February 17, 2004

 

Goa Govt. Consultants

 

Govt advisors, OSDs get paid upto Rs 50,000 per month 
from The HERALD newspaper, Goa

Herald<The State government appointed some 17 advisors/consultants and officers on special duty (OSDs), from 2001 till date, all at handsome salaries and perks. Some of these advisors and OSDs were appointed at staggering salaries ranging between Rs 12,000 to Rs 50,000 per month.>

TGF: Every Government needs assistance. Sometimes, this assistance is available 'in house', sometimes not. When it is not available 'in house', it is quite right that the Government goes elsewhere to look for assistance and advice. Such 'consultancies' do not come free, or even cheap. Hence the amounts designated for payment to the "Consultants", are quite within reason.

The Government however has to make its case to the people, who are ultimately footing the bill. The following questions are in order:

1.  Was there a need for advice?
2.  Why was there a need for advice?
3.  Were local departments requested for advice?
4.  Were they incapable of delivering this advice?
5.  Did the Goa Government advertise locally (in Goa) for assistance?
6.  How was the selection of these "Consultants" decided upon?
7.  Have these "Consultants" filed a report of their experience thus far?
8.  When will the people of Goa be able to see this report?
9.  Has this exercise been worth the time, effort and money?
10.Would the Goa Government re-hire these "Consultants" or write a positive reference for them to another Government?
---

Herald<Chief Minister, Manohar Parrikar, gave this information in a written reply to an unstarred question raised by Ravi Naik in the Goa legislative assembly. The Goa Medical College got an executive hospital consultant in Dr A K Singh for consolidated fees of Rs 11 lakhs for a year from February 1, 2002, the written reply states.>

TGF : It would certainly be good to see what (nearly 1 lakh a month worth) advice Dr A K Singh offered the Government of Goa - and IF it was accepted and followed.

--

Herald<The services of Dr S V Nadkarni were also hired as a consultant/advisor for the Trauma Unit and Emergency Services of the GMC. Dr Nadkarni was paid a consolidated salary of Rs 20,000 per month for two years from September 29, 2001, according to Mr Parrikar’s reply.>

TGF: Is this Dr. S.V. Nadkarni a trauma specialist? Has he organised, set up, run any major Trauma facility anywhere? Has he published widely on the subject of Trauma management? What made him the choice candidate? Was the Surgical or Emergency department at Goa Medical College consulted first? Did they refuse to assist, or were they too busy to assist?

--

Herald<In another case, the government appointed Dr Anupam Saraph, as an advisor for IT, with a salary of Rs 50,000 per-month for three years from December 1, 2002. Dr Saraph is also entitled to a car or Rs 5000 per month, reimbursement of mobile bills at actuals upto a limit of Rs 5,000 and travel expenses as applicable to a Class I officer, according to the reply.>

TGF : Are there NO qualified Goans who could advise Goa wrt IT matters? Did the Goa Government try ask Dr. Samir Kelekar (for instance)?

--

Herald<The government also appointed C R Setharam as a consultant with the Goa State Horticulture Corporation for the project on marketing network of fruits and vegetables in Goa. Mr Seetharam’s tenure is for one year from May 30, 2003, and will be paid Rs 25,000 per-month besides accommodation and to-and-fro travel expenses from Bangalore.>

TGF : Are there NO qualified Goans who could fulfill this task? Did the Goa Government try ask Miguel Braganza or Fernando do Rego (for instance)?

These are some questions which the Goa Government may wish to consider? After the recent awarding of Freedom Fighter status (+ benefits) to non freedom fighters, this is beginning to look as though the ruling  BJP is "doing the Congress" in Goa - scrape & rake.

Is the BJP exactly the same as the very corrupt Congress Party of India - only dressed up in saffron.


TGF
Feb 21, 2004

ps: The rest of the HERALD article is posted below sans comment

---

Heraldo<The Horticulture Corporation also got a consultant for a cold storage unit in S K Bhat, who is the chief executive of TEDMAG, Bangalore. His services have been contracted for nine months from June 2003 to March 2004 at Rs 28,000 lumpsum per month.

The government also appointed an OSD for the office of PWD chief engineer in M V Rivonkar from July 2003 to March 31, 2004. Mr Rivonkar is to be paid a salary of Rs 12,550.

Like the PWD, the office of the WRD chief engineer also got the services of a “technical advisor” in K S Shankar Rao for the technical committee constituted by the government. The government paid Rao Rs 2000 per day for the days he reported besides air-fare and other travelling allowances, states the written reply.

The directorate of technical education (DTE) was spared the services of an OSD in P J M Kamat, at a salary of Rs 21,500. Mr Kamat’s tenure is for four-and-half years from March 2000 to December 2004.According to the written reply, the DTE also availed the honorary services of Dr Prabhu Gaonkar, as an advisor to the advisory board of technical education. Dr Prabhu Gaonkar, who has been serving and will continue as advisor for three years from May 2001, is provided the benefits due to a ‘State Guest’ as per government rules and to-and-fro air travel expenses. He gets no salary.A retired special chief secretary, R C Sinha has been appointed senior advisor to the government in the general administration department. He is being paid a salary of Rs 50,000 per-month, and other perks like rent-free accommodation, car for official and private use, and medical expenditure re-imbursement.

The government has also appointed retired IAS officer, Alban Couto, as advisor for one year from April 2, 2003. Mr Couto gets a salary of Rs 25,000 per-month and other perks including travel allowances as permissible to secretaries of the Government of India, and telephone bills.

According to the written reply, the press liaison officer in the office of the chief minister, the post which is held by the former director of information, Rajesh Singh, was paid Rs 18,320 per-month. The press liaison officer was also re-imbursed telephone bills. Mr Singh’s tenure was to be concurrent with that of the Chief Minister, but the former told Herald that he has tendered his resignation recently for personal reasons.

Former legislature secretary, A B Ulman, is another OSD appointed in the office of the chief minister for a salary of Rs 19,510 per month. An OSD has also been appointed in Goa Sadan, New Delhi. Joy Bandekar holds the post at a consolidated salary of Rs 30,000 per month.>

TGF addendum: Critique of Critique invited
back to Front Page