The simple but effective corruption method adopted by the PWD of Daman & Diu @admrdddnh - Repeat

The Tender Notice published by the Public Works Department of Daman & Diu has stopped giving details of the work. It gives all peripheral details but not the name of the work for which tender is published.

It gives the name of the website i.e. https://daman.nprocure.com on which said tender is published, number and date of the tender notice, etc. but not the name of the work.

Similar style was adopted last year also and which was also blogged on 23/03/2016 and after said blog, this practice was stopped.

Last time there was an excuse of the then Development Commissioner Shri Sandeep Kumar, whose  has instructed them to not to publish the name of work to save cost. If the name of work is published the cost of publishing tender increases and to save the cost, same is not published. This year, I wonder who is the scapegoat?

In Daman & Diu and every where else, other Government department publishes the tender notice with the name of work.

It is deliberate attempt with mala fide intentions to keep people of Daman & Diu in dark of the works being executed so that they have free hand to carry out corruption, if people don’t know which work is being carried out, they won’t ask for any details regarding that work and department officers can carry out corruption without any difficulty.

Here is an offer and I repeat once again; If PWD wants to save cost (but why? They can reduce their corruption) in publishing, let them do it but publish the name of work, extra money, if any will be reimbursed by me to the PWD for publishing the name of work.

Why Administration of Daman & Diu is not learning from other states affected by Judgement of the Supreme Court regarding sale of liquor

Judgement of the Supreme Court pronouncing restrictions on sale of liquor on National Highways. This has affected tourism, business, employment, economy, revenue, etc. overall but more particularly in UT of Daman & Diu, whose economy is mainly based on tourism.

States like Maharashtra, Karnataka, Haryana, Chandigarh, etc. have taken route of de-notifying National Highways and turning them into District Roads thereby making Judgement of Supreme Court not applicable on those roads.

Whereas idea implemented by Punjab is even more brilliant. They have not de-notified National Highways but enacted a law that will make Judgment of the Supreme Court ineffective by permitting bars and pubs on National Highways.

National Highway was notified some year ago turning Major District Roads into National Highways and I still remember that one politician had objected to publishing such notification for UT of Daman & Diu. Combined National Highways in UT of Daman & Diu may not be more than 12 KMS but there are 168 liquor bars and shops line up near converted Major District Roads. This gives revenue to the administration intune of crores of rupees and economy of these territories in good health by employment, tourism, etc.

It is not fathomable that why Administration of Daman & Diu is not trying tried and tested ways adopted by other states who have successfully implemented de-notifying of National Highways and turn them back into Major District Roads which they were earlier and reactivate cancelled licenses.

BEWARE – Corporatisation of Electricity Department may be happening silently

From last many years Electricity Department was trying to increase tariff for domestic users but it could consoles itself by increasing tariff for industrial users only.

There was a movement of corporatisation of Electricity Department and many social leaders submitted memorandums to the administration opposing the said move of corporatisation.

Political leadership and political parties have become so much away from public that they have lost their voice and conscience, otherwise what justifies their stand on such vital issue of people’s concerns. Not a single politicians or political parties have written a letter to the administration voicing their opposition to corporatisation in the interest of people. They might be thinking that money will buy those votes and they will again come to power.

Only one person was brave enough to spearhead people’s movement against corporatisation of Electricity Department single handed but he was arrested and jailed for 15 days without any charges to break his morale by the dictatorial administration.

Suddenly, some days ago an advertisement announcing reduction in tariff were published in many newspapers. This move is surprising, unexpected and unlikely of Administration of Daman & Diu.

There is very much likely that they have given anaesthetics with sugar coated pill. In this state of anaesthesia one fine day administration may announce the implementation of corporatisation of Electricity Department.

BEWARE – Daman & Diu – BEWARE – you may be taken for ride.

Merging of UT of Daman & Diu with State of Goa is the only option available for its survival

I had an opportunity to deliberate regarding prevailing situation of Daman & Diu on various occasions in last few months.

On one hand, situation in Daman & Diu is deteriorating day by day. Whole administration has become more corrupt, insensitive to the aspirations of people; decisions are taken without taking political leadership into confidence.

Works are not completed in timely manner; work started in 2012 for water supply Scheme for Daman district for approximately 50 crore rupees is not completed even today and cost is overrun many times. Roads, tourist spots are not maintained in proper condition.

Almost half of budget allocated for development of Daman & Diu is used on maintenance and paying salaries of bureaucrats (IAS, IPS, IFS, DANICS, DANIPS).

On the other hand, within same 30 years Goa has marched ahead in development in every sphere. In tourism, Goa is an internationally recognised name.

The best part of merging with Goa is that Goa, Daman & Diu have common history; We are together from last 500 years since Portuguese rule except last 30 years after delinking. We were liberated on same day, we have common laws even today like Portuguese Civil Law, Land Revenue Code, buildings laws, recruitment rules, municipality laws, etc.

