Monday, June 14, 2010

The First and Last Freedom - Meditation

Amazing word this freedom is. Many people use it in many context. But all the meanings come down to only one statement. "I am free right here right now". It is very paradoxical statement, and how is it possible because at every moment we are bound by something.

Can we get rid of any of the thought or any of the problems, I believe not and no one like us does since we are all "Sansari" and carry out our duties

From mind to no mind and from something to nothing to everything is what the word Meditation is all about.

The "living in present moment" phenomena is experienced by only human is Child.

Once we grow as adult, somewhere we lost it. The only moment we live that present moment is during orgasm. But can that be last? Its as physical level but still you feel glims of meditaion , the no thought and the completeness.

And Meditation is like being joyful because it is all about accepting your mind so that it becomes no mind.We are not even aware that there is mind which plays with us. For us the definition of mind is "I am Mind" and that is "Bhranti", an illusion.

Witnessing your mind and watching your thoughts pass by will give you immense knowledge about your mind. Once you know your mind, there is no better and interesting subject will exist in world.

So what it has to offer :
Freedom from the impact of thoughts as you will be witness to the thoughts
Freedom from the results of Karma with the awareness that you did not do it
Freedom from your mind since you will know that you are not your mind
Freedom from "I" since pure consiousness will blossom

Meditation, the first and last freedom, be free right here right now

Luv

Monday, February 8, 2010

Baigan Ka Bharta - It can be poisonous

I always believed that India's first strength is in its farming and the quality of grains and vegetables our farmers produced. Without much fuss of so called organic food, our food is much more close to purity without any intrusion by great GEAC(Genetic Engineering Approval Committee).

I never knew this kind of committee was existed in India untill I heard a word called "Bt Baingan". Abhi ye kya naya funda hai...was the first thought came to my mind.

Believe it or not , our great environmental minister is proposing the idea of Bt baingan. Jai ho Jairam Ramesh(Union Minister of State for Environment and Forests).

Kya hai ye Bt Baingan.

Well, it is genetically modified Brinjol. What does it do. Basically to give the protection against some anti crop worms or insects , the seeds of brinjol is given a treatment of mild dosage of poison which keeps these insects away.

So when the crop grows, it gets protections against these insects and worms.
In return, what we get, more marcury, more mettalic dioxides in our genes.

This means, baigan ka bharta will come with added poison and this un-natural product is naturally harmful to our body. Why we need this is a big plot or consipiracy.
In India, every state grows brinjol and almost every state has different verity of it, so atleast more then 20 types of brinjol grows naturally in our country.

I have never head brinjol crisis :). Do we need these kind of seeds?, well Mr. Jairam thinks we do. Thanks to the foreign companies who would like to penetrate India now with their bad intesions to sell the seeds and make few people rich.

If this gets into India, they will start experimenting every vegetable and fruit and all we will get is modified stuff. May be next generation will never taste natural stuff, or may taste it at higher price by going to organic farmers.

we neither need toxic pesticides nor toxic Bt. Brinjal.The argument proposed by GEAC that without GM Bt. pests cannot be controlled is totally false.

Dr. Vandana Shiva, Founder of Navdanya in her letter to Mr. Jairam Ramesh has highlighted that the rationale for the approval is wrong since it has totally ignored organic agriculture as the sustainable system for controlling pests

Every state in our country is opposing this idea except minister and GEAC.
Let's do our bit when by spreading word around so that every Baigan Bharta Shaukin will be aware.

Lets always have Happy Bharta, VangBhaat, Vangyache Kaap, Undhiyu..

Chau,
Chandresh

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Part II on CAG , Accountability and Us

Hi All,
Last time I talked briefly about CAG and the revenue earned by MH goverment by Direct taxes.

Now lets review some sad facts where someone else is accountable but responsibility is with us..lets come back to responsibility later

All expenditure is in Cr.
As per section 1.7.1.2 of 2007-08 Audit Report for Incomplete projects
Department : Public Work
Total number of Incomplete Projects/Initial Budgeted cost : 97/ 572.93
No. of incomplete project of which Revised cost available/Initial Budgeted Cost : 9/ 37.49
Revised Cost : 53.04
Cost Escalation : 15.55
Cumulative Actual Expenditure as on 31.3.2008 : 518.06

Looks like little better performance if we dig into cuts :). Now here is something shocking...

Department : Irrigation
Total number of Incomplete Projects/Initial Budgeted cost : 25/ 911.61
No. of incomplete project of which Revised cost available/Initial Budgeted Cost : 23/ 893.80
Revised Cost : 3467.72
Cost Escalation : 2573.92
Cumulative Actual Expenditure as on 31.3.2008 : 5042.21

If you add up both publik work and irrigation department out of 122 projects, 32 projects were re-estimated with total cost escalation to 2589.47 Cr.

