Super cyclone Phailin (फाईलीन समुद्री तूफ़ान) blows down Indian northeast coast of Bay of Bengal

In emergency Call at:

1. Phailin Srikakulam control room number: 08942 240557 
2. Phailin Emergency toll free number:  180042500002  

- Harish Jharia

12 October 22013

The super cyclone Phailine*** (फाईलीन समुद्री तूफ़ान / चक्रवात / बवंडर) has formed somewhere in the Bay of Bengal and moving at 20 kmph speed towards Indian coast. The deadly cyclone is expected to hit Gopalpur of Orissa, India at about 8pm India time today, 12 October 2013 at a speed of 220 kmph. The Phailine Cyclone is going to sustain for about 6 hours minimum.  

In addition to Orissa, where Phailine is going to devastate the most, this cyclone will also hit Andhra Pradesh coast and West Bengal seashores severely.  Today on 12 October 2013 at noon rain and wind lashed India's east coast and forced about 4,50,000 people to flee their habitats and take shelter in government camps. 

Spreading over most of the waters of Bay of Bengal, the cyclone Phailin was about 200 km (124 miles) offshore at noon on Saturday and was expected to hit the land by late evening. As per the estimates of the weather forecast authorities, It expected to be a "super cyclone", and is expected to affect 12 million people.

It is for the first time that the government has taken advance evacuation of people as disaster management process in India. Indian Army, Navy and Air Force have been pressed in attending to rescue operations. The weather forecast department is keeping content vigil on the progress of the super cyclone. Sources from the National Disaster Management Authority NDMA and National Disaster Response Force NDRF have said that more than 440,000 people have been evacuated, as disaster management action and this is one of the largest evacuations ever undertaken in India.

People are advised not to panic and better keep cool and move to safer places as and when advised by the rescuing personnel. The advance preparations made by the authorities will definitely minimize losses of lives to the super cyclone Phailine.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*** The super cyclone ‘Phailin’ has been named so by Thailand. The meaning of Phailin is sapphire (नीलम), a precious stone.   
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
npad

Illegal sand mining - UP sand-mining mafia forces government to suspend IAS officer Durga Shakti Nagpal

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

Have you ever wondered what all problems are faced by bureaucrats like IAS and IPS officers when they are posted in the states of India? How they have to face the local mafias head-on, while enforcing law? Here are the answers in this article, for few of your questions about the nexus between mafias and politicians and the consequences faced by the bureaucrats.  

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

- Harish Jharia

It looks as if democracy in India has completely faded out and the politicians, occupying powerful government posts, keep sticking to their chairs by ‘hook and crook’.  They capture power, at the time of elections, with the help of business houses, and various extra constitutional powerful entities like builders,  sand-miners, automobile parking companies, bus / truck transporters and many other rural goons who impose and collect ‘rangdaari’ (ransom) against letting the individuals survive and operate business in their areas.  These politicians who get elected by such means are naturally indebted to these financiers and associates and are obliged to them to accomplish tasks assigned by them  to the politicians in power. 

India cannot be proudly called the largest democracy on planet earth, if the suspension of the IAS officer Durga Shakti Nagpal is any indication. I have concluded the following story out of the telecasts I watched on TV news channels and reading newspaper reports. 

One fine morning on July 27 we came to know that a SDM Durga Shakti Nagpal was suspended by the UP government. Nagpal was served the suspension order apparently for demolishing the wall of a proposed mosque on a public land. The UP Chief Minister subsequently, defended Nagpal's suspension, claiming that her action to demolish the wall of a religious place had vitiated communal harmony in that area.

While no details of the suspension order were available to the media, Durga Nagpal, 28, has recently stated that she had never issued any orders to demolish the wall which could have fueled communal tensions. The IAS officer further explained that on July 27, villagers had themselves, razed the wall after she told them that as per Supreme Court rules, religious structures can't be built on government land and also require special clearances.

Meanwhile, a ruling party politician, believed to be connected to sand mining, publically announced in a gathering of some villagers that he got the officer suspended within 41 minutes (not 41 hours).  It appears to be true, because Durga was suspended abruptly without following any official protocols like issuing warning letter, calling for explanation and asking for comments and recommendations from her senior IAS officer- Collector / DM. The Collector / DM subsequently stated that Durga did not demolish the wall. Moreover, the daily diary of the local police station did not have any entries of suspected communal tension in their jurisdiction.

