Hi Friends,

Even as I launch this today ( my 80th Birthday ), I realize that there is yet so much to say and do. There is just no time to look back, no time to wonder,"Will anyone read these pages?"

With regards,
Hemen Parekh
27 June 2013

Now as I approach my 90th birthday ( 27 June 2023 ) , I invite you to visit my Digital Avatar ( www.hemenparekh.ai ) – and continue chatting with me , even when I am no more here physically

Thursday, 19 May 2016

One Small Step for a Man .....


Remember the words of Neil Armstrong when he stepped onto the moon ?

" One small step for a Man ; a giant step for the Mankind "


That brings me back to Revenue Secretary, Shri Adhia's remarks in Hindustan Times ( 20 May 2016 )

While referring to Government plans to crackdown on huge cash transactions, he said :

" This will strengthen archaic laws and improve enforcement actions

More checks and barriers will stop illegal fund flow into and out of the country and help more in search and seizure operations "


He was referring to the requirement of giving PAN , as announced by the government , in past few months , in the following cases :

#  cash transactions above Rs 2 lakh

#  sale / purchase of immovable property beyond Rs 10 lakh

#  paying of hotel and restaurant bills of Rs 50,000 and above

#  purchasing gold jewellery above Rs 2 lakh

#  buying / selling of shares of an unlisted company, of Rs 1 lakh and above


The government is now looking to

*  increase the usage of PAN and AADHAR numbers to include more
    transactions

*  declare cash transactions above a certain amount as " illegal "

*  require tax-paying residents to inform the government before opening a
    bank account overseas


RESULTS  SO  FAR  :

*  Found Rs 21,354 Cr worth of undisclosed income

*  Surveys yielded Rs 22,475 Cr



NOW  COMPARE  THIS  ACHIEVEMENT  WITH  :

*  Our nominal GDP is approx Rs 140 lakh*crore

*  Black Economy is estimated at 70 % of GDP ( ie: Rs 100 lakh*crore )

*  Between 2003-12 , Indians siphoned out $ 440 billion abroad
    ( Rs 31 lakh*crore )


So , after enormous administrative effort , we have managed to recover , a mere  0.2 % of the BLACK MONEY in our economy  !


Instead of taking endless number of small steps over next decade , I once again urge NDA government to take following one SMALL step , which will prove to be that GIANT STEP for the entire mankind :


#   Internet of Things ( IoT )

     As each currency note of Rs 500 / 1000 , is getting printed , embed it with microscopic RFIDsensors


     Besides communicating with each other , these sensors will also transmit their existence location , through internet , to cloud-based servers of Income Tax Department


     This will form a " NETWORK  OF  CURRENCY  NOTES ( NoC ) "


     You may like to call this Internet of Currency ( IoC ) , a sub-set of IoT  !



#   Internet Protocol Address System ( IP V 6.0 )


     Each Rs 500 / 1000 currency note must be assigned ( at the time of printing ) , its own unique Internet Address , using IP V 6.0


      This IP address should be linked with the unique Serial Number printed on each note.


     Since IP V 6.0 , will be capable of assigning   " 2 * 10 to the power of 128 ", no of  IP addresses , there is no danger of running out of addresses , even if we decide to extend this idea to Rs 100 currency notes !




Here are the most important BYE - PRODUCTs :


*   No more possibility of fake / forged / counterfeit , currency notes !

*   Plastic currency notes will last 10 times longer !


    
This reform will enable the Central Government / Income Tax Department  to :


*    Continuously trace the movement of each of these higher denomination currency notes


*    Instantly locate any place ( using Google Map based GPS ) , where there is an accumulation of more than Rs 1 Crore worth of currency notes


     Such accumulation will be made to appear as a TAG CLOUD on the web site of IT Dept, like thousands of balloons floating on a map of India , capable of being drilled down to within 1 Sq Meter  !


     On each balloon , will appear a number announcing , " Amount of Cash here - Rs " !


