Cong decries I&B minister’s whims
The Congress on Saturday decried “unbridled, unchecked and uncontrolled whims and anger” of Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani and asked why Prime Minister Modi is mum about it.
Party chief spokesman Randeep Singh Surjewala fired seven questions at Irani on her whimsical decisions. In a statement through tweets, he asked why the minister is making Doordarshan and All India Radio employees suffer, withholding their salary for two months of January and February.
GOVT STAND: The public broadcaster Prasar Bharati had to pay the salaries out of the contingency funds. The I&B Ministry, however, came out with a clarification that money disbursal to it was stopped as it refused to sign the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the ministry despite repeated reminders. It said the MoU would only enhance transparency and accountability.
It said as per the government’s general financial rules, the Prasar Bharti as an autonomous organisation is required to sign the MoU, clearly bringing out the physical and financial targets with timelines on activities done utilising the grant during the financial year.
The ministry pointed out fiscal accountability leads to curbing of wasteful expenditure, referring to the saving of Rs 360 crore a year just in the salaries of the Prasar Bharti because of the repeated insistence of the ministry to implement the Human Resources Information System.
Surjewala, however, insisted that stoppage of funds was a reaction of the minister to the Prasar Bharti board refusing to pay Rs 2.92 crore to a private firm engaged by her in the last International Film Festival in Goa. He asked why the minister chose private firm over Doordarshan when the latter had been telecasting the event with much better equipment. Why should the private firm be paid Rs 2.92 crore by Prasar Bharti, he asked.
He also asked why should the minister insist upon filling two editorial posts with journalists whose salary is higher than what Prasar Bharti can afford. Is one of the two journos her unofficial media advisor, he asked.
MASS TRANSFER: Surjewala also wondered why has the minister transferred 140 Group A IIS (Indian Information Service) officers (out of a cadre of 500) in two months. Is this a punishment tool adopted by Minister Irani, he asked.
On IIS Association President Anindya Sengupta trying to bring this mass transfer of his cadre officers to the knowledge of the Prime Minister, Surjewala said even this officer was whimsically transferred.
Insiders say Home Minister Rajnath Singh tried to intervene to stop the transfer of the information officer attached to his ministry doing good job and due for retirement later this year. Irani refused to stop it, asserting her right to transfer anybody under her.
Reacting to the ministry’s clarification, Congress communication convener Priyanka Chaturvedi said: “Such a shame! Ministry admits that they are withholding salary but calls it financial prudence.”
She said the ministry “remains committed to the arrogance of Madam Minister & her self-serving agenda.”
In a tweet, she said: “Still can’t fathom how someone’s ego is so fragile so as to hold back salaries of those who have homes to run, just because she has a point to prove. This is I&B’s budgeted expense, not her khairat.”