The media has claimed that some ruling party politicians were running sand mining business and owing hundreds of dumpers and excavation heavy machinery. It is reported in the media that Durga Nagpal stopped illegal mining activities in that area and confiscated hundreds of dumpers and other heavy machinery  Experts have estimated losses of hundreds of crores of Rupees because of Durga’s crackdown on the illegal sand mining activities in that area. The media claims that Durga Nagpal has been punished for disrupting the send mining business rather than for any suspected communal disturbance.  

Indian TV news channels have aired views of Indian experts, statesmen, senior politicians and ex bureaucrats who have condemned the UP government’s action of punishing an IAS officer for no fault of her.  They have called for revocation of the suspension order and reinstatement of the officer on her existing post. 

Meanwhile, the ruling party spokespersons and UP ministers are sticking to their controversial action against the dutiful, honest and sincere IAS officers. They have even gone to the extent of asking the Central Government to call back Durga Nagpal from her job in UP. They have also demanded punishment for Durga Nagpal’s senior Collector / DM, because, he made positive comments and recommendations in support of his subordinate IAS officer Durga Shakti Nagpal. 

 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
npad 

Why do Single Unit Electric Geysers blast: Deadly accidents my take place if proper care/precautions are not taken

© Harish Jharia

Single unit electric geysers are widely used in India and in other Asian countries.  An introduction to this electric appliance has been given in another article titled “Single Unit Electric Geyser (Electrical Water Storage Heater): Used in Indian Subcontinent and Asian Countries". In continuation to this article I am going to discuss about possible deadly accident that might occur as a result of a blast in the storage tank.

Today there was a news headline in New Delhi newspapers about a blast in a geyser that resulted in serious injuries to inmates of a girls’ hostel in Modi Nagar, near New Delhi. Incidentally I too had experienced a similar accident when a geyser in my bathroom had burst with a loud blast. No one was injured because there was nobody in the bathroom at the time of the blast. All of my neighbors heard the loud sound of the blast and ran towards the spot suspecting a possible blast of a cooking gas cylinder. 

The 6’x 8’ bathroom has a window and an exhaust fan is fitted on its panel. At the time of the blast the doors of the bathroom were closed and the exhaust fan was in shut-off state. The geyser was in a switched-on state. When the blast took place the steam generated had such a high pressure that it shattered the geyser in many pieces. The small windowpane was pushed open and the exhaust fan fitted on the same also broke into pieces.  

Onlookers saw a blast of high pressure steam gushing out of the window. The false ceiling of the bathroom, made of asbestos sheet, was smashed with the blown up upper crown of the body of the geyser, making a 2’x1’ irregular hole in it. On opening the door we found the bathroom was filled with steam, so much so that nothing was visible inside the bathroom. 

Probable Reasons:

I think excessive generation of steam inside the geyser might be the reason for the blast. The water heater might have started malfunctioning and turned into a boiler before the high pressure steam blew it off. There might be the following reasons for the above malfunction:

1. The thermostat might have broken down and stopped controlling the desired temperature
2. The pressure valve might not have controlled the input water pressure in the high rise building
3. The safety valve that is mounted on the geyser did not blow-off and released the pressure buildup inside the geyser. 
4. The storage tank might not have the desired strength to withstand the high pressure built up in the water pipes in high-rise buildings 
5. Precautions for evading blasts in geysers:
6. It is better to replace the geyser after 5 years rather than going for repeated repairs
7. Replace the geyser whenever the storage tank is required to be replaced
8. The pressure valve should be checked periodically
9. The safety valve / safety plug should be checked periodically and be replaced every 12 months

In high rise buildings the water pressure is excessively high in the lower floors. We should always remember that there are special geysers manufactured for high rise buildings with stronger storage tanks, duly fitted with pressure valves. As such, we should go for these special geysers if we live in high rise buildings.  

