kesav 127 Report post Posted October 25, 2010 I got the following SMS from BSNL. "For a Corruption Free Society - lodge complaint with central vigilance commission at website WWW.CVC.NIC.IN or at TOLL FREE NO : 011-24651000 - BSNL" It's a strange thing to get an SMS from BSNL on Corruption free Society. After a bit of intuition, I got the reason. The current CENTRAL VIGILANCE COMMISSIONER, P. J. THOMAS was secretary of DoT till a month back. It can only happen in India that head of the department under scrutiny is transferred to head the agency which is investigating it. Its not strange then for him to propagate corruption free society through an organisation entrenched with corruption. There is a saying in Tamil which means "Wolf sheds tears for the goats getting drenched in rain" Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
in.raghav 3 Report post Posted October 25, 2010 I guess this is not a toll free number 011-24651000 ( you can call to this number also) TOLL FREE IS 1800 110 180 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Karthik R 246 Report post Posted October 25, 2010 It will be improper for Thomas, as CVC, to investigate the 2G spectrum allotment scandal in which his own ministry was involved. Though he became telecom secretary after the allotment, the ministry has consistently defended the allegedly irregular allotments. More importantly, Thomas was involved in a major corruption case relating to import of palm oil from Malaysia when he was the food and civil supplies secretary in Kerala. There was demand for his prosecution but the permission for that was denied by the Centre. The state government was also reluctant to appoint him as the chief secretary because of the taint of the palm oil scandal, though it relented later. An official with such a doubtful record should not have been made the CVC. The leader of the Opposition, Sushma Swaraj, has recorded her dissenting view, and the government should have respected that. There were two other senior government secretaries in the shortlisted panel of candidates. Why did the government insist on its decision when there were others who do not have the cloud of controversy over them? SOURCE - Deccan Herald. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
commonman 228 Report post Posted October 25, 2010 The current week is being observed by the CVC, Govt of India and all organisations under the purview of GoI as the "Vigilance Awareness Week". The SMS is sponsored by the GoI. Similar SMS have been also sent from other operators. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sougatadc 358 Report post Posted October 25, 2010 Kesav, no need to be sarcastic. It's a routine observation. Every year, Central Govt offices observe Vigilance Awareness Week. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kesav 127 Report post Posted November 22, 2010 (edited) SC uncomfortable with Thomas as Central Vigilance Commissioner New Delhi: His appointment was controversial right from the start - the BJP vehemently opposed PJ Thomas being made the Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC). Now, the Supreme Court has expressed its discomfort. "We are concerned that if a person is an accused in a criminal case how will he function as CVC?" the court said. The government has submitted in court the file on Thomas' appointment, which has been challenged by a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that alleges Thomas is involved in two different controversies - the 2G scam and an oil-import case. Till recently, Thomas was a secretary in the Telecom Ministry, currently at the epicentre of charges that the country lost 1.76 lakh crores because former minister A Raja and his bureaucrats undervalued 2G spectrum deliberately, and gave it at throwaway prices to companies they favoured. Thomas has also been named an accused in a case that saw the Kerala government importing 15,000 tonnes of edible oil in 1992 from Malaysia - the rates paid were so high that the state lost close to two crores. The judges, expressing their concern said, "How will he function in such a sensitive post? He's an accused in the palm oil import case. There's a chargesheet pending against him since 2000. You don't even promote someone when there's a chargesheet against them. There will be complaints before him, he won't be able to proceed. In every matter, he will be faced with an embarrassing situation." But the government was determined to hold its own, and the Attorney General's remarks have stirred a controversy. The Chief Justice of India asked, "Isn't impeccable integrity an eligibility criterion for such appointments? We want to settle this question once and for all." Attorney General Goolam Essaji Vahanvati replied, "Integrity is a given...If impeccable integrity, becomes an eligibility criteria, then all judicial and constitutional appointments will be open to question." The case against PJ Thomas In 1992, the Kerala government said there was a shortage of edible oil in the state, and imported 15,000 tonnes of palm oil from Malaysia for the public distribution service network. The government paid more than market rates, resulting in a loss of Rs. 2.8 crores. Thomas was Food Secretary of the Kerala government at the time. He was later named an accused in the case, after a report by the Vigilance and Anti-corruption Bureau said he "played a pivotal role in the import of palm oil." The court hearing the case has not dismissed the charges against him. He was granted bail. source :: http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/sc-uncomfortable-with-thomas-as-central-vigilance-commissioner-67792 A very strong observation from SC. Another important point to note here is AG's googly at SC. He directly questions SC on whether appointments of judges in SC and HC are based on the criteria of impeccable integrity. Let us pray it does not become a cat fight between Judiciary and Executive. As citizens, we want all the top posts in the country to be handled by people of impeccable integrity whether it's judiciary or executive. Edited November 22, 2010 by kesav Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
