GreaterKashmir.com:Faheem Aslam: Sunday,28 August, 2011.
Srinagar, Aug 27: Information sought under the J&K Right to Information Act of 2009 has revealed how the Minister for Revenue is sitting over the action taken report in a case of alleged encroachment of 350 kanals of land by Member Parliament Chowdhary Lal Singh in Kathua district of Jammu an issue which rocked the Legislative Assembly during the last Budget Session.
Meraj-ud-Din Sheikh of Khansahib Budgam had asked what action did the Speaker of the Assembly initiate on this issue raised by Member Legislative Assembly, Jagdish Sapolia, during the Budget Session.
While the Legislative Assembly initially denied the information, it has shot off a fresh letter to Sheikh, revealing that the Minister for Revenue Raman Bhalla is yet to respond on the action taken report despite several reminders.
“I am to submit that Member Jagdish Raj Sapolia raised the issue of illegal encroachment upon the state land on April 1, 2011 in the House against Chaudhary Lal Singh, MP and submitted some documents to this effect to the Speaker who forwarded the same in original to the Minister for Revenue for his perusal and investigation,” writes the Public Information Officer of the Legislative Assembly vide letter No: LA/8503-04/RTI/2011 Dated: 09-08-2011.
He adds: “The Minister, it may be pointed out here, did not make any statement on this issue on the floor of the House. However on April 6 2011, this office on instructions of the Speaker requested the Minister to intimate the action taken in this behalf to the Assembly Secretariat. Since no action taken report was intimated to this secretariat, two reminder letters were subsequently dispatched to the Minister for intimating action taken in the matter under intimation to the Speaker. The reply is awaited.”
Sheikh had also sought copies of the documents produced by Sapolia before the House, like Shajra-e-Khas and copies, if any, of the reply of the Minister for Revenue to Sapolia’s questions.
The applicant had also sought information on how many questions were raised in the Assembly by different MLAs with regard to corruption issues in the past two years and what action has been initiated on each such issue till date. He had also asked the action that the Speaker has initiated against several MLAs of the Bhartiya Janata Party who were involved in cross voting during the recently MLC elections.
In response, the Legislative Assembly has said that information about questions regarding corruption cases asked by members during the last two years is lying in the office and the information seeker is requested to collect the same against the cash receipt of Rs 10 per copy in terms of RTI Rules.
“Besides it is informed that the elections to the LC seats were held through a secret ballot in terms of JK Representation of People Act of 1957 and the case regarding cross voting by certain Members of the BJP is sub-judice,” the PIO mentions in the letter, copy of which is with Greater Kashmir.
THE PAST:
Earlier the Assembly, which has passed the RTI legislation, had denied information under the J&K RTI Act of 2009 to an applicant without citing any valid reason. “Kindly refer to your application dated 20-05-2011. I am directed to inform you that your request has been turned down by the Hon’ble Speaker,” wrote BA Wani, Public Information Officer of the LA Secretariat in a letter to the applicant, Meraj-ud-Din Sheikh of Khansahib, Budgam.
The letter No: LA/5187/RTI/2009 dated 01-06-2011 didn’t grounds of denying information.
The applicant then filed a complaint before the State Information Commission. The SIC recently listed the case for hearing wherein the letter was furnished to the applicant.
Meraj-ud-Din Sheikh of Khansahib Budgam had asked what action did the Speaker of the Assembly initiate on this issue raised by Member Legislative Assembly, Jagdish Sapolia, during the Budget Session.
While the Legislative Assembly initially denied the information, it has shot off a fresh letter to Sheikh, revealing that the Minister for Revenue Raman Bhalla is yet to respond on the action taken report despite several reminders.
“I am to submit that Member Jagdish Raj Sapolia raised the issue of illegal encroachment upon the state land on April 1, 2011 in the House against Chaudhary Lal Singh, MP and submitted some documents to this effect to the Speaker who forwarded the same in original to the Minister for Revenue for his perusal and investigation,” writes the Public Information Officer of the Legislative Assembly vide letter No: LA/8503-04/RTI/2011 Dated: 09-08-2011.
He adds: “The Minister, it may be pointed out here, did not make any statement on this issue on the floor of the House. However on April 6 2011, this office on instructions of the Speaker requested the Minister to intimate the action taken in this behalf to the Assembly Secretariat. Since no action taken report was intimated to this secretariat, two reminder letters were subsequently dispatched to the Minister for intimating action taken in the matter under intimation to the Speaker. The reply is awaited.”
Sheikh had also sought copies of the documents produced by Sapolia before the House, like Shajra-e-Khas and copies, if any, of the reply of the Minister for Revenue to Sapolia’s questions.
The applicant had also sought information on how many questions were raised in the Assembly by different MLAs with regard to corruption issues in the past two years and what action has been initiated on each such issue till date. He had also asked the action that the Speaker has initiated against several MLAs of the Bhartiya Janata Party who were involved in cross voting during the recently MLC elections.
In response, the Legislative Assembly has said that information about questions regarding corruption cases asked by members during the last two years is lying in the office and the information seeker is requested to collect the same against the cash receipt of Rs 10 per copy in terms of RTI Rules.
“Besides it is informed that the elections to the LC seats were held through a secret ballot in terms of JK Representation of People Act of 1957 and the case regarding cross voting by certain Members of the BJP is sub-judice,” the PIO mentions in the letter, copy of which is with Greater Kashmir.
THE PAST:
Earlier the Assembly, which has passed the RTI legislation, had denied information under the J&K RTI Act of 2009 to an applicant without citing any valid reason. “Kindly refer to your application dated 20-05-2011. I am directed to inform you that your request has been turned down by the Hon’ble Speaker,” wrote BA Wani, Public Information Officer of the LA Secretariat in a letter to the applicant, Meraj-ud-Din Sheikh of Khansahib, Budgam.
The letter No: LA/5187/RTI/2009 dated 01-06-2011 didn’t grounds of denying information.
The applicant then filed a complaint before the State Information Commission. The SIC recently listed the case for hearing wherein the letter was furnished to the applicant.
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