------------------------------------------------------------
Disclaimer:
This article / Story / fiction is written based on my personal observations. My intention for publishing the same is to provide healthy reading and intellectual entertainment and not for educating the visitors. Names of people, societies, communities and description of faiths, beliefs, incidents are imaginary and fictitious. They have neither any relevance to the prevailing entities and traditions nor have any similarities with ongoing lifestyles, political ideologies and legal doctrines. The contents of this creative work has not been written with any intention to criticize, condemn or oppose anything what-so-ever present in reality in any country in the world. No literature or authentic books have been referred for writing the contents of this article. The visitors are advised not to refer the contents of this article for any research or testimony on scientific, geographical, political, civic or legal purposes. The visitors are further advised to consult relevant experts before adapting any information from this article. The author or the website are not responsible for any errors, mistakes, or omissions there in.
- Harish Jharia
 ------------------------------------------
npad

Social Discrimination: A Huge Population of Indian Citizens are Still Treated as Outcast Untouchables

Written on 1 August 2010

© Harish Jharia

Nearly 85-odd students of primary schools at Jasapur, Jhinjhak village, near Kanpur, refused to eat mid-day meal because the food was cooked by lower cast cooks. The students and their parents resorted to boycotting class as they did not tolerate dalit cooks appointed by the government. This protest continued until the cooks were removed from their jobs.

according to some press reports the UP Government paves way for upper caste candidates by relaxing conditions of compulsory recruitment of dalit candidates on these posts. 

After incidents of boycott of midday meals by upper caste students, prepared by so called lower-caste cooks, the UP government appears to have abruptly gone soft on its pro-dalit agenda. The authorities have changed the recruitment specifications for midday meal cooks by replacing “compulsory' appointment of SCs, STs and OBCs” with “preference should be given to members from these communities”. 

India boasts of being one of the most literate nations in the world and claims to be the next global super power. Yet, if the widespread rampant social discrimination based on casts is any indication, then this claim appears to be merely a hollow self appreciation. If social discrimination is prolonged for generations after generations that might result in mass movements and aggressive revolutions by the downtrodden and deprived citizens of the largest democracy on this planet.

Such revolutions usually end up in extremism and might go to the extent of social divides based on caste, creed and language. The trifurcation of British India into independent India, Pakistan and East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) at the time of transfer of power in the Indian subcontinent is a burning example of extreme religious intolerance and the worst kind of non-secular politics.

India is the largest democracy in the world and this fact has been accepted globally. Now we are accountable to the world community for convincing them that we are not ‘far’ the people… ‘off’ the people… and ‘bye’ the people. We will have to refine the social order prevailing in our country and prove to the world that we are the real democracy. 

Read about dalits converted to other religions: 

1. Indian Dalits find no refuge from caste in Christianity
2. Muslim Castes and Communities of India

-----------------------
npad

Editors Page: Thanks Giving to the Visitors from the United States USA

New Delhi, India, 19 September 2012

Hello dear visitors from the United States,

I opened my Blog ‘Discover Life’ today at 11:11 am in India and was overwhelmed to see that there were 15 visitors online at a time. I was yet more enchanted to notice that all the 15 visitors were from the United States USA. 

Total visitors on ‘Discover Life’ in the last 11 plus hours were 136. Out of which the visitors from the USA were 108, from India 13 and others from rest of the world. 

I could not believe on my eyes when I found that there were 100 visitors from Ashburn, VA out of the total 108 US visitors from the US. It is a coincidence that Ashburn is the place where I stay for months together on my trips to the USA. 

I thank the visitors from the United States and especially those from Ashburn, VA, from the core of my heart for their interest shown in my blog ‘Discover Life’. Thanks indeed and may god bless you all. 

Unforgettable moments at Ashburn Golf Course

Please Keep Visiting ‘Discover Life’…

Thanks indeed

Harish Jharia 
Discover Life

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
npad

Editors Page: Visitors to ‘Discover Life Site ‘in Alphabetical Order since 27 July 2012

                  Aizawl, Mizoram, India

                    Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

       Hasan-II Mosque, Casablanca, Morocco

- Harish Jharia

Here are some of the countries from where our readers visited Discover Life Site from 27 July 2012 to 16 September 2012

1. Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates 
2. Agartala, Tripura, India 
3. Agra, Uttar, India 
4. Ahmadabad, Gujarat, India 
5. Aizawl, Mizoram, India 
6. Ajmer, Rajasthan, India 
7. Alexandria, Virginia, United States 
8. Algorta, Pais Vasco, Spain 
9. Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India 
10. Alwar, Rajasthan; India 
11. Ambala, Haryana, India 
12. Amravati, Maharashtra, India 
13. Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh, India 
14. Antwerp, Antwerpen, Belgium 
15. Arlington, Texas,  United States
16. Atlanta, Georgia, United States
17. Attock, Punjab, Pakistan 
18. Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India 
19. Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India 
20. Baarn, Utrecht, Netherlands
21. Balanga, Bataan, Philippines
22. Baltimore, Maryland, United States 
23. Bangkok, Krung Thep, Thailand 
24. Beirut, Beyrouth, Laban 
25. Belgrade, Serbia 
26. Bellaire, Ohio, United States
27. Bellary, Karnataka, India 
28. Berlin, Germany 
29. Bern, Switzerland 
30. Binh Duong, Quang Nam-Da Nang, Vietnam 
31. Birmingham, United Kingdom 
32. Bistrita, Bistrita-Nasaud, Romania 
33. Blanca, Colorado, United States 
34. Bloemfontein, Free State, South Africa 
35. Bochum, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany 
36. Bogotá, Cundinamarca, Colombia 
37. Brabrand, Midtjyllen, Denmark 
38. Bremen, Germany 
39. Bristol, United Kingdom 
40. Buenos Aires, Distrito Federal, Argentina 
41. Buting, Rizal, Philippines
42. Cabanatuan, Philippines 
43. Cairo, Al Qahirah, Egypt 
44. Calicut, Kerala, India 
45. Camponogara, Veneto, Italy 
46. Canmore, Alberta, Canada 
47. Casablanca, Morocco 
48. Central District, Hong Kong 
49. Chandler, Arizona, United States 
50. Chicago, Illinois, United States 
51. Chicalim, Goa, India 
52. Christchurch, New Zealand 
53. Cliffside Park, New Jersey, United States 
54. Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India 
55. Congers, New York, United States 
56. Crystal Lake, United states
57. Cuttack, Orissa, India 
58. Dadiangas, General Santos, Philippines 
59. Daegu, Taegu-jikhalsi, South Korea 
60. Damansara, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 
61. Davao, Davao City, Philippines 
62. Den Haag, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands
63. Denizli, Turkey 
64. Dhaka, Bangladesh 
65. Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh, India 
66. Doha, Ad Dawhah, Qatar
67. Downey, California, United States 
68. Durango, Maxico 
69. Ede, Gelderland, Netherlands 
70. Erode, Tamil Nadu, India 
71. Espérance, Moka, Mauritious
72. Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan
73. Falls Church, Virginia, United States
74. Ferndale, Michigan, United States 
75. Firozpur, Punjab, India 
76. Franca, Sao Paulo, Poland 
77. Frankfurt Am Main, Hessen, Germany 
78. Gainesville, Florida, United States 
79. Garland, Texas, United States 
80. Gjøvik, Oppland, Norway 
81. Glasgow, Glasgow City, United Kingdom 
82. Glil Yam, Tel Aviv, Israel 
83. Greenville, North Carolina, United States 
84. Groningen, Netherlands 
85. Guatemala City, Guatemala 
86. Guildford, Surrey, United Kingdom 
87. Gulbarga, Karnataka, India 
88. Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, India 
89. Guwahati, Assam, India 
90. Hammond, Louisiana, India 
91. Hanoi, Dac Lac, Vietnam 
92. Haridwar, Uttaranchal, India 
93. Herndon, Virginia, United States 
94. Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, United States 
95. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam 
96. Horana, Sri Lanka  
97. Hungary
98. Iowa City, Iowa, United States 
99. Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia 
100. Iserlohn, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany 
101. Jakarta, Jakarta Raya, Indonesia 
102. Jalpaiguri, West Bengal, India 
103. Jambi, Indonesia 
104. Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir, India 
105. Jiddah, Makkah, Saudi Arabia 
106. Jimboomba, Queensland, Australia 
107. Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa
108. Johnstown, Pennsylvania, United States 
109. Karachi, Sindh, India 
110. Kasba Bou Hamira, Ben Slimane, Morocco 
111. Kaul, Haryana, India 
112. Keighley, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom 
113. Kochi, Kerala, India 
114. Köln, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany 
115. Kottayam, Kerala, India 
116. Kowloon, Hong Kong 
117. Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia 
118. Kuwait, Al Kuwayt, Kuwait 
119. Lagos, Portugal 
120. Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
121. Lam Tin, Hong Kong  
122. Lárisa, Larisa, Greece
123. Larka, Sindh, Pakistan 
124. Larkana, Sindh, Pakistan 
125. Larkana, Sindh, Pakistan 
126. Latham, New York, United states
127. Laurel, Maryland, United States 
128. League City, Texas, United States
129. Lebanon 
130. Lemesos, Limassol, Cyprus 
131. Leuven, Vlaams-Brabant, Belgium
132. Lithia, Florida, United States 
133. Little Rock, Arkansas, United States 
134. Longueuil, Quebec, Canada 
135. Longview, Texas, United States 
136. Louisville, Kentucky, United States 
137. Lufkin, Texas, United States 
138. Mackay, Queensland, Australia 
139. Madrid, Spain 
140. Mahesana, Gujarat, India 
141. Maidstone, Kent United Kingdom 
142. Makati, Manila, Philippines 
143. Malang, Jawa Timur, Indonesia 
144. Malden, Massachusetts, United States 
145. Male, Maldives 
146. Manama, Al Manamah, Bahrain 
147. Mangaluru, Karnataka, India 
148. Mantova, Veneto, Italy
149. Martinsville, Virginia, United States 
150. Medan, Sumatera Utara, Indonesia 
151. Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia 
152. Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 
153. Mentone, Victoria, Australia 
154. Mercer Island, Washington, United States 
155. Mesquite, Texas, United States 
156. Mexico, Distrito Federal, Mexico
157. Miami, Florida, United States 
158. Milan, Lombardia, Italy 
159. Mississauga, Ontario, Canada 
160. Monthey Valais Switzerland
161. Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, India 
162. Mountain View, California, United States 
163. Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, India 
164. Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu, India 
165. Nagpur, Maharashtra, India 
166. Nairobi, Nairobi Area, Kenya 
167. Nantou, Tai-wan
168. Nanuet, New York, United States
169. Naperville, Illinois, United States 
170. Nasik, Maharashtra, India 
171. Nelson, British Columbia, Canada 
172. Nichelino, Piemonte, Italy 
173. Nizamabad, Andhra Pradesh, India 
174. Northville, Michigan, United States 
175. Norway, 
176. Nottingham, United States 
177. Nutley, New Jersey, United States 
178. Oakland, California, United States 
179. Oakville, Ontario, Canada
180. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States 
181. Orem, Utah, United States
182. Osseo, Minnesota, United States
183. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
184. Oud-beijerland, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands 
185. Pabianice, Lodzkie, Poland 
186. Palhoça, Santa Catarina, Brazil 
187. Palos Heights, Illinois, United States 
188. Panama, Rpublic of Panama 
189. Paradip, Orissa, India 
190. Pattambi, Kerala, India 
191. Pekan, Pahang, Malaysia 
192. Pennington, New Jersey, United States 
193. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
194. Pianiga, Veneto, Italy 
195. Pilani, Rajasthan, India 
196. Pittsfield, Massachusetts, United States 
197. Pondicherry, Puducherry, India 
198. Portland, Oregon, United States 
199. Purcellville, Virginia, United states 
200. Pyrmont, New South Wales, Australia 
201. Quatre Bornes, Plaines Wilhems, Mauritius 
202. Quebec, Canada 
203. Quezon City, Philippines 
204. Rajkot, Gujarat, India 
205. Ranchi, Jharkhand, India 
206. Raymond Terrace, New South Wales, Australia 
207. Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil 
208. Riga, Latvia 
209. Riyadh, Ar Riyad, Saudi Arabia 
210. Rome, Lazio, Italy 
211. Round Rock, Texas, United States 
212. Rupnagar, Punjab, India 
213. Saint Petersburg, Saint Petersburg City, Russia 
214. San Francisco, California, United States 
215. San Jose, California, United States 
216. San Leandro, California, United States 
217. San Leandro, California, United States 
218. San Ramon, California, United States 
219. Santa Clara, California, Santa Clara 
220. Santa Cruz De Tenerife, Canarias, Spain 
221. São Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil 
222. Sarajevo, Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
223. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
224. Sattur, Tamil Nadu, India 
225. Scarborough, Ontario, Canada
226. Schaffhausen, Switzerland 
227. Seattle, Washington, United States 
228. Selam, Tamil Nadu, India 
229. Senawang, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia 
230. Seneca, South Carolina, United States 
231. Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia 
232. Sharjah, United Arab Emirates 
233. Shiliguri, West Bengal, India 
234. Siegen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany 
235. Silchar, Assam, India 
236. Singapore, Singapore
237. Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu, india
238. Skien, Telemark, Norway
239. Solon, Himachal Pradesh’ India 
240. Southbridge, Massachusetts, United States 
241. Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India 
242. Stockholm, Stockholms Lan, Sweden 
243. Sukkur, Sindh, Pakistan 
244. Sunnyvale, California, United States 
245. Surat, Gujarat, India 
246. Suva, Central, Fiji 
247. Sydney, New South Wales, Australia 
248. Szczecin, Zachodniopomorskie, Poland 
249. Tabriz, East Azarbaijan, Iran 
250. Tampa, Florida, United States 
251. Tbilisi, Dushetis Raioni, Georgia 
252. Tengah, Sulawesi Tengah, Indonesia 
253. Tezpur, Assam, India 
254. Thana, Maharashtra, India 
255. Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India 
256. Thrissur, Kerala, India 
257. Tiruchchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India 
258. Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, India 
259. Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India 
260. Toronto, Ontario, Canada
261. Toulouse, Midi-Pyrenees, France 
262. Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States 
263. Udaipur, Rajasthan. India 
264. Udupi, Karnataka, India 
265. Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia 
266. Valencia, California, United States 
267. Van Buren, Arkansas, United States 
268. Vankleek Hill, Ontario, Canada
269. Vapi, Daman and Diu, India 
270. Vasai, Maharashtra, India 
271. Velluru, Tamil Nadu, India 
272. Venetia, Pennsylvania, United States 
273. Vevey Vaud, Switzerland
274. Victoriaville, Quebec, Canada
275. Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, India 
276. Wahran, Oran, Algeria 
277. Warangal, Andhra Pradesh, India 
278. West Covina, California, United States 
279. Wilmington, Delaware, United States 
280. Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada 
281. Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
282. Yogyakarta, Indonesia
283. Zagazig, Sharkeya, Egypt
284. Zbaszynek, Lubuskie, Poland
285. Zilina, Slovakia 
286. Zimmerman, Minnesota, United States 
287. Zug, Switzerland

