Ministry of UNculture, GOI; the Sarkari Babu Culture of India
EPISODE I
#chowkidarokiscam #sanskritikachor #timetospeakup
This is my story and stories of many who are scared to speak out against the corrupt breed of Sarkari babu of our government system.
how I reached here
after writing 143 emails to as low as the section officer of the nodal agency of ministry of culture government of India, to the minister himself; From the chairman of NCZCC: Governor of Uttar Pradesh to the PMO grievance cell. I have done everything possible within my ability to ask /request for my payments for the work I have done during Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav 2016 in the capacity as the festival manager of the programme.
let me share with you one of the letters which I have addressed to everyone involved; it will make you all understand the real story.
so here it is ……………..
Kind Attn:
Mr Inderjeet Grover Ji
Director
North Central Zone Cultural Centre
NCZCC,
14, CSP Singh Marg
Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh
Respected Grover Ji,
Greetings!
INTRODUCTION :
Greetings to all of you, to whom this mail is also being marked to…... Firstly thank you very much for reading me for the last two months. Apology for making you all a part of this episode of inconvenience [ as we always want to say ] but honestly its being marked to all of you because directly or indirectly; in one way or the other you all have been a part of the episode RSM 2016 / NCZCC and I believe you should and have the right to know the story.
Today this mail is reaching a few more places at the top of the administrative system of our country. This may look like one more such cases for you but it also reflects the failure of the government administrative system of our country and I feel sad about this……
PRELUDE
1. Mr Grover, Hindi as a language is used by me as a medium of spoken communication only, [ still, I am trying to read and write and I do respect the language]. I was educated in an English medium academic background and hence I find it difficult to understand responses from your side in Hindi. May I request you from now onwards to respond to all our communications either in English or in bilingual format from your side as per the Government of India guidelines of Rajbhasha Act 1976 and amendment clause of 1052 of 2011. This is my right that I wish to exercise as a citizen of India.
2. Mr Grover, I have noticed that during my interactions I have always been mailing our communications to many officials/ex-directors/ MoC GOI and many more who are associated in one way or other with RSM 2016. but your responses is limited and declining with every mail [ for example in your mail yesterday where almost one-third page was about your predecessor and his liability interestingly you have not marked the mail to him. ] Hence today I request you kindly to reply your responses to everyone whom I have mailed. As per RTI right to information sharing clause, we can ask the government to share to parties we seek to [ you may refer to RTI guideline in this regard. ] to be specific your response communication has declined from my 23 to your 5 email marking [ cc].
Sharing information is an important part of communication.
now since we have put our acts straight let’s talk work
My response to your mail of yesterday [ your letter attached for ref of others ]
PART 1 : allegations / misinterpretations/
point 2 of your mail: You have decided to point question on me by asking me how many times I have communicated via mail to your predecessor during his tenure and also later during your presence and with your office. But you have very conveniently avoided the fact that since the last two years payment issue of RSM 2016 has been not addressed by your organisation.
let me tell you why. : In all earlier instances I have been calling to Mr. Srivastava [ since the beginning till March 2018 and Mr. Narendra Singh [ very recently in August ] of your office regarding payments but every time I use to hear excuses of fund not getting released from MoC / busy with official tour/ busy with events and programmes in different places. etc [ which you also did recently for your Patna programme ] …….
Now as an administrator you will agree that the importance of a written communication arises only when there is no way out to request of phone calls or any other form of verbal communications fails to get a response.
Further, my claim doesn’t lack its validity if I am not asking for it every morning or not being too frequent but should be responded and judged on the validity of the claim and its importance and genuinity.
As an independent professional, I was busy doing various other events/ programmes/ festivals across different places and that keeps me away from and day to day phone call interaction with your office but that doesn’t take away my right and my claim. infract it was expected from your organisation to check your financials and pay all outstanding to who so ever concerned and that we call professionalism which is expected from officials getting paid by our taxes.
Are you not supposed to submit the ministry the closure report of the financials of RSM 2016 or is not done till now ????????? as I am aware that like me there are many outstanding payments of RSM 2016 amounting to approx 1.5 cr yet to be cleared against bills and works done [ although I am addressing my issue here only but got you the ref of what you have asked for questioning my claim validity. ….. ]
During my submission of documents to Mr. Srivastava, he denied the signature in my official copy of record [ which I have now scanned and send it to you in my last mail of 34 pages ] saying isme kya sign kana hai aapne de diya aur mujhe mil gaya … in response to my repeated request of getting a signature. . it was in presence of Mr. Ajay Gupta an official of your org from the Delhi office . This was informed immediately to Mr. Bansal then Director of NCZCC . you may kindly validate the same from him in this regard. This is the same day when Mr. Bansal asked me to hand over the computer system to Mr. Srivastava along with the documents by making a phone call from allahabad and close the festival office of Delhi at IGNCA [ in case a memory help is needed ]
Are you understanding the fact the I have put my own money for the office management of the festival office amounting to 1.5 lakh [ — 25,000.00 which was paid ] for NCZCC and waiting since the last 2 years to get mypayment. Can you put yourself in my shoe and look at it once ……………………………
As a government servant your official Mr. Srivastava’s response to me over phone calls were [ “ jab time milenge kar dunga / abhi busy hu / baad main baat karenge / mera accident hua hai / office leave main hu ] .
