GreaterKashmir.com:Saturday, January 21, 2012.
Srinagar, Jan 20: The Jammu and Kashmir RTI Movement has hailed the recent decision of the Chief Information Commissioner, G R Sufi wherein he had directed the State Home Department and J&K Police to provide information regarding custodial disappearances in J&K since 1990.
In a statement, J&K RTI Movement convener, Dr Raja Muzaffar Bhat said, other cases which are pending against Home department and Police in the State Information Commission (SIC) must also be listed immediately so that information related to other issues like Public Safety Act (PSA), Disturbed Areas Act (DDA), Police Modernization and e-policing is provided.
“The Home Department has been ignoring the RTI applications since the enactment of RTI Act in J&K. But the recent decision of CIC has made this thing clear that no organization is above the law and RTI Act has a great role to play with regard to human rights abuses in addition to issues related to Bijlee, Pani and Sadak,” he added
“We also appeal to the J&K government to undertake awareness programmes on Right to Information Act at district, block and village level. The Government is bound to create awareness about RTI under section 23 of J&K RTI Act 2009, but till date no such programme has been organized by the government, except few for its own officers. If the government is sensitive about Public Service Guarantee Act (PSGA) and the whole state machinery is involved in its awareness and implementation which is a great thing, but at the same time one fails to understand why the government is not showing enthusiasm with regard to RTI in spite of the fact that is bound to create awareness among masses regarding the Act?” Dr Muzaffar added.
RTI Movement has appealed to the CIC to take action against all those public authorities of state which have failed to make disclosures under section 4 (1) (b) of J&K RTI Act 2009.
“All the public authorities are supposed to pro-actively put the information related to working, funding and its utilization, details of officers etc on its notice boards and websites within 120 days of the enactment of the RTI Act, but it is more than three years now and nearly 80 per cent of the officials in both government and semi-govt departments have failed to implement this important section of the J&K RTI Act.”
In a statement, J&K RTI Movement convener, Dr Raja Muzaffar Bhat said, other cases which are pending against Home department and Police in the State Information Commission (SIC) must also be listed immediately so that information related to other issues like Public Safety Act (PSA), Disturbed Areas Act (DDA), Police Modernization and e-policing is provided.
“The Home Department has been ignoring the RTI applications since the enactment of RTI Act in J&K. But the recent decision of CIC has made this thing clear that no organization is above the law and RTI Act has a great role to play with regard to human rights abuses in addition to issues related to Bijlee, Pani and Sadak,” he added
“We also appeal to the J&K government to undertake awareness programmes on Right to Information Act at district, block and village level. The Government is bound to create awareness about RTI under section 23 of J&K RTI Act 2009, but till date no such programme has been organized by the government, except few for its own officers. If the government is sensitive about Public Service Guarantee Act (PSGA) and the whole state machinery is involved in its awareness and implementation which is a great thing, but at the same time one fails to understand why the government is not showing enthusiasm with regard to RTI in spite of the fact that is bound to create awareness among masses regarding the Act?” Dr Muzaffar added.
RTI Movement has appealed to the CIC to take action against all those public authorities of state which have failed to make disclosures under section 4 (1) (b) of J&K RTI Act 2009.
“All the public authorities are supposed to pro-actively put the information related to working, funding and its utilization, details of officers etc on its notice boards and websites within 120 days of the enactment of the RTI Act, but it is more than three years now and nearly 80 per cent of the officials in both government and semi-govt departments have failed to implement this important section of the J&K RTI Act.”
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