     This will vastly simplify the task of Anti Corruption Dept / Enforcement Dept etc


Of course , RBI will need to allow 6 month's time to the owners of current paper currency notes of Rs 500 / 1000 , to get these exchanged with new plastic notes before withdrawal of the old notes from circulation


Now , would not that distribute the hidden , unaccounted wealth ! - a welcome fall out  !


But then such transparency might lead to break-down of social order / chaos


It may be a better / safer / saner solution for such balloons / tag clouds to appear , on a secret Mobile App , available only to the officers of Enforcement Department ( ED )


You may want to call this app ,  " BLACK-MAIL "  !


Of course , my suggestions may become outdated with the arrival of mobile wallets based CASHLESS SOCIETY , by 2030


In the meantime , should Shri Arun Jaitleyji and Shri Ravi Shankar Prasadji , want this implemented , it can be done in 6 months , at one tenth the cost of MoM ( Mars Orbital Mission ) , ie approx Rs 43 Crores


All they have to do , is to tell the bureaucracy :


"  Since we need not depend upon Opposition parties to pass a bill in Rajya Sabha , please go ahead and implement this - in less than 6 months "


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hemenparekh.in / blogs


20  May  2016

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Congratulations , Vinod Chithore !



DNA ( 19 May 2016 ) carries news report titled :

"  Now, info on residential projects just a click away "


Part of this report reads :

" From May 15, the BMC has brought the entire building proposal system online which means that from the time of proposal submission till the building completion the entire process would be online.

While on trial basis we did begin the process in May 2015, but it is only on May 15, 2016 that the entire process has been brought online.

 There would not be any human inference in any of the proposals and once submitted on the website it would go to the different departments in a parallel manner for clearance,"  said Vinod Chithore, chief engineer (DP).

Congratulations , Shri Chithore  !

This is indeed , a great e-Governance step

But , there is scope for improvement , as suggested in my following  blog dt 04 Nov 2015 :

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SELF CERTIFICATION FOR BUILDERS ?


In Hindustan Times ( Oct 29 ) , Moushumi Das Gupta writes :

Govt to streamline rules for Construction Projects


Currently , a builder requires as many as 34 kinds of permits from two dozen Ministries, before starting construction


This process takes up to 3 years


Now, Central Govt has initiated a process to streamline the approvals required to ensure that builders get all the construction permits within 60 days


Eg:

*    Built up Area............. Environment Ministry

*    Height Restriction...... .Civil Aviation Ministry


Cabinet Secretary has directed all the Ministries to come out with notifications by end Dec 2015


The Centre has decided to empower Municipalities to grant all construction related approvals , based on these notifications


One would be able to get all approvals from under one roof , which in this case , would be the Municipal Corporation's office


Although a very laudable initiative , I believe there is tremendous scope to further streamline and digitize this approval process, in the nature of


E-Delivery of Services to Construction Industry


Here is how :


*  All builders / developers must register on Municipal Web sites and obtain
   unique BUILDER REGISTRATION NUMBER


*  Builders must fill in online, on web site of concerned Municipality, a form :

    BUILDING  PERMIT  APPLICATION


*  Building Permit Application Form will have a STANDARD FORMAT , into
    which applicant will need to submit exhaustive details re the project


    This will include detailed Floor Plans and Structural Drawings , along with
    names / contact details of Architects / Structural Engineers etc


    The FORM will require slab-casting dates for each slab and the final
    completion date when builder will apply for Occupation Certificate

   
*  The Form will have a section called

    SELF   CERTIFICATION   /  DECLARATION


    Builder would be required to tick YES / NO against each item as shown :

    Does your proposed Building / Structure / Project , satisfy the criteria /
    notifications / regulations , issued by the concerned Ministries in respect
    of :


    #   Built-up Area........... ( YES ) / ( NO )

    #   Height Restriction

    #   Fire Fighting

    #   Water Harvesting

    #   Roof-top Solar Power

    #   Effluent Treatment

    #   Garbage Disposal

    #   Earthquake Resistant Structural Design..............etc



Clicking on each item will reveal the relevant " Notification / Regulation " issued by the concerned Ministry


To make the process absolutely fool-proof , the form will insist on an " Electronic Signature " of the applicant



