Black money: Govt of India refuses info about action on whistleblower's expose of unaccounted money in HSBC

Falciani

By Our Representative
Yet another instance has come to light suggesting the Government of India isn’t keen on sharing information on black money. The Ministry of Finance has lately refused to part with official information on action taken following former Geneva-based HSBC Bank employee and whistleblower Herve Falciani’s leaked information on account holders who had stashed away black money in the bank.
A Right to Information (RTI) plea by senior activist of New Delhi-based advocacy group, Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI), Venkatesh Nayak, had sought information, more than a month ago, copy of the letter reportedly written by Falciani to the Chairman, Special Investigation Team (SIT), constituted following a Supreme Court order of 2011, and its responses sent by the SIT.
The RTI plea also sought copies of file notings of SIT, and also documents that contain details of action taken by SIT in pursuant to the letter of Falciani. More recently, Falciani wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and chairperson, Special Investigation Team (SIT), constituted in May 2014 to investigate unaccounted money stashed abroad.
While the RTI application was addressed to the Black Money SIT, attached with the Ministry of Finance, Nayak, ironically, received a reply from the Income Tax Department under the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT). The latter rejected the application, especially citing “fiduciary relationship” provision of the RTI Act’s Section 8(1).
Comments Nayak, the reply suggests there appears to be “an inexplicable hesitation” about recognising Falciani as a whistleblower. The effort, instead, was to club him with “other persons who claim to be whistleblowers who have come forward to provide assistance in the investigation of black money stashed abroad.”
According to Nayak, by describing the relationship between the CBDT and a whistleblower as fiduciary, new standards are being set on secrecy, “which even the Supreme Court did not recognize.” Thus, in the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) case “the Apex Court clarified that all and sundry relationships especially those governed by statutory requirements cannot be termed ‘fiduciary’ in nature.”
He quotes the Apex Court as saying, “It had long since come to our attention that the Public Information Officers (PIO) under the guise of one of the exceptions given under Section 8 of RTI Act, have evaded the general public from getting their hands on the rightful information that they are entitled to."
Significantly, Nayak says, the ruling runs count to the Prime Minister’s address, in October 2015, to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the implementation of the RTI Act, where he said that citizens should not only have the right to get copies of documents but also ask question and demand accountability from public authorities, because the right to ask questions is the very foundation of democracy and it will reinforce their faith in democracy.
“Many PIOs seem to think otherwise thereby making a mockery of this promise. The black money issue is one of immense public interest as it links inextricably with the businessmen-criminal-politician-bureaucrat nexus, corruption, tax evasion, money laundering, round tripping and pure and plain criminality”, Nayak says.
“The Government releases very little information about the progress made by the SIT on black money”, says Nayak, adding, Only one set of answers to a query raised by an MP in the Lok Sabha is accessible on the website of Parliament for the ongoing Winter Session”, Nayak says, adding, “These answers focus on systemic changes required to be made or already effectuated by the Government.”

Comments

hcpblogs@gmail.com said…

How to conquer Corruption ?

There is only one sure - and superfast - way to get rid of corruption
By introducing :
* NEGATIVE MOTIVATION
Putting behind bars ( - and right away ; not after 6 years ) , every corrupt fellow and
immediately confiscating his ill-gotten wealth
* POSITIVE MOTIVATION
By abolishing Personal Income Tax and introducing Amnesty Scheme , incentivize
# converting of black money into white
# acceptance of all payments thru official channels

As far as providing " Negative Motivation " is concerned , I had sent following suggestion to our Hon Prime Minister / Finance Minister / other Ministers / Secretaries etc , on 4th Nov 2015 :

# INTERNET OF THINGS ( IoT )

As each currency note of Rs 500 / 1000 , is getting printed , embed it with microscopic
RFID chips ( with this , current cost of a RFID chip will fall from 50 paise to 5 paise )

Besides communicating with each other , these chips will also transmit their existence
location , through internet , to cloud-based servers of Income Tax Department

This will form a " NETWORK OF CURRENCY NOTES ( NoC ) "

You may like to call this Internet of Currency ( IoC ) , a sub-set of IoT !

# IP ADDRESS SYSTEM ( IP V 6.0 )

Each Rs 500 / 1000 currency note must be assigned ( at the time of printing ) , its own
unique Internet Address , using IP V 6.0

This IP address should be linked with the unique Serial Number printed on each note.

Since IP V 6.0 , will be capable of assigning " 2 * 10 to the power of 128 ", no of IP
addresses , there is no danger of running out of addresses , even if we decide to extend
this idea to Rs 100 currency notes !

Here are the most important BYE - PRODUCTs :

* No more possibility of fake / forged / counterfeit , currency notes

* No thief would ever want to steal such currency notes which continuously announce their
location

* No one would want to make any " Cash Deal " . All payments will become official only !