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

npad

Coalgate Smile (?): Indian Coal Field Allocation Scam Slaps Losses of $ 33.59 Billion to the National Treasury

                    Smile that turned into a nightmare 

                         click on the image to enlarge

© Harish Jharia

Indian government have allocated different blocks of coal mines during the year 2004 to 2009 to the private and public sector undertakings for mining coal for onward consumption in the Thermal Power Plants run by those enterprises. As per the standing provisions, any such contracts can be given to the venders only through competitive bidding or by auction and not by arbitrary selection and whims and fancies of the ministers and bureaucrats in the government.

Coal fields allocation scam or Coalgate, as it is referred to by the media by equating the same with the US Watergate, is a scandal reportedly committed by the Indian government in arbitrary allocation of the nation's coal deposits to public sector enterprises (PSEs) and private companies. The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG), in a draft report issued in March 2012 have accused, the Government of India of allocating coal blocks in irregular and biased manner.

The CAG's argument is that the Government was expected to allocate coal fields by competitive bidding, but they did not follow this laid down procedure and allotted the coal fields arbitrarily. As a result that the public sector enterprises (PSEs) and private firms paid much less revenue than they would have paid through competitive bidding. The CAG have estimated the "windfall gain" to the private firms as Rs 1,067,303 crore (US $ 193.18 billion). Moreover, the CAG’s Final Report tabled in the Parliament contained the figure at 185,591 crore (US $ 33.59 billion).

         BJP catches the Congress on wrong-foot 

On August 27, 2012 Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh readout a statement in the Parliament contradicting the CAG's report for not following the law and coming to a wild conclusion about the exaggerated  loss inflicted to the government treasury.

Thereafter, the opposition party BJP lodged a complaint with the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), against the government, to probe the matter and find out whether any bribes were paid by the companies at the time of allocation of coal blocks.

The Coalgate scam has received massive media attention, and widespread public outrage. During the monsoon session of the Parliament, the BJP protested the Government's handling of the issue demanding the resignation of the Prime Minister and refused to have any debate in the Parliament. The entire monsoon session ended in a deadlock in Parliament and could function hardly for a weak.

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

npad

Clogged Drains in Delhi Result in flooding water, Traffic Jams and deaths:

     Flooding rain-water on roads of Delhi

© Harish Jharia 

This happens year after year in the Indian capital city of Delhi. Whenever it rains in Delhi… water stagnates, traffic jams and the life of people becomes hell. 