DECLARATION / UNDERTAKING :


" I declare that I have read each and every notification / regulation , listed   in respect of items mentioned above


I further declare that I explicitly agree to abide by these regulations


I am aware that Occupation Certificate will not be granted if my completed project is found to be in violation of any of these notifications / regulations


I will not allow any person / entity to occupy any part of this premises , until and unless , Municipality issues to me , the Occupation Certificate


If Municipality finds any violations , I agree to rectify the same before applying for a fresh Occupation Certificate


If Municipality is not in a position to issue Occupation Certificate due to any
violations which simply cannot be rectified , then I will demolish the said building / project / structure  on my own and before such demolition , refund with interest , payments collected from the buyers


The plot of land is free from any encumbrances / litigations


I am not in default of any loans taken from any bank / individuals


I will not accept any payment in cash , nor make cash payments


I absolve the Municipal Corporation of any liability arising out of non completion of my project 


I agree that my Building Permit Application and my Registration Application details , be made accessible to public on your web site , along with full details of my past / current projects and full details of my balance sheet / bank borrowings  "



GRANT OF APPROVALS BY MINISTRIES :


As soon as the builder submits the online BUILDING PERMIT APPLICATION , it automatically and instantly , appears on the web sites of ALL the concerned Ministries


The concerned officer of each Ministry , makes APPROVED / REJECTED entries in the application form , from the backend


If rejected , he will provide the reasons


Ministry officers are required to carry out this entry , within 24 hours


As soon as an officer of any Ministry makes entry and SUBMITS , the application forms on web sites of ALL Ministries and web site of the concerned Municipality , get updated simultaneously and instantly , making for MIRROR IMAGES at all times


As soon as any entry is made , a copy gets emailed to the applicant builder


Any " editing " of the application form by the builder , will start the entire process , all over


Applicant builder will be obliged to display the latest emailed form at the site


The database so created on web sites of ALL Ministries - and concerned Municipality - will be searchable State-wise / City-wise




CHANGES  IN  RELEVANT  LAWS :


To speed up any litigation between the parties concerned ( Builder / Buyers / Central & State Govts / Municipality / Bankers etc ) , existing laws may be changed


IMPORTANT :


Every application must be in the open domain and visible to anyone , online and transparently


There should be provision for any visitor of the web site to report any abuse / violation of regulations or any objection to the proposed construction



ADVANTAGES :


If such SELF CERTIFICATION process is implemented , it should be possible for India to beat Singapore , where getting 11 approval takes only 26 days !


It would be ZERO days in our case !


Now couple this with abolition of Corporate Income Tax for Construction Industry for the next 10 years and witness a MIRACLE


Then only it would become possible for achieving the following targets set by different States / Centre , under HOUSING  FOR  ALL:


*  Maharashtra...........  5 lakh      ( By 2020 )

*  Gujarat................... 50 lakh    ( 2013 - 2018 )

*  Centre.................... 220 lakh   ( by 2022 )


Also imagine :

*   Employment it would generate

*   FDI it would bring in

*   Our rank in EASE OF DOING BUSINESS


Need of the hour is :

*   Come out of " Analysis Paralysis "

*   Get rid of historical baggage

*   Break free from the legacy of the past

*   Think " Out of Box "

*   Take risk without worrying about possible failure

*   Make Course-Corrections , as you learn what mistakes got made

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20  May   2016

www.hemenparekh.in / blogs






Algorithm based Salary ?


DNA  ( 19 May 2016 ) carries a report, titled :

" Beam DCR to help BMC tackle illegal construction "



The report reads :

In several cases, the buildings are completed and then the developers extend or raise additional floors without BMC's consent or approval. These buildings pose a risk not only to the health of the building but to the lives of the residents staying in the building

 "The satellite images will be taken by the BMC and will be preserved on the server. These images will be fed in Beam DCR system with advanced technology which will give 3D images. These images will be compared time to time and action will be taken if there are any changes. The images will be able to give correct idea of each corner and beams of the building if they are changed, tampered or altered," said Vinod Chithore, chief engineer DP.

