‘Moun’mohan Singh, when he deems fit to speak ,excepting to give a clean certificate to 2 G sam Raja, drops gems.
On the wastage of Food during Wedding he declared it as “national shame”.
(Statistics towards the end of the post)
Laudable, wouldn’t you think ,coming from a concerned Prime Minister?
Look at this!
“The UPA government spent over Rs 28 lakh on a bash to celebrate its third anniversary. The Rs 7,700-a-head dinner comes at a time when the government has announced austerity measures. Incidentally, the UPA-2 had stipulated that Rs 28 per day is sufficient to keep a person out of poverty…
The dinner, hosted on May 22 at 7, Race Course Road, was attended by 375 guests, includingLok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members of Parliament, leaders of political parties, members of the Congress Working Committee and media persons. Hosted by PM Manmohan Singh, prominent on the guest list were Congress president Sonia Gandhi, senior leaders from the BJP, Samajwadi Party and Left parties.
Poser, Manmohan Singh.
According to information accessed through RTI filed by Hisar-based applicant Ramesh Verma, the Prime Minister’s Office ( PMO) spent Rs 28,95,503 for the event. Of this, Rs 11.34 lakh was the catering charge, Rs 14.42 lakh was spent on tentage, Rs 2.92 lakh on electricity and Rs 24,444 on flowers.
The menu included jhinga kasundi, gosht burrah kebab, fish malabari, chicken chettinad, baghare baingan, dum aloo kashmiri, beans gajar matar, keoti dal, biryani and a bread basket.’….
The RTI response also said 603 invitation cards were issued and 375 guests attended the evening soiree. While the food and tent charges were paid through the hospitality grant of the ministry of external affairs, the tab for electricity and flower arrangements was picked up by CPWD.
This is not the sole example of the UPA government’s lavish spending. The Planning Commission was recently in the headlines for spending Rs 35 lakh on a toilet while a recent RTI plea by activist S C Agrawal revealed that Union ministers had spent 12 times more on their travel than the preceding year, running up a bill of over Rs 678 crore in tour expenses.”
I am reminded of an old Tamil Film song’ Ethanai Kaalanthaan Emaatruvaar indha Naatile’
(For how long will these people cheat in this Country?)
Statistics on wastage of food during Weddings in India.
‘A survey shows that annually, Bangalore alone wastes 943 tonnes of quality food during weddings. “This is enough to feed 2.6 crore people a normal Indian meal,” a study by a team of 10 professors from the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), Bangalore, has concluded. The team, under the guidance of UAS vice-chancellor K Narayana Gowda, surveyed 75 of Bangalore’s 531 marriage halls over a period of six months.
“About 84,960 marriages are held at 531 kalyana mantapas (marriage halls) in Bangalore every year. About 943 tonnes of high-calorie quality food is wasted in these halls annually. At an average cost of Rs 40 per meal, the total food wastage in the city is estimated at Rs 339 crore,” the study said.
On an average, 1,000 people attend a wedding where two meals are served – lunch at the wedding and dinner for reception, besides breakfast.
“About 10-20 items are served at a wedding ceremony. The maximum items served include 100 grams each of soup and juice, followed by 50 grams each of puri and pulao,” the survey stated. It also concluded that rice and cereals were on top, making for 35% of the wastage.
The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security has created a record of sorts by according special privilege to Robert Vadra, which entails him to walk in and out of any Indian airports without being subject to any security check. Only the President of India, Vice-President and a handful of other top dignitaries were accorded this rare distinction.
As a concerned citizen, I would like to know from the Government as to what was the special quality in Mr. Vadra that merited this rare honor. The government has no right to go in for such largesse that concerns with the security of the general public just for pleasing the son-in-law of Sonia Gandhi.
Exemption form Pre- embarkation Security Checks-AVSEC Order 06’2009
On Sunday 8 October 2012, in ‘The Devil’s Advocate’ by Karan Thapar in CNN IBN News Channel interviewed Kejriwal on the question of moral propriety of Kejriwal in raising the issue of Robert Vadra without giving Robert the opportunity of defending himself ,that too after getting this information(which is available for the Public from the reistrar of Companies) from an article published in the Economic Times in March last year.
Karan Thapar’s moral high ground is laudable.
But the point by Kejriwal that how else does one expect one’s answer when such a major scam is reported in the Media long back ,which no other Media picked up(incidentally Hindustan Times’ expose on Thorium theft remains unpicked by Media till date-I posted details in my blog), is well taken.
On the other hand Kejriwal’s silence to why he raised a hue and cry when corruption charges were leveled against Shanti Bhushan, si deafening.
You should have a level field for play.
