Twitter Bigbattle Debate-my summary 12 Jan 2012
Engr. B. Rajaram ;Inventor ACD/SkybusJan 12, 2012 06:23 PM
This is truly impressive. Even minutes of the meeting available. The technology has made this possible.Why Governance cannot be done using the technology tools- economically and decision along with work flow is made visible to every citizen?
As MD of KR, I did implement open visibility for workflow and file notings, even for audit to watch in real time.You will be surprised how a Minister stared at me, when I told him that when he wants to give any order that would straight away appear in my work flow scheme for all to see. Then he backed off! Actually it is the bureaucrat who has the power of declaring a file secret or open. Even what Railway Board's communication marked confidential, I used to declare as open, by posting reply on the servers, if it is not involving any individual's private concerns , and public are the stake holders.
There is no constitutional provision to hide the workflow of governance. The secrecy is loosely enforced under the Official Secrets Act, arbitrarily. Why a Cabinet proceedings & decision shd be secret? So long as national security interests or crime investigation issues are not involved, every thought of the government should be visible to the ultimate boss- the CITIZEN, in a republic. Time we move Supreme Court to remove arbitrary application of the Official Secrets ACt, and lay down norms.
Actually RTI was "granted" to misdirect and mislead us, and get bogged down with more and more babus filtering, build up back logs, then ask for more and more staff, a typical successful game played by the babudom Please do not fall in this trap. RTI created so many more red-light topped cars going around!We are further asking for more of them!We think we are "heros" when we get a small crumb thrown at us! But actually we are getting humiliated daily, is what I feel.
We should move Supreme Court to fill to get the arbitrary way files and governance kept secret from us by the babus and the Ministers to provide the dark alleys, to do nefarious activities. They hate bright sunlight of honesty. It is even more surprising for the government to say, honest officers need secrecy to fearlessly make their point. Absolute nonsense. Honest officer need not fear public scrutiny. It is the dishonest who has to fear.
Please go to Supreme Court to get norms laid on how the Official Secrets ACt has to be used- get the arbitrariness removed. I did use the same arbitrary power in my hand, to remove secrecy to the discomfort of the Minister and my seniors, being Head of the institution.Frankly it made my life easy. More important is proof that we can govern without secrecy.
This is truly impressive. Even minutes of the meeting available. The technology has made this possible.Why Governance cannot be done using the technology tools- economically and decision along with work flow is made visible to every citizen?
As MD of KR, I did implement open visibility for workflow and file notings, even for audit to watch in real time.You will be surprised how a Minister stared at me, when I told him that when he wants to give any order that would straight away appear in my work flow scheme for all to see. Then he backed off! Actually it is the bureaucrat who has the power of declaring a file secret or open. Even what Railway Board's communication marked confidential, I used to declare as open, by posting reply on the servers, if it is not involving any individual's private concerns , and public are the stake holders.
There is no constitutional provision to hide the workflow of governance. The secrecy is loosely enforced under the Official Secrets Act, arbitrarily. Why a Cabinet proceedings & decision shd be secret? So long as national security interests or crime investigation issues are not involved, every thought of the government should be visible to the ultimate boss- the CITIZEN, in a republic. Time we move Supreme Court to remove arbitrary application of the Official Secrets ACt, and lay down norms.
Actually RTI was "granted" to misdirect and mislead us, and get bogged down with more and more babus filtering, build up back logs, then ask for more and more staff, a typical successful game played by the babudom Please do not fall in this trap. RTI created so many more red-light topped cars going around!We are further asking for more of them!We think we are "heros" when we get a small crumb thrown at us! But actually we are getting humiliated daily, is what I feel.
We should move Supreme Court to fill to get the arbitrary way files and governance kept secret from us by the babus and the Ministers to provide the dark alleys, to do nefarious activities. They hate bright sunlight of honesty. It is even more surprising for the government to say, honest officers need secrecy to fearlessly make their point. Absolute nonsense. Honest officer need not fear public scrutiny. It is the dishonest who has to fear.
Please go to Supreme Court to get norms laid on how the Official Secrets ACt has to be used- get the arbitrariness removed. I did use the same arbitrary power in my hand, to remove secrecy to the discomfort of the Minister and my seniors, being Head of the institution.Frankly it made my life easy. More important is proof that we can govern without secrecy.
Comments
Largely, people of India have never lived in a true democracy where they are supreme. Acts like RTI tries to give us a piece of bread even though we own the entire packet of bread. And see, if you ask most of the people about RTI- They will say that it changed India...
We hope that people understand this and can really put forward the points and policies as an owner of this democracy. Lastly, if our babus of government improve by even 10%, whole country can change at the rate of 100%!
Avi Sharma
The Big Battle
shailesh gandhi