* Plastic currency notes will last 10 times longer !

This reform will enable the Central Government / Income Tax Department , to :

* Continuously trace the movement of each of these higher denomination currency notes

* Instantly locate any place ( using Google Map based GPS ) , where there is an
accumulation of more than Rs 1 Crore worth of currency notes

Such accumulation will be made to appear as a TAG CLOUD on the web site of IT Dept,
like thousands of balloons floating on a map of India , capable of being drilled down to
within 1 Sq Meter ! Of course , visible only to IT officers ; not to general public !

On each balloon , will appear a number announcing , " Amount of Cash here - Rs " !

This will vastly simplify the task of Anti Corruption Dept / Enforcement Dept etc
Of course , RBI will need to allow 6 month's time to the owners of current paper currency notes of Rs 500 / 1000 , to get these exchanged with new plastic notes before withdrawal of the old notes from circulation

Implementation of this suggestion , does NOT require passing of any BILL in Lok Sabha or being held to ransom in Rajya Sabha !

And it can be implemented in India , within ONE YEAR

But if Chinese President Xi Jinping comes to know about the practicality of this suggestion , he might implement it in 6 months !

How come ?

Simple ! Xi Jinping has the political will ! And no historical baggage !

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

hemen parekh

22 Dec 2015

( Also read blog " Network of Currency Notes " at : www.hemenparekh.in>Blogs )

December 23, 2015

North Gujarat gram panchayat bars villagers from dealing with Muslim hawkers, traders

By Our Representative A gram panchayat in North Gujarat has barred its residents not to buy anything from Muslim traders and hawkers. An order of the Waghasan group gram panchayat of Tharad taluka of Banaskantha district dated June 30 states that the decision has been taken in the wake of beheading of a Hindu tailor after he posted a derogatory writeup on Prophet Mohammad in Udaipur. The gram panchayat resolution says, anyone seen buying or selling any commodity from a Muslim hawker or trader would be fined Rs 5,100. Bringing this to light, Mujahid Nafees, convener, Minority Coordination Committee, in a letter to Gujarat chief minister Bhupendra Patel, says, the state government should take legal action against the panchayat chief who has signed the “unjust” order. The letter says, the act of the sarpanch and other signatories is a violation of rule of law of the state and threat to peace, pointing out, the move is in violation of Article 15 of the Constitution, which says that none

Unlike Soviet Union, Russia is no friend to India: Ukrainian scholar tells 'Indian friends'

Counterview Desk In an open letter to "dear Indian friends", Anastasia Piliavsky, born in Odessa, Ukraine, studied at Boston and Oxford Universities (on a Rhodes Scholarship), and now teaches at King’s College, London, has said that she faces "deep moral dilemma", personally and professionally, over the "astonishingly unified Indian response to the war in Ukraine." Based on her interaction with a "number of thoughtful and caring Indian friends", in this letter, she says, she is "reeling at the ubiquitous silence at, justifications of or outright support for Putin’s terror, which now prevails in India, at the ubiquitous #IStandWithPutin and #istandwithrussia hashtags." She insists, India must understand, "Unlike the Soviet Union, Russia is no friend to India. Soviet leaders, beginning with (the Ukrainian) Nikita Khrushchev – who declared hindi rusi bhai bhai – built up deep political and cultural exchange with India." Text : I

Technocratic globalism, tyranny? Health Ministry warned: bill to 'enslave' Indians

Sandeep Pandey, Tushar Gandhi By Rosamma Thomas* Union of Concerned Citizens, a group comprising Magsaysay Award winner Prof Sandeep Pandey, human rights activist Tushar Gandhi, former judge of the Bombay High Court BG Kolse Patil, pediatrician Dr Jacob Puliyel and several renowned Indian citizens have written to the Union Health Minister cautioning him against tabling the draft Public Health Bill in the Monsoon Session of Parliament. “The Public Health (Prevention, Control And Management Of Epidemics, Bio-Terrorism And Disasters) Bill, 2017 and a Prospective Bill of 2022 as discussed in news articles, is straightforwardly violative of Fundamental Rights of the citizens of India and therefore, Ultra Vires of the Indian Constitution. It contravenes several International Treaties and Conventions including the Nuremberg Treaty of 1947 which was enacted to ensure that no country would repeat such inhuman medical atrocities on fellow human beings”, the 12-page letter reads. “Strangely, t