Well, Kejriwal has become a Politician now and we can not expect any thing more from him than double talk.
Now coming to the issue ‘How exactly is DLF is linked to Robert Vadra and did the Media not follow up ETstory?
Robert Vadra’s Companies.
New Delhi-based entrepreneur Robert Vadra, married into the country ‘s most powerful family, has made a quiet and relatively unheralded entry into the real estate business, including a partnership with DLF Ltd, India ‘s largest realty firm. Vadra, the son-in-law of the ruling United Progressive Alliance coalition chairperson Sonia Gandhi, has stayed away from electoral politics, maintaining that he wants to be known as a businessman,
In interviews, he has said that his focus is on Artex, a small company specialising in jewellery and handicraft exports. That seems to be changing as 42-year-old Vadra, known for his punishing fitness regime and love for fast bikes, has sought to scale up and diversify his business activities since 2008, acquiring tracts of land in Haryana and Rajasthan, a 50% stake in a leading business hotel in Delhi, and attempting an entry into the business of chartering aircraft. Regulatory filings available in the public domain and reviewed by ET reporters reveal the changing graph of Vadra ‘sbusiness interests. These include wide-ranging transactions with the DLF Group.
Sky Light Hospitality Pvt Ltd, a company wholly owned by Vadra and his mother Maureen Vadra, is a partner, along with DLF Hotel Holdings and others, in a partnership firm that owns the business hotel Hilton Garden Inn in the upscale South Delhi business district Saket. The hotel is located within the DLF Place mall, also known as DLF Courtyard. “The Hilton Garden Inn Hotel in Saket is a small business hotel.
I have interest in hospitality and am happy to be part of the hotel,” Vadra told ET, speaking on the phone from Europe, where he is travelling presently. He said the business association with DLF stemmed from a long-standing friendship with the family that controls the realty giant. “I have known the DLF people for a long time and they are friends of mine. I had wanted to invest in real estate and one thing led to another. Right now, I can only be part of a small hotel.
If I were taking favours from people I would be doing far bigger things. But I am doing this on my own. I can’t expand immediately but I hope to expand a few years down the line,” he added.”
“DLF has given loans to Vadra ‘s companies
DLF has also extended loans to various companies owned by Vadra. Some of these are unsecured loans or debt without any collateral. As on March 2009, Sky Light Hospitality had received unsecured loans amounting to Rs 25 crore from DLF Ltd. As on March 2010, only Rs 10 crore remained. It ‘s unclear from the statement of accounts if the rest was paid back or written off. Sky Light Hospitality has, in turn, loaned money to other Vadraowned companies such as Blue Breeze Trading Pvt Ltd, North India IT Parks Pvt Ltd, Real Earth Estates Pvt Ltd and Sky Light Realty Pvt Ltd.
Blue Breeze Trading, a company incorporated in 2007 with Vadra and his wife Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as first directors and equal shareholders, is in the business of chartering aircraft. The company, however, seems to have done little business, apart from acquiring agricultural land. Priyanka Gandhi ceased to be a director as on July 2008. She is no longer a shareholder. Real Earth Estates Pvt Ltd also had a Rs 5 crore loan directly from DLF on its books as on March 2010.
The joint venture firm Saket Courtyard Hospitality had received Rs 3.58 crore of unsecured loans from DLF Hotel Holdings Ltd, the group company that owned 50% stake in the JV. “The business relationship of DLF Group with Robert Vadra has been in his capacity as an individual entrepreneur and on a completely transparent and arms length basis.
“On March 16, the TOI reported: BJP, Left to corner Cong on Vadra’s rise:On Tuesday, leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj said, “The matter is a serious one and the party is gathering documents to aise it with the prominence it deserves.”
She said the party had “entrusted” leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley to collect facts on Vadra’s rise.CPM leader Sitaram Yechury was on the same track.
“It looks like a serious matter and our party is ascertaining facts and will come up with a structured reaction on this,” he said.But the story began to change, as Mr Dasgupta tweeted on March 16:Resistance in BJP on raising Vadra issue is from some a of its ex-Presidents
Differences were evident at a meeting of BJP leaders in Parliament on Wednesday with some leaders advocating caution while some others felt Congress could be asked some questions on Vadra’s activities. Leader of Opposition in the Lok Saba Sushma Swaraj felt it would not be good form to target family members of political rivals.
Whether or not the possible counter-attack on the BJP’s own son-in-law, Mr Ranjan Bhattacharya, whose name keeps cropping up in Radia tapes and in Wikileaks cables, is one of the reasons for the BJP’s hesitation, has not found a mention in any of the discussions so far.”
See how the elusive Ranjan Bhattacharya, Vajpayee’s son-in-law is tucked in!
