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

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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)

Rs 2.4cr bill lands Karnataka governor in controversy

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Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala

Bengaluru: Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala has landed himself in a controversy after an RTI query revealed excessive spending by him. The RTI reply shows that the Governor’s office had claimed Rs 2.3 crore for renovation and Rs 10 lakh more were spent on chartered flights for his official visits, sources said.

The bill says that Rs 40 lakh was spent on providing interiors in the Governor and his ADC’s chambers. This included wooden false ceiling, wooden wall paneling, glass doors among several others. Additional sum of Rs 30 lakh was spent on the interior works in the offices of Officer on Special Duty (OSD), private secretary and main lounge.

Alterations worth Rs 25 lakh were made in the telephone exchange, computer section, dispensary and university section in the Raj Bhavan.

Rs 35 lakh was also spent on asphalting internal roads and providing kerbs at the front. Another Rs 50 lakh were also spent on widening of pathway near the main building, alterations to laundry and dispensary.

The amount for renovating the kitchen, dining hall and bathroom of the Governor’s was billed at Rs 50 lakh.

Vala assumed office of the Governor on September 1, 2014. His appointment had been opposed by the Congress government in the state.

(Agencies)

Modi’s helpless wife moves State Information Commission with fresh RTI

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Jashodaben

Ahmedabad: Jashodaben, wife of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, filed a fresh RTI application at the State Information Commission in Gandhinagar Saturday, challenging the Mehsana RTI appellate authority’s February 6 order, which denied her information she had sought under RTI in November, 2104, on her security and privileges as PM’s spouse.

In the February order, Mehsana District Police Superintendent J R Mothalia had denied Jashodaben the information, arguing that it came under LIB department and as per a 2005 circular of Gujarat Government’s home department, the LIB was exempted from providing the information.

Distressed by the stonewalling of attempts made by her to seek information under RTI twice, Jashodaben may go to Delhi to meet the Prime Minister, said her nephew, Sandip Modi, who is also her advocate.

Jashodaben has also objected to her being referred to by her maiden name, instead of her married one. In her application, she has reasserted her legally married name of Jashodaben Narendrabhai Modi, overturning the RTI reply, given to her by Mehsana Public Information Officer, which simply referred to her as “Shrimati Jashodaben, daughter of Chimanlal Modi”.

Jashodaben came to the Information Commissioner’s office with Sandip Modi Saturday to file the application. Sandip Modi told The Sunday Express, “We have filed an application, challenging the order given to us in February. How can they (authority) change the status of her name — Jashodaben Narendrabhai Modi?”

(Agencies)

RTI query on Gujarat riots stonewalled again by PMO

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modi

New Delhi: The Prime Minister’s Office has suppressed the right to information by once again refusing to release details of the correspondence during the Gujarat riots between then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and then Chief Minister Narendra Modi, citing “third party objections.”

RTI activist Subhash Agarwal wrote to the PMO in December 2013 seeking complete copies of correspondence between Mr. Vajpayee and Mr. Modi between February 27, 2002, the day the Sabarmati Express was set on fire in Godhra, and April 30, 2002, by when the worst of the post-Godhra riots was over.

After first refusing to give the information, a decision overturned in appeal, the PMO replied to Mr. Agarwal in April 2014 that it was seeking consent of third parties.

(Agencies)

BJP MPs spent crores of taxpayers' money at five star hotel: reports

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BJP

New Delhi: The Narendra Modi government’s austerity polices have taken a hit after an RTI report claimed that many BJP MPs enjoyed their overstay at five-star hotels on tax-payers’ money.

The RTI report showed that till November 15,2014, 92 MPs, since their election, several of them from the BJP, have been living at the Ashoka Hotel in Delhi, in spite of being allotted the government accommodation, said an IBN Live report.

The report further claimed that the hotel bills is likely to be in crores.

According to the rules, the MPs should move into the residences within eight days of the allotment.

However, the BJP MPs in question have denied overstaying at five-star hotels and rubbished the report saying its data was outdated.

The latest RTI revelation contradicts the Modi government’s austerity policies. Last year, the Finance Ministry in order to cut down the unexpected expenditure by 10 percent announced a few austerity measures. The measures included orders to officials to avoid meetings at five-star hotels, restriction on ministers’ first class air travel to abroad among others.

(Agencies)

Scared of guards, Modi’s wife files RTI, says she is deprived of justice

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Jashodaben

Ahmedabad: Taking the Gujarat administration by surprise, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s wife Jashodaben has sought details through a Right to Information application about the security arrangements that she and other family members of the PM are entitled to as per protocol.

Jashodaben Modi turned up at the office of Mehsana district superintendent of police on Monday and submitted a RTI application. Of late, she has become active in social life and has been seen attending events, while expressing her desire to stay with the PM in Delhi.

Jashodaben expressed unhappiness about the current security set-up, where her guards travel in government vehicles, while, despite being the prime minister’s wife, she uses public transport.

She noted that late prime minister Indira Gandhi was killed by her own bodyguards and said she felt scared by her security. The prime minister’s wife asked the government to make it compulsory for each guard to produce copy of their deployment order.

Mehsana Superintendent of Police J R Mothalia said Jashodaben wanted to know what her rights were in terms of security. “She came to our office and filed an RTI to know about her rights as the PM’s wife with regard to security cover. We will give our written reply to her in the stipulated time,” he said.

She also sought several documents from the police department related to her security cover given as per protocol, including the certified copy of the actual order passed by the government in this regard.

Jashodaben, at present, lives with her brother Ashok Modi at Unjha town in Mehsana district. After Modi was sworn in as prime minister, she was provided with security by the Mehsana police. “We have deployed ten of our policemen, including armed guards, for her security.

They work in two shifts, five each in one shift,” said Police Inspector of Mehsana Special Operations Group J S Chavda.

Later, when a television channel tracked Jashodaben on her way to Unjha when she was riding pillion on a scooter, she said she was ready to live with Modi if he invited her. “If I am invited to live with him, I am ready to move to Delhi,” she said.

When asked about her intention behind filing the RTI application, she said: “I am not given justice. No facilities have been provided to me.”

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