Protesters demand release of Teesta Setalvad, Sreekumar, seek review of SC order

By Our Representative Protests broke out across India on June 27 following Teesta Setalvad’s arrest demanding her immediate release. Sabrang India , a site run by Setalvad, claimed she was “arrested on trumped-up charges after the Supreme Court dismissed the petition moved by Zakia Jafri demanding an investigation into the larger conspiracy behind the 2002 Gujarat violence.” The protesters also demanded release of former DGP Gujarat police RB Sreekumar, also arrested simultaneously. The protests were preceded by over 2,200 people from across the globe signing a statement demanding their immediate release. Leading signatories such as People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) general secretary V Suresh, National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM) convenor Medha Patkar, former Naval chief Admiral Ramdas. “The state has used the observations made in the judgment to falsely and vindictively prosecute those who had struggled for justice even in the face of state callousness and complicit

Electoral bonds scheme 'compromises' voluntary nature PM relief fund donations

By Rosamma Thomas* The Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) is meant to collect voluntary donations from the general public, either individuals or organizations, to enable assistance to people in times of natural disaster, or for expensive medical treatment. That fundamental voluntary character of the fund, however, has changed in recent years. The gazette notification of January 2018 announcing the Electoral Bond scheme states, in Clause 12 (2): “The amount of bonds not encashed within the validity period of fifteen days shall be deposited by the authorized bank to the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund”. The Union government has, thus, through notification, directed funds to be deposited into what was meant to be purely voluntary. Commodore Lokesh Batra, who has been campaigning for transparency in government functioning, holds that once a gazette notification has been issued directing that funds be deposited into the PMNRF, the character of the whole fund has changed,

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Our Representative Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

'Highly abnormal': AltNews journo's arrest suggests 'deterioration in media freedom'

By Bharat Dogra* Leading media organizations have come out in strong support of recently arrested journalist Mohammed Zubair. These organizations include, among others, the Editors Guild of India, the Press Club of India, the Delhi Union of Journalists and DIGIPUB, a platform for several important digital media organizations. All these organizations have condemned the recent arrest of the noted journalist and demanded his immediate release. While leading human rights organizations and political parties have also made somewhat similar statements, the strong support of media organizations is particularly important as the effort of the authorities has been to try to present the arrested journalist as someone who has been indulging in irresponsible journalism. In such a situation the support of those media organizations who are familiar with his work and who are most capable of judging the quality of his work is very important. In this context it is important that some media organization

Majoritarian silence helping Hindutva forces 'handover' national resources to corporates

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak* The majority of Indian citizens are witnessing the persecution and everyday violence against their fellow citizens who are Muslims and religious minorities. The growing assaults on reason, science, secularism, Indian democracy and constitution are going to be landmarks in Indian history of diminishing democracy and citizenship rights. It is clear that Hindutva ideology is directly promoting sectarian politics of hate which is dangerous for the unity and integrity of India, peace and prosperity of Indians. The majoritarian silence helps in empowering Hindutva and their electoral dividends. From witnessing the persecution in the sidelines to the active participation and cheering loud or silence accelerates violence against our neighbours and our fellow citizens. How and why do majority of Indians stay silent and contribute to the persecution of their fellow citizens who are Muslims and religious minorities? The question baffles me as an Indian because I have gr

Electricity Bill: Centre's reform measures contain 'carrot and stick package' for states

Counterview Desk The Peoples’ Commission on Public Sector and Public Services (PCPSPS), claiming to be a network of eminent academics, jurists, erstwhile administrators, trade unionists and social activists, seeking consultations with stakeholders with those who are against the government’s decision to monetise, disinvest and privatise public assets/enterprises, has said that the proposed Electricity (Amendment) Bill-2022 will have far-reaching impacts on the finances of states. Insisting that the proposed Bill would lead to “assault on India’s federal structure”, in a statement, it says, it would weaken the finances of states’ power distribution companies, have adverse impact on utility employees, cripple the states' finances, impose a heavy cost burden on the smaller subsidized consumers (especially farmers), and benefit only corporate business houses. “States cannot afford to ignore the far-reaching implications of the Bill on their economy, finances, agricultural and industria

Cops 'refuse to register' complaint after BSF shot landless worker off Bangla border

By Our Representative Kirity Roy, secretary, Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM), and national convener, Programme Against Custodial Torture & Impunity (PACTI), in a complaint to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), referring to the incident of “firing and execution” of a poor Muslim youth, has alleged that the 26 year old was was shot at “without giving any warning” one and half kilometers inside the Indian territory from Bangladesh border by an on- duty Border Security Force (BSF) personnel. Stating that the person, Ruhul Mondal, belonged to an Other Backward Class (OBC), and hailed from Ramnarayan Para village under Sagarpara police station in Murshidabad district, West Bengal, Roy in his representation said, the BSF person who shot at him is “attached with Singpara Border Outpost, 141 Battalion”, underlining, the BSF has now floated “self defense theory” to cover up its operation. According to the BSF officials, the incident took place in the jute fields in

Counterview

Search This Blog