No wonder no Media picked the story of Economic Times.
“Robert Vadra was born to Rajendra and Maureen Vadra on 18 April 1969. Rajendra Vadra hails from Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh and Maureen was of Scottish origin (her maiden name was McDonagh).
Rajendra was a resident of Civil Lines area of Moradabad and ran a brass and wood handicrafts business.
The Vadra family has claimed to be a supporter of the Congress Party but Rajendra’s older brother, Om Prakash, had donated his property to a trust in Moradabad. The family is originally from Sialkot, Pakistan, and Rajendra’s father moved to India at the time of partition.
Robert had two siblings, Richard and Michelle.
Vadra was estranged from his father, who had “expressed displeasure” with Robert’s marriage with Priyanka Vadra
Robert Vadra issued a public notice in 2001, stating that his father, Rajender, and brother, Richard, were “duping” people by promising jobs at the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee and other favours. Rajendra later threatened to file a defamation suit against his son.
The Vadra family has witnessed various tragedies. Robert’s sister Michelle died in a car accident in April 2001. His brother Richard committed suicide in 2003.[1] Robert Vadra’s father, Rajendra Vadra, reportedly died of a heart attack in 2009 although some sources reported it as a suicide.”
Robert Vadra.
Robert Vadra net worth: Overnight multi-billionaire Robert Vadra has an estimated net worth of a staggering $2.1 Billion.
The 42 year old gained his net worth after his marriage to Indian politician Priyanka Gandhi.
Vadra met Priyanka Gandhi at a mutual friend’s house and in 1997, they were married making Vadra a part of the most powerful family in India.
Together they have two children, Raihan and Miraya
. Despite marrying a family with a strong history of politics, Vadra does not interfere with any policy making, insisting that he’s a businessman and his only focus is Artex, a small company that specialise in jewellery export.
Other Business.
He owns, Artex, a small company specialising in jewellery and handicraft exports.
Sky Light Hospitality Pvt Ltd (owned by Vadra and his mother Maureen Vadra), is a partner in a firm that owns Hilton Garden Inn in the South Delhi business district Saket. DLF Hotel Holdings is another partner in this firm.[11]
Blue Breeze Trading Pvt Ltd (aircraft chartering)
North India IT Parks Pvt Ltd
Real Earth Estates Pvt Ltd
Sky Light Realty Pvt Ltd
He was also linked to the 1,76,000 Crore 2 G Scam .
Vadra is also the sole owner of Sky Light Hospitality Pvt Ltd, having his mother Maureen as a partner. Furthermore he owns 20 per cent of Unitech, which was in the centre of the high profile 2G spectrum scam.
The Vadra family has witnessed various tragedies. Robert’s sister Michelle died in a car accident in April 2001. His brother Richard committed suicide in 2003.
Robert Vadra’s father, Rajendra Vadra, reportedly died of a heart attack in 2009 although some sources reported it as a suicide.
Rajinder Vadra, the father-in-law of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in Room Number 6 of a guesthouse in Yusuf Sarai here this morning, police officials said.
Police said his body was found by an employee of a local stall who had gone to serve him tea at 9.30 am.
He was taken to Safdarjung Hospital where doctors declared him dead at 11.30 am. He was cremated in the Lodhi Road crematorium.
Among those who were present at the cremation were his son Robert Vadra, Priyanka Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi.
Police officials said that Vadra was ill and had been discharged from hospital 12 days ago.
Seven years ago, a public notice on behalf of Robert Vadra was put out that he was dissociating himself from his father and brother Richard Vadra.
The notice said that claiming to be acting on Robert’s behalf, they were promising jobs and other favours to people, in return for money.
It is stated that the two were related to Robert but they had no access to him, and that Robert had not authorised them or anybody else to function on his behalf.
Kejriwal,IAC accuses,
“…Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law Robert Vadra of large-scale corruption in real estate dealings. In a highly speculated press conference, the IAC members alleged that real estate giant DLF had sold him prime land at throw-away prices and given him interest-free loans. They said, property worth over Rs 300 crores was sold to Vadra for just Rs 50 lakh.Speculation was rife among political observers in the national capital about activist Arvind Kejriwal‘s announcement to ‘expose’ the corruption of a “powerful political leader” on Friday. Kejriwal had said on October 2 2012 that his group would reveal sensational information against two political leaders on Saturday. However, the IAC changed its plans and held its press conference on Friday.
“Why did DLF give Rs. 65 crore loan to Vadra without any interest? He bought DLF properties with that money at discounted rates
. What benefit did Vadra provide to the Congress party for this?. He bought Rs. 65 crore property for Rs. 5 crore. So how did DLF benefit?
