While Prime Minister Narendra Modi is engaged in taking steps to curb corruption, many agencies are involved in encouraging corrupt practices. Wasteful expenditure of public money to impress authorities is also corruption. Recently a coffee table book on success stories of Right to Information “Trust Through Transparency” was unveiled at central information commission’s (CIC ) annual Convention. CIC has spent more than 17 lakh rupees on that book, but only 6 copies of the book were ready at the unveiling function.
Copies of the book could not be distributed amongst
Information commissioners or other participants present at the Convention for
the reasons best known to CIC only. However, a soft copy of the book
was published on the CIC web site on the same day. Big question is where was
the need to print the book at an exorbitant cost of Rs. 17 lakhs when it was to
be published on line? This is complete waste of public funds because the only
purpose served was to uplift the image of the Chief Information Commissioner.
Normally coffee table book is an oversize,
large, expensive book with a lot of pictures, intended to be looked at rather
than read. As mentioned in book itself it was printed for limited circulation and
academic purpose only. However coffee table books are not meant for academic purpose.
As well as per the press and
registration of books act, 1867, every book or paper printed within India must
have printed legibly on it the name of the printer and the place of printing.
The coffee table book does not mention any of it. The book was unveiled at the
hands of union home minister
Over 800 copies of the book are
now being sent to the CIC by Yashavantrao Chavan Academy of Development
Administration (YASHADA) from Pune. Transportation will cost about Rs. 8000
by rail. However, copies of the book now to be sent (If at all sent) to
individual dignitaries from Delhi by any mode will cost over Rs. 4 lakhs, thus
making the total cost of the project at over Rs. 21 lakhs. Despatching the book
of just 124 pages but costing over Rs. 1700 per copy and weighing over a
1.6 kilo will thus put additional burden on the finances.
Although the stories published in this Coffee Table book are
no doubt inspirational. Spending Rs.
21 lakhs on this project, especially when book is available online is complete
waste of resources and funds.
In nut shell, CIC in
collaboration with YASHADA has wasted Rs. 17 lakhs of public money because it
has not turned out to be cost effective .Therefore, Major general (retd) SCN
jatar and this writer from Pune have requested Prime minister Narendra Modi to
recover this money from the officials of CIC who approved this expenditure.
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