said today.

Out for a dinner with his sister at a Delhi restaurant, Omar received a call from the then Home Minister SushilkumarShinde informing him that he had signed the papers for Guru to be hanged early next morning and asking him to make law and order arrangements.

Even as a last minute effort, Omar told PTI, “I asked the Home Minister whether he was sure that nothing can be done.

He said no as he had signed the paper and warrant has been issued and asked me to deal with the implications.”

Pointing out that the cases of assassins of Rajiv Gandhi and Beant Singh had been handled differently, he said, “the fact is whether we like it or not he was hanged for political reasons. It’s a fact.”

“I had said I will not pass judgement on it until I see how Government handles other cases… I have seen other cases. Look how they handled assassins of Beant Singh and Rajiv Gandhi and look how they jumped this guy up the queue.

“Clearly what other conclusion can you arrive at other than this that they wanted to deny BJP another handle to beat them with in the general elections and, therefore, the easiest two people to be hanged were AjmalKasab because he was a foreign national and Afzal Guru. Whether I like it or not, but they did it,” he said.

Guru, who was at serial number 28 in the list of condemned prisoners, was hanged on February 9, 2013. A controversy broke out as his family got news of his hanging on television.

Omar Abdullah’s National Conference was part of the UPA government at the time of the hanging and his father, Dr Farooq Abdullah, was a Cabinet Minister at the Center. The alliance continued till the General Elections of May 2014.

Omar, working President of National Conference which lost power in the December 2014 Assembly elections, termed the Guru issue a ‘sword of Damocles’ hanging over him, saying he had been apprising the Centre from time to time about the implications of Guru’s execution.

“The Afzal Guru execution was something that was discussed all through my tenure. Because we knew it was like a sword of Damocles hanging over us. So from time to time the implications of it were conveyed to the Government of India both to Mr P Chidambaram and to MrShinde,” he said.

The implications were always conveyed to the Centre but the concerns multiplied when Kasab, lone survivor of the terrorist team which created mayhem in Mumbai on 26/11, was hanged, he said.

“The general feeling was this that once they have done this, Guru is going to be next and I did place my reservations on record at the time as to what the implications of this would be,” the former Chief Minister said, adding that he was “told that a decision hasn’t been taken but it is being contemplated”.

(PTI)

Modi government not much different from UPA: Govindacharya

by

File photo

File photo

New Delhi: Days after Arun Shourie criticised Narendra Modi Government, BJP’s former ideologue KN Govindacharya on Tuesday too questioned its performance, saying it was not much different from the UPA dispensation and the PM has to come up with “Made for India” policies.

Govindacharya, founder of outfit Rashtriya Swabhiman Andolan, said people continue to witness the “same partial” and “corrupt” dispensation at the central level.

“The government has completed a year. But at this moment, we can’t see a ground to list their achievements, which is a matter of concern. On one hand, it is directionless (on policy issues). On the other, there are internal differences amongst ministries.

“People feel even though Modiji looks different from others…People will have their own assessments…. But (I) can’t see much of a difference in the (two) Governments. Same partiality, corruption is there,” he told reporters.

On the Government’s policies over land acquisition bill and concepts of Smart Cities and Make in India, he cautioned the Prime Minister Modi over his advisors in these matters.

“I don’t know who are the advisors of Narendra Modi… who unnecessarily (have) brought into his head this type of a problem of Land Acquisition bill in which the basic norms could not be followed.

“Therefore, I think, that a clever person like Narendra Mod…I think he should beware of his advisors,” he said.

Govindacharya advised the government to properly supplement the “Make in India” concept with “Make for India” and “Made by India” policies.

“Otherwise, it will just be a signboard that ‘India on Sale’, which won’t do any good to people of Bharat,” he said.

Shourie, a minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government, had earlier this month hit out at the Modi Government saying its economic policy was “directionless” while the social climate was causing “great anxiety” among the minorities.

(PTI)

BJP backtracks on black money, Ram Jethmalani accuses it of shielding the corrupt

by

jethmalani_modi

New Delhi: BJP did a volte face on the black money stashed away abroad by telling the SC that could not disclose the names of those who have deposited money in banks abroad, citing double taxation avoidance treaties with other countries.

It said that as per this law it cannot make public the names that were disclosed by foreign banks. The move has drawn flak from the opposition Congress party, which was criticised for taking the same position during the United Progressive Alliance regime. During its Lok Sabha poll campaign, the Bharatiya Janata Party had promised to recover undeclared money kept by Indians in overseas banks if elected to power.

Its stand was made in an application seeking modification of an earlier court order asking it to disclose the names all such people it had received from German government to the petitioner Senior counsel Ram Jethmalani.

Jethmalani who slammed the previous government said that the current government was trying to shield the rich and corrupt.

“Matter should not be entertained even for a day. Such an application could only be made by crooks who have illegally parked their ill-gotten money abroad and not by a democratically elected government,” Jethmalani said, adding that Centre is trying to protect the people who have stashed black money in foreign banks.

Global Financial Integrity, a Washington-based think-tank, has estimated that Indians had salted away $462 billion (about Rs. 28 lakh crore in current exchange rates) in overseas tax havens between 1948-2008. A study by industry body Assocham says nearly $2 trillion or Rs. 120 lakh crore of Indian black money is stashed overseas. Assocham’s black money estimate is more than the country’s nominal GDP, which stood at Rs.114 lakh crore or $1.9 trillion in 2013-14. Jethmalani claims that around Rs 70 lakhcrore is stashed in foreign banks.

He said that he has written a letter to Prime Minister on this issue and his response is awaited.

Interestingly, the apex court had earlier rejected the same stand taken by UPA government, observing that such DTAA does not prevent the Centre from disclosing the names of the persons having bank accounts in foreign banks.

The Congress, for its part, demanded an apology from Mr. Modi for misleading the nation. Accusing the BJP and Mr. Modi of “political dishonesty”, Congress spokesman Abhishek Singhvi said the stand taken by the government in the Supreme Court earlier in the day was basically a repetition of what the former Finance Minister, Pranab Mukherjee, had said in the past.

“At that time, he was shouted down by the BJP” and its supporters like Baba Ramdev and Kiran Bedi, Mr. Singhvi said. Why is one government’s inaction on black money alright while another government was ridiculed for it?”

KNOW US

GET INVOLVED

PROMOTE

Archives