QUESTION :
Why not use this very same technology to clear the encroachment of our footpaths by the vendors ?

ANSWER :
Just implement my following suggestion (  blog dt :  12 Dec  2015    ) :
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2   DOWN   :  1   TO   GO   !


2 months back , Mumbai Municipal  Commissioner, Shri Ajoy Mehta asked all his officers , to prepare a 3 month action plan for removal of commercial encroachments (not religious ) , from footpaths  ( DNA / 04 Oct , 2015 )


He added,

"  Once the encroachment is cleared from the footpath , ward staff will have to ensure that it does not come up again . Prepare lists of encroachments with photographs and video recordings , as evidence "



Questions :


#  How many months are required to prepare a " 3 month " Action Plan ?

#  How often should ward officers take those photos / videos ? Once a month ?

#  Can they re-submit ( again and again ) same photo / video of a cleared footpath ?

#  If footpaths get permanently cleared of the encroachments , what happens to their " haftas "  ?


   

Leaving aside the last question , technically , it is not all that difficult to monitor those footpaths , 24 hours of the day


Mumbai Police is installing some 2,000 CCTV cameras all over the city to capture the terrorists


London has 500,000 CCTV cameras to cover every nook and corner ,24 hours  !


So monitoring footpaths of Mumbai , by installing 50,000 CCTV cameras, on 24 hour basis, is not a problem


And funds are no problem either , with MCGM having spent only 22 % of its Rs 33,000 crore budget so far , in the current year  !


On top of that , it is having fixed deposits worth Rs 45,000 Crores in banks  !


After installing those 50,000 video cameras , use following software ( embedded in a computerized CCTV network ) to compute the monthly salary of each ward officer :


Salary Payable / Payroll Salary  =


 ( Length of footpath in his ward, clear of encroachment * Percentage of time free of encroachment )

      divided by 

( Total Length of footpath * Total Hours in that Month )


ie:  Ratio of  " Clear Kilometer*Hours  /  Total Kilometer*Hours "


Then expect a miracle of E-Governance thru innovative digitization !


Remember , Algorithms are transparent / unbiased / impartial , unlike human beings  !


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20   May   2016


www.hemenparekh.in / blogs

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Make    Yourself    Heard

Dear Visitor :

It is time for YOU to speak up - and demand that YOU are heard

By emailing this suggestion - incorporating your OWN improvements - to the following Policy Makers

(  Just multiple copy all the following Email IDs into the Recipient column of your Outlook and Copy / paste this suggestion in the Message Box ) :


    narendramodi1234@gmail.com; 38ashokroad@gmail.com;ajaitley@del5.vsnl.net.in; jayant.sinha19@sansad.nic.in;piyush.goyal@gov.in;nitin.gadkari@nic.in; spprabhu1@rediffmail.com;bandaru@sansad.nic.in;smritizirani@nic.in;nsitharaman@nic.in; ravis@sansad.nic.in;sureshprabhu@irctc.co.in;prakash.j@sansad.nic.in;secy-ipp@nic.in; amitabh.kant@nic.in; shaktikanta.das@nic.in; rsecy@nic.in; adhia1981@gmail.com; ceo-niti@nic.in; atul-chaturvedi@nic.in; uma.bharati@sansad.nic.in; d.pradhan@sansad.nic.in; rprudy.office@gmail.com; rudypr@rediffmail.com; eam@mea.gov.in; mosvks@mea.gov.in; mvnaidu@sansad.nic.in; mnaqvi@sansad.nic.in; rao.inderjit@sansad.nic.in; mljoffice@gov.in; sadananda.gowda@sansad.nic.in; ministerminority@gov.in; najmah@sansad.nic.in; minister-ca@nic.in; ramvilas.paswan@sansad.nic.in; gandhim@sansad.nic.in; akumar-alpha@sansad.nic.in; jpnadda@sansad.nic.in; hm.moca@nic.in; geete@sansad.nic.in; simratbadal@yahoo.com; ns.tomar@nic.in; rmsingh@sansad.nic.in; tc.gehlot@sansad.nic.in; dr.harshvardhan@sansad.nic.in