The Fund

On 25.9.2016 a security guard pressed my doorbell and said I had not paid the maintenance fee for the month of March and August, 2016 onwards. I said that my understanding was a little bit different. He took offense straight away. Jowls quivering, he said how can I not pay my due! I went to my car and collected the rwa old slips/receipts and showed them to him. But he was already enraged. He wouldn't subside untill my wife intervene 

The Deployment

I was told by staff from CGA on 19 & 20 September, 2016 that Ms Vineeta, E.O. was on leave till 21 September, 2016. On 22 September, 2016 the staff told me at 2.30 PM that she had not yet joined. I dialled extension number 5628 of Laksmikanta, DS of CGA who me that Vineeta's father-in-law expired and it is not clear how long she would take to rejoin office. He also said he'll check out the matter of deployment from the Branch people.

I have to take leave tomorrow. Arun Kumar, US is on leave. I called up Ramesh Lal Addl Director at extension number 5625. He told me to keep the application pending till my return from leave. 

Almost a Good Movie: Goal!

Please Read Between the Lines

I am thankful about a Senior Executive Assistant posted in E-Group of Question Branch to assist me on 27.7.2016

I belong to the 1998 batch of executive assistants joining the service on 30.10.1998. First in food committee, then I was posted in question branch in 2004 and had been examining questions on ministry of finance ever since till february, 2016, when I was posted in C Group of question branch as EO.

On 12.2.2016 I was transferred to CB-1 mid- session. 10 days later I was brought back to Q Br on 24.2.2016.

On 21.7.2016 my wife was sick with fever. I took her to doctor, dropped back her home asking my neighbors to remind her of the time to take medicine and rushed to office due to urgency of the work. I completed the entire manuscript for 29.7.2016. E Group of question branch is responsible for processing questions for fridays of the sessions, which has to be finalized one week in advance. Back home I had to clean the house, wash dish and clothes. Thereafter I called DS to inform about my plan not to attend office the next day. He said 'dek te hai'. Next day he called me, reprimanded me about the impoliteness of tele-calls at the dead of night. He also told me that no one understood my questions and I should reach the office immediately. I couldn't leave my ailing wife in the hands of neighbors anymore.

On 3.8.2016 (Wednesday) Shri Shailendra Priyadarshi E.O. in charge of  E-Group was transferred to Conference Branch. At 3 pm DS asked the assistant posted to assist me about starred question number 298 for discussion on 5.8.2016. The question was misssing, which I had been trying to locate since the day before.

Again on 4.8.2016 Vijay Kumar, E.O. swept in with a swagger and asked me about starred question number 298 again. My junior by one year, Vijay Kumar, EO happened to be the one ordained to take charge of E-Group of question branch.

Today 19.9.2016 Vijay Kumar, EO told me in the morning about my deployment in CGA Branch as assistant. 

I was taking charge of C-Group from February, 2015 to February, 2016. Yet I was not allowed to go through the CRs if the staff of that Group.

facsimile

The matter of un-uploaded questions was brought to Shri G.C. Dobhal, DS who advised that all dealing hands should call up their respective ministries and tell them to supply the hard copies of the replies. After conveying the matter to all dealing hands, drawing attention of Shri Rohilla, SO, DoE, MoF a fax message is transmitted to number 011-23092652 of the list of un-uploaded replies pertaining to the year 2014 and 2015 of the Ministry of Finance. Shri Rohilla was also intimated about the discrepancies in replies to USQ Nos. 3330 and 3413 of 5.8.2016 (and told to ensure correction in the webpage) on the topic of Subsidy. He had already been informed of the matter at 4.21 PM on 11-8-2016.

Un-uploaded replies

An assistant from A-Group of Question Branch came to me at 11.30 am with a list of un-uploaded replies to Parliament Questions (PQs) saying that ‘as senior most’ in E Group, I should obtain hard copies of the replies from the concerned ministries under the purview of Group E. I said that it might be convenient if he gives in writing upon which he replied that they have received such note from computer software branch of the Lok Sabha Secretariat. I told him to give me the same even if they are reluctant to give in writing. As a matter of fact, A Group is responsible for such matters over all the groups of question branch. The note was not received for about 45 minutes.

I had to find a precedent worth quoting in case I float a file over the issue. I remember the practice in question branch of issuing office memorandum to all ministries of Government of India before the commencement of every session of Lok Sabha. I obtained a copy of the same pertaining to the 9^th session of 16^th Lok Sabha from Shri Rajpal Singh, EO of C-Group. The OM inter alia, stated …. Soft copy of … may be sent to Computer (HW&SW) Branch, Lok Sabha Secretariat, under intimation of JS/AS of Director in charge of question branch.

I called up Shri Nilendu, EO incharge of A Group and tried to reason whether it would not be better to ask for the soft copy rather than the hard copy of the un-uploaded replies. He started narrating the issue in a round-a-bout way, about how the ministries are not co-operative in the matter even after repeated reminders,,, blah blah blah. He also tutored me about the fact that they had issued OM exclusively for uploading such replies during the very recent/2 days ago time. Immediately I asked him to give me a copy of the OM.  He said that he just wanted me to do the needful on my side, that if I am not interested in taking action I could leave it altogether. I tried to insist that I only wanted a copy to quote/refer to in case I have to issue instructions to the ministries. 

Thereupon the EO said that I was argumentative.

I went to ease myself and on my return, found a copy of the note dated 1.9.2016 from was lying on my table. Through the note the Computer (HW&SW) Branch requested Question Branch to expedite uploading of of 78 Starred and 214 Unstarred Questions.

It was not clear whether A Group had taken action on the note or not. There is nothing like written letter/OM or any instruction issued to the various ministries of the Government of India.

Immediately I checked out about Vijay Kumar and came to learn from a Jr Clerk that he was on leave till next Wednesday. I went to Shri GC Dobhal, DS , he was not on his seat. Back in my seat I called Shri Arun Kumar, US and there was no response. Perhaps even he was on leave.

All supervisory officers in-charge were on leave and the issue was brought up to me by A Group on the ground of me being the “senior most”

At last I called up Shri Rohilla of the Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance and asked him to expedite the case immediately.