By merging with Goa; Daman & Diu will have benefit of State Legislative Assembly, will get rid of constant fear of merging with Gujarat, insensitive central bureaucracy and will get benefit of expertise of Goa in the development of tourism, benefit of responsive Government and much more.

Is Daman & Diu heading towards autocracy?

Previously area surrounding Collectorate and inside of Fort, Moti Daman were constantly kept under Section 144 of CrPC (Curfew) for decades.

Now, whole of Daman District is put under Section 144 of CrPC (Curfew) indefinitely after most successful ever “Bandh” observed by people of Daman against proposed corporatisation of Electricity department.

It has been observed that District headquarters and U.T. headquarters are constantly kept under Curfew to ensure that there is no public uprising against autocratic functioning of the bureaucracy.

The bureaucracy is so alienated from common public and their problems and functioning is so autocratic that they always fear of public uprising and that is the reason District Magistrate, Daman has imposed Curfew on whole Daman District indefinitely.

Is this the way Administration of Daman & Diu is going to function? And take decisions that are anti-people after aiming gun at people of Daman district?

Will any politicians and political parties raise their voice against this undemocratic and autocratic move that curbs democratic right of people of Daman to publicise their views?

Ever wondered what Daman & Diu has got in last 30 years after delinking from Goa?

In light of recent events in Daman & Diu, people are wondering what they have got in last 30 years after delinking from Goa.

Few achievements (?) in last 30 years:

Roads were pride of Daman. Now roads are like some BEMARU states, becoming worst by day in day out.

Some years ago one of the main road connecting Daman to Gujarat was made of RCC which was claimed to last atleast 20 years. It started deteriorating in less than 6 months and it was necessary to patch it with tar to be able to use it.

Some 25 years ago Water supply scheme was inaugurated with aim to make water availability for 24 hours a day. In 2012 work for new water supply scheme has started with the same aim at the cost of crores of rupees.

Electricity Department operate with 8 percentage of line loss, even though they do not own transmission lines.

Daman & Diu were working efficiently with one IAS officer, now there are altest 20 officers of rank of IAS, IPS, IFS, DANICS, DANIPS and people are eagerly waiting to get their files approved and nothing comes out except some noting to clarify something or other without any decision for years.

Daman & Diu were cleanest in whole country but now Daman is among dirtiest.

Corruption was almost nil but now nothing moves without greasing hands.

There is administration in place which does not listen to its citizens and operates on its own hidden agenda.

Overall, feeling of frustration has griped citizens of Daman & Diu after 30 years of delinking from Goa.

Political leadership & political parties of Daman & Diu are not in sync with mood of the people

As everyone is aware there is a move to convert Electricity Department into a corporate entity. The mood among people of Daman & Diu is against this move of corporatisation of Electricity Department.

This move of corporatisation comes at a time when the department is making profit even though it purchases its total power requirement from outside.

It was requested to Administration of Daman & Diu to publish WHITE PAPER on status of Electricity Department and proposed corporatisation. Copies were also submitted to politicians and political parties with request to make public any correspondence they might have carried out in this regard. The administration has not published any white paper even after lapse of one month and politician or political parties have not come out in support of people against this move of corporatisation either.

Other point is cancellation of liquor licenses in response of the Supreme Court order. It has affected 158 families of Daman & Diu doing business legally on and within 500 mtrs. of national highway.

Liquor business is life line of Daman & Diu. It has major portion in the economy, which pays approximately 1000 crores as revenue to the government and gives food and shelter to thousands of families.

All politicians were needed to do was to demand delisting of these roads from the national highway and transfer them to their original category as major district roads for which Daman & Diu had not asked the National Highway Authority to declare these roads as National Highways in the first place. For such a life line of Daman & Diu, political leadership is not ready to take lead and come out on road to show their solidarity with people of Daman & Diu.

As an alternative, political leadership could have requested the administration that these licences be suspended temporarily till they find suitable places and then transfer them to such places start doing businesses instead of cancellation of those licences.

There are some office bearers of political parties who call themselves activists and they file applications under the Right to Information Act at drop of a hat and write letters complaining about something or other to various authorities on almost daily basis but it is astonishing to note that they are also quiet on corporatisation of electricity department and cancellation of liquor licences.

Here also politicians or political parties abstained from carrying out any correspondences to show that they care for their voter and they stand with the people of Daman & Diu.

It seems that politicians and political parties are not interested in serving people of Daman & Diu, all they want is to fulfil their personal goals in the name of people of Daman & Diu otherwise what else stops them from fighting for general public and that is what they are elected for. Do they think that voters are fools and they will vote for them again in coming elections, whatever election that may be?