Times of India: New Delhi: Thursday, 11 February
2016.
In a strange situation, information sought under RTI from
the J&K government relating to President's rule in the state was met with a
denial but the same information was disclosed by the Union home ministry.
Putting the spotlight on the patchy implementation of the
RTI Act, J&K RTI movement chairperson Dr Shaikh Ghulam Rasool and CHRI's
Venkatesh Nayak sought copies of all correspondence between the governor and
President Pranab Mukherjee in relation to the imposition of governor's rule in
the state.
While the central RTI Act is applicable on the Centre,
the J&K RTI Act is applicable on the state government in J&K. The state
government snubbed the RTI applicant with the Raj Bhavan public information
officer citing a case pending in the Supreme Court and claimed privilege for
all the information sought in the RTI application.
On the other hand, the Union home ministry disclosed
copies of the letter written by the governor to the President explaining the
situation that had arisen in J&K, the draft of the Proclamation for which
he sought his concurrence, the file noting prepared by the ministry and the
advice that was put up for the President by the home minister and the PM among
other details.