Man who said Kerala floods affected only rich, a member of BJP IT cell
A Hyderabadi man is facing severe backlash on social media after his appeal on the current situation in Kerala has gone viral. In the two-minute audio message, a person who identifies himself as Suresh Kochattil, claimed that he was stuck in Kochi due to floods when he was trying to reach his village which is an hour's drive from the city.
In the audio clip, he is heard saying most of the families who were affected by the floods were middle class, upper middle class or superbly rich and they do not require money or essential items. He also claimed that electricity supply is intact in many areas. He went on to say those affected by floods require only skilled labourers like electricians and carpenters and asked people to arrange for these instead of sending them cash.
According to his Facebook profile, Suresh Kochattil, a social media member of the BJP IT cell, is a native of Kerala settled in Hyderabad. After his audio clip went viral, a large number of netizens slammed him for misleading and insensitive comments. Soon, he came out with a Facebook post with the claim that he was being threatened by the CPI(M) cadre from Kerala.
A number of celebrities and prominent personalities, including popular actor Dulquer Salmaan, have openly criticised Kochatil. In an Instagram post, the actor asked people not to believe him but contribute generously to help those affected by floods.
“Another shocking revelation that we have come across is that a man who led PM Modi's campaign in Kerala, Suresh Kochattil, is spreading false information to prevent people from sending relief funds to Kerala,” was a tweet from official Congress twitter handle.
Kochattil worked in a senior non-editorial position in a well-known media house in Hyderabad. During 2014 elections and later, Kochattil was active on various social media forums, posting his strong political views. He is also a known face in the Hyderabad community of adventure lovers. He was an active member of Greater Hyderabad Adventure Club (GHAC) and was closely involved in the operations and management of the club.
Despite repeated attempts, Kochattil could not be contacted on phone and he did not respond to messages on Facebook.
courtesy : theweek.in
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Haryana govt identifies 370 'corrupt' patwaris, their 170 aides; orders action against them
Chandigarh (PTI): The Haryana government has prepared a list of 370 'patwaris' (revenue officials) and 170 private individuals working as their assistants who are allegedly involved in corrupt practices.
The office of the financial commissioner, revenue (FCR) has written to deputy commissioners to initiate stringent action against the corrupt officials.
'Patwaris' maintain land records, certify land possession, mutation and other works.
According to the FCR's communication dated January 14, these 370 'patwaris' across the state have been accused of demanding bribes from people to get their work done.
Kaithal tops the list prepared by the Revenue and Disaster Management Department with 46 "corrupt" 'patwaris', followed by 41 in Sonipat, 36 in Mahendragarh, 27 in Gurugram, 25 in Fatehabad, 23 in Kurukshetra and 20 in Jhajjar.
The list identifies 19 such 'patwaris' in Faridabad, 17 in Palwal, 16 in Rewari, 14 in Yamunanagar, 13 each in Sirsa and Hisar, 12 in Jind, 10 in Bhiwani, nine in Panipat, seven in Karnal, six each in Charkhi Dadri and Nuh, and five each in Ambala and Rohtak.
Panchkula is the only district which does not figure on the list.
The FCR's communication asked deputy commissioners to take action against the "corrupt" 'patwaris' and submit an action taken report within 15 days.
The communication stated that people, who go to 'patwaris' for their land-related work are harassed as these 'patwaris' repeatedly raise objections, forcing people to pay them to get their work done.
It said corrupt practices of such 'patwaris' adversely affect the image of the government.
The report prepared by the department mentions the modus operandi of the 'patwaris', their castes and period of posting.
According to the report, a 'patwari' posted in Ambala for the past 18 months has been harassing the public by demanding bribes for things like mutation, land measurement and rectification of land records. He has deputed a private individual for accepting the money on his behalf, it said.
In Bhiwani, a 'patwari' takes Rs 3,000-4,000 for mutation and a 'patwari' in Charkhi Dadri demands Rs 1,000-2,000 for land mutation, the report stated.