There are many questions. There are four penthouses in one DLF property in Gurgaon. he brought these through a maze of five companies.
We have details of 12 companies registered in the past few years- six registered in 2012 alone. A penthouse sold in 2009 for Rs.89 lakh- who
se market value was Rs.25 crore then, and is now at least Rs. 40 crore,” Prashant Bhushan alleged.
“Prima facie,” he added, were charges under Prevention of Corruption Act and Income Tax Act.”
DLF Replies..
”
DLF refuted allegations that it has lent any money to Robert Vadra as well that it has sold to him properties at lower than market rates. In a detailed reply, DLF established that the loan was Business Advance which was given, as per practice of trade, to make payments for land purchased from Robert Vadra. Till the time, the documents were transferred in the name of DLF the money paid was treated as Advance. The treatment is in line with Accounting Standard-10 for Fixed Assets issued by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India which says that any asset can be recorded in books only when all the risks and rewards of the asset are transferred in the name of the company. ..
The press release stated that as against allegations by Arvind Kejriwal, the properties sold to Robert Vadra were not lower transferred at lower than market price but at times were transferred at quite high rates. It also clarified that the allegations of Quid, pro, Quo are wrong as the property which was allotted to it by Haryana Govt. is not one on which residential apartments have been built but is one on which an amusement park shall be coming up. On the other hand, Arvind Kejriwal & Prashant Bhusan had alleged that the property allocated to DLF was the one on which residential apartments have been built up though the property was acquired by Haryana Govt. for Public Interest. DLF also clarified that the property was allocated to it for development of an amusement park only after it has paid the highest sum for it as part of an international bidding process.‘
When Narendra Modi raised the issue of Sonia Gandhi’s Foreign travel stating that Rs 1880 Crore was involved I posted that in the face of the denial by the RTI applicant Ramesh,Hisar,Modi had rushed in without checking facts and that it did not fit his stature.
Now though the case remains as it was, the information that the Government is bent on withholding information on the expenses incurred by Sonia Gandhi‘s Travel by a Blanket ‘No information” and Chief Information Commissioner
‘
In any case, the expenditure made by any individual on her
treatment, in India or abroad, is a private information and cannot be the subject
matter of an RTI application.
5. The case is disposed of accordingly.
6. Copies of this order be given free of cost to the parties.”
asserts the fact that the Government is hiding.
True, it is personal.
The issue becomes Public of the tax payer’s money is spent.
A simple declaration that the Government has not spent any money account of Sonia Gandhi’s Foreign Travel would suffice.
Why does not the Government say so?
Sonia Gandhi.
The Document.
Central Information Commission, New Delhi
File No.CIC/SM/C/2011/001470
Right to Information Act2005Under Section (19)
Date of hearing
Date of decision
:
:
3 May 2012
3 May 2012
Name of the Complainant : Shri Naveen Kumar,
S/o. Shri Ram Chandar Sharma,
Village Mathara Dharmpur, Post Aalpur
Mathara, Tehsil Chandosi,
Distt – Moradabad, UP – 202 410.
Name of the Public Authority : CPIO, Prime Minister’s Office,
South Block, New Delhi – 110 101.
CPIO, Ministry of External Affairs,
(RTI Division), 882, Akbar Bhavan,
Chanakyapuri, New Delhi….
2. The Appellant was present in the Moradabad studio of the NIC. The
respondents representing the Prime Minister’s office, NAC, Ministry of External
Affairs and the Lok Sabha were present in our chamber. We heard all their
submissions.
3. The Appellant had wanted to know about the expenditure incurred on the
treatment of Smt Sonia Gandhi in the USA during AugustSeptember 2011. His
application had been transferred to various other public authorities. The CPIO
concerned in each of these public authorities had informed the Appellant that
they had no such record to show any expenditure having been made.
4. During the hearing, the Appellant was keen to know about the details of
any expenditure incurred by the government in this regard. From the
submissions made by the Respondents, it was quite clear that neither any
reimbursement for any such expenditure had been claimed by the individual
concerned from these public authorities nor any expenditure made in this
regard. In other words, till now, the government has incurred no expenditure in
this regard. Therefore, there is no information to be disclosed about the likely
CIC/SM/C/2011/001470expenditure. In any case, the expenditure made by any individual on her
treatment, in India or abroad, is a private information and cannot be the subject
matter of an RTI application.
5. The case is disposed of accordingly.
6. Copies of this order be given free of cost to the parties.
(Satyananda Mishra)
Chief Information Commissioner
Authenticated true copy. Additional copies of orders shall be supplied against
application and payment of the charges prescribed under the Act to the CPIO of this
Commission.
(Vijay Bhalla)
Deputy Registrar
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