I do not want to write an article on this ongoing problem because I have already written a couple compositions, the links for which have been given at the end of this post.

           Traffic Jam due to rains in Delhi

I would rather like to list out the following points for the information of the readers and of course for the authorities to follow and get rid of this shameful catastrophe: 

1. The main reason for water logging, flooding and traffic jams is CLOGGED DRAINS.
2. Clogged drains do not drain out the rain water and accumulate on the roads and in the low-lying areas. 
3. The main authority responsible for this catastrophe is the MUNICIPAL CORPORATION who is meant for providing effective drainage system for draining-out rain-water and waste water.
4. Municipal Corporation or Committee, who-so-ever it is, should immediately clear the garbage from the drains in Delhi.
5. Municipal corporation should have periodical inspection teams to inspect drainage system and maintain the same properly.
6. Municipal Corporation is collecting compulsory Taxes / revenues from the citizens and it is their basic duty to provide services in return.
7. This problem of ‘GARBAGE IN DRAINS’ exists across the country, all over India. I browsed across the internet and found that all the cities in India are extremely dirty.
8. India should not expect effective tourism in this country, unless we learn to live in neat and clean environment. 
9. A dedicated action plan is required to be chalked out and implemented sincerely and effectively to remove TRASH from DRAINS.

            Trash and garbage in drains

          Trash and garbage in drains
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

• 3-hour Rains in Delhi Resulted in 5 Hours of Traffic Jams and 11 Deaths: http://www.discovery-of-life.com/2010/07/3-hour-rains-in-delhi-resulted-in-5.html
• Why rainwater stagnates in New Delhi? : http://www.discovery-of-life.com/2010/08/why-rainwater-stagnates-in-new-delhi.html

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
npad 

Happy Indian Independence Day 2012

Happy Independence Day 2012

Discover Life wishes a happy 66th independence day to all the Indians living in the republic of India and to those who have settled in foreign lands across the globe.

India has progressed extremely well in the fields of education, science & technology, and urbanization in the last 65 years of independent India. Nevertheless we are identified in the world with the tags of corruption, black money and poverty. 

The Indian prime Ministers use to read out the stereotype lectures every year from the ramparts of the Red Fort swearing for eradicating poverty from India. But India continues to be a poor country. It is a different matter that most of the Indian politicians are officially declared as billianaires and about 20 odd business houses enlisted as the richest in the world. 

Look at the flag bearers of Indian tricolor national flag. They do not have clothes to wear, food to eat and shelter to live.

Jai Hind… Vande Mataram 

Harish Jharia
Discover Life
15 August 2012

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
npad

Indian Government Planning To Provide One Mobile Phone Each to All BPL Families and 200 Minutes of Talk Time For Free

Indian BPL people: need food not mobiles
               (Photo Courtesy IBN Live)

© Harish Jharia 

There are strong indications across the media that the Indian Government is going to implement their scheme worth Rs. 7000 crore for providing one Mobile Phone each to the families living below the poverty line (BPL) along with 200 minutes of local calls worth Rs. 100 for free. 

The scheme is expected to be called as ‘Har Hath Mein Phone’ is scheduled to be announced by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the 65th Independence Day (August 15, 2012). This scheme will help (?) 28 million poor people (6 million families) across the Indian republic to have a mobile phone connection for free.

As per some sources, 50% cost of “Har Hath Mein Phone” scheme will be funded from the Department of Telecommunication’s Universal Service Obligation (USO) funds and the rest of the cost is likely to be provided by the bidder who gets the right to provide mobile phone service and the USO fund. The USO fund is meant for providing access to phone services to people in rural and remote areas at affordable prices.

This is a clear case of wasting hard earned money of Indian citizens collected from them as compulsory taxes. Indian people below poverty line (BPL) neither have jobs to earn their livelihood nor do they have food to eat. The government should provide bread, clothes and shelter for them rather than tossing mobile phones at them as alms of charity. 

Mobile phones have no utility for the BPL people. These instruments will surely find their ways into the hands of the well-to-do people via grey market.

If the government is planning to extract money from the service provider for this scheme, then it is sure that the affected telecommunication company will compensate the losses from other common users by enhancing tariffs or by providing substandard services. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
npad