CENTRAL GOVT  CONSIDERS  TO AMEND  LOKPAL & LOKAYUKTAS ACT 2013  TO  SAFEGUARD  EMPLOYEES  FROM  SECURITY  THREATS : EFFORTS  AND  THOUGHTS  OF  WEST  BENGAL  GROUP-C  CIRCLE  UNION  IS  PROVED  JUSTIFIED

   

    As the department has directed all employees to furnish all immovable and movable assets of entire family including cash in hand, deposited cash in Bank or P.O. savings accounts, fixed deposits, jewellery etc., for displaying these information in departmental website as per the provisions of the above Acts, a panic prevailed among all employees regarding security. There are enough possibilities for using these information by miscreants for extortion, demanding ransom by kidnapping etc.

      Our Circle Union realised the threat of the situation and sent an e-mail to P3 CHQ on 21.8.2014 expressing our concern over the issue. The text of the e-mail was :

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Dear Comrade,

                          You must be aware of the fact that our department has already circulated a 6-page proforma for declaration of assets and liabilities by staff, their spouses and dependent children, as required under Section 44(2) of Lokpal and Lokayukt Act 2013. These information will be made available in the Public Domain of the departmental website as per the provisions of the Act.

         We had a discussion in the Circle Union regarding this. Our comrades are anxious over the issue of security once entire assets aredisplayed in public domain. Everyone is apprehending threat to security as any miscreant would have easy access to such information, and especially in West Bengal, where now it is the hegemony of miscreants for ransom and extortion even by the local clubs to extract money, none would be spared.

         We need to know whether the CHQ or the Federation has pondered over this aspect of the situation and thought of any remedy. As this is an Act now, no local or departmental remedy is feasible. Can we seek a minimum protection of these information in the departmental website under user id and password? The password may then be supplied to Lokpal Officers also.

         Kindly intimate us the stand and thinking of the CHQ and Federation / Confederation on it. We shall decide our stand upon that.

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     We are happy to see a news item appearing in today's 'TIMES OF INDIA' (Kolkata edition) that DoPT has also received various apprehensions from different sources and the Central Govt is seriously considering to amend the Act for not making information pertaining to movable assets available in public domain (departmental website). The scanned copy of the news item is reproduced below (please CLICK on the image to enlarge): 

   If this amendment is made, we have to furnish all assets alright, but movable assets will not be available in the website for any public. We welcome the decision of the Govt and request for immediate process for the amendment.

      Meanwhile, West Bengal Circle Unions are going to issue a letter shortly to the Circle Administration for not being hyperactive to upload everything in public domain, and also to the CHQ, Federation and Confederation requesting to take this up with Postal Directorate and DoPT as early as possible.

       Please spread this news among our comrades.