This means out orf 47,528.41 Cr. earn by Maharastra Govt in Direct Taxes, 5% of this amount(2589.47) was spent on revised cost and escalation in project cost.

Simply put 5% of our paid tax is unaccounted since there is no break up of project expenditure available. Atleast I could not find it with CAG. May be someone is hiding the files in his locker :)

Person accountableis PWD Minister in 2007.
Person Responsible : US


http://goidirectory.nic.in/maha.htm, today this site is not working :) which is I believe is a link to PWD minister's name.

You must me wondering why I am writing about 07-08, well , tats the speed of audit which CAG can have since its an audit of nation.

Other interesing thing as per Appendix 1.7 of CAG Audit of Maharastra
This is a statement showing excess of expenditure over the projections. I could not find exact break up

Between Revenue, Forest, Public Work and Water Resources the Range of percentage of variation between actual monthly spending and projected to legislature was from 25 to 1794%.

Person accountable : are ministers for these department in 2007.
Person Responsible : US


It will be interesting to see what Mr. Chagal Bhujbal as Public Work,Narayan Rane as Revenue, Dr. Patangrao Kadam as Forest and Ajit Pawar as Water Resource Minister shows in 2009 as expenditure. I could not understand why Mr. Ajit Pawar is not looking after Krishna Valley irrigation company which is excluded from his responsibility. This project is Harnessing the Waters of the Krishna River which involves tunnel construction and contract is given to B. T. Patil & Sons Construction Ltd. Note this name , it will be interesting to find how much cost escalation this project will have.

There is another statement showing department-wise break up of non-submission of accounts which is called Audit Report (Civil) for the year ended 31 March 2008 Appendix 1.9. I am summarizing this here after studying

Department info awaited since
1.Environment 93 to 98 to 03-04 and 07-08
2.Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection 94 to 96,98 to 04 and 07-08
3.Home 94 to 03 & 07-08
4.Industries, Energy and Labour 99-04, 06-08
5.Law and Judiciary 99 to 03 and 07-08
6.Medical Education and Drugs 94 to 03 and 07-08
7.Planning 97-98 and 99-2000 to 07-08
8.Tribal Development 91 to 03, and 2007-08
9.Women and Child Development 93 to 06 and 2007-08

Nine service departments of Maharastra have not shown their accounts for almost since years ranging from 91 to 2008

Person accountable : are ministers for these department in 2007.
Person Responsible : US



We are responsible because we did not made any of our minister accountable to show us what is being done by his department. I dont think we have time to ask ourself why?
We are happy to discuss the state of politics over a drink or lunch/tea break , give our greatest opinion on how to improve system , and then go home by shaking head.

If we dont respect money which we earn by working hard, why someone else will respect the usage of it..

If some lawer reads it and advice me how to send show cause notice for above or file a writ petition under the right of information law, I would surely do it..

I planning to take this step as my responsibily..let me know how about you..

Till then,
Chandresh

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Check the ignored facts - CAG

अपने घर पे कभी ज़ाक के नहीं देखा कभी,
महेफिलो में बहार वालो के हम अफ़साने कहते है

We all intellectual people what BBC, CNN may be we know more about the world then our own land. Thats the two liner

I am a poet but believe me I am bad in writing any article. Blog is something I never though I will maintain. But There are so many things around us which are ignored , I though I will make an attempt to put some light on it.

Bigger awareness always starts with smaller one so let me start with CAG. Who cares what is CAG. That was my first reaction. Thats called "Comptroller & Auditor General of India" ...

Damn..did I miss spelled it, thats what anyone will assume..since I never do spell check and I am Gujju from Gujju school. But Thats how it is spelled its not "Controller.."

Interesting isnt it. Today I came to know about a person who keep checks on our money. I call it our money because sometimes its better to feel that the portion of my money is used to run this country

His name is Mr. Vinod Rai. I never heard his name. I was curious to know "Where money goes" apart from the pocket of our polititians. Mr Rai and his team has the answer.

The data I am going to publish here is an attempt to show you how rich we are but yet so poor because we are not aware and responsible to act.

What start from India, Let me start with Maharastra, since I am from Amchi Mumbai..
As per Section 1.1 of General Audit Report Follwoing is the revenue generated by Maharastra Government for from Taxes during 07-08..I believe only Salaries people pay.

Tax revenue : 47,528.41 Cr
Receipts from the Government of India : 15,106.77 Cr.

Go to CAG Site to check how it is spent and how much we lost.
Do you know the reason, its unawareness and not taking the reponsibility and action.

More than politicians, we are responsible. So from tomorrow, Lets start with just asking ...

Warm regards
Chandresh