I have never threatened you in any of my emails [ you have used the word dhamki ] . I am here demanding my outstanding and I have every right to do so after the completion of my work which I was assigned to do so.
You said I have given you 2 days time for payment. would you kindly check the mail correspondence since my first mail of September 14th claiming my money? I request you to put your facts right before writing an official response as the head of the organisation.
In my mails I have always been assertive and clear to my points but you have decided to put allegations against me forgetting my first mail to you where I clearly mentioned that this is nothing personal to anybody but my claim for my dues from an organisation and I am fully aware that this has not happened during your tenure. So may I request you again not to take this as anything personal from my side to you but to check/ validate with your officials and your predecessor and give me a clear and straight forward answer to my claim.
POINT 3 of your mail
showcasing example of mismanagement of your official record by getting me involved to financial issue which I am not a part of
now finally you have agreed that the 40,000.00 Rs you have booked in my name in your record as advance payment given to me [ as per your last mail ] was a wrong info and you have actually given it to the transport people for your official transportation. ………………… do I need to speak more about it ……
The main business : MY CLAIM
1. In regard to my appointment letter i am reforwarding the same to Mr. Bansal , former Director NCZCC and you may kindly ask him to validate the same and forward it to you . As it was a appointment via mail and being the then director he should validate for your convenience. Mr Bansal sir would you be kind enough to do the needful for me.
2. You said in response to my claim of reimbursement you need time. As you have always been mentioning the word PRIORITY I guess wouldn’t it be a good idea to give a time frame for your official proceedings . Kindly mention me a time and date for the same, in your response to this mail .
3. As I have received an advance of 25,000.00 only against your office record of 45,000.00 please scan and forward me the acknowledgement voucher of the same in your response mail which i have signed while receiving payment as I remember your office is good in getting signatures when they give something [ it’s a good thing as per office protocol ] and the opposite when they receive something ………….
4. May I expect an acknowledgement of this letter/ mail regarding the above issue and a defined time frame on the matters of payment from your side by today evening [ last office hour].
ANALYSIS
Looking beyond this episode of my claim for my dues I am trying to see a depressing scenario of the government office system of our country where fighting for your right/claims and getting works done is a nightmare. I as an independent professional on execution management has been working with various ministries on events/festivals/programmes/ conferences etc and it’s the same story of frustration where we are expected to do the work but when it comes to payments and clearances you run from pillar to post and bear the stress of keeping your head cool and WAIT.
I, on a personal front, have decided recently not to be associated with government projects in future just for the simple reason: I don’t want to loose my self-respect by begging for my dues after my work. I guess it will be the story of many………
I remember during the complete period of RSM 2016 from the end of July 2016 till Nov 2016 I was there 24 X7 up in my feet to perform as per the work assigned and was there spending sleepless nights to execute presidents visit on the valedictory where we got just 68 hrs to do everything …………. I enjoy my work and I am proud of my capability. it was a fond memory as professional but this post bitterness takes away the charm of the goodness ………
I am not here to certify myself and ask for compliments but Mr Grover you may ask anyone you know / the then directors of ZCC/ MoC officials /Mr Soni [ then OSD to HCM ] / the then Secy Culture Mr N.K. Sinha sir check my credentials before judging me.
CONCLUSION AND PERSONAL NOTE
I come from a family of bureaucrats with IAS/IPS with my late father also being in the administrative service and served the government with his best ability and I am proud of him. I understand government systems… good bad and ugly…. but what I fail to understand is the backboneless behavior and not having the courage to own up responsibility of mistakes when done …. my upfront and frank behavior had landed me in trouble many times but it doesn’t take away the ME from whom I am and this whole speaking up is always for a constructive better….
finally, I wish to say when I put my head up there all the time when required and completed the work with my best ability in RSM 2016. I deserve the payment which I own and I will stand here till I get each penny.
Thank you all
kind regards
Uzzwal Madhab
part II tomorrow
I will share the detail of correspondence with the nodal agency and my complaints to PMO [ one of the most incompetent complain system of our country ]
my grievance description says it all
