KNS, HWO organizes seminar on RTI

Rising Kashmir: Srinagar: Thursday, October 16, 2014.

The prominent social activist RTI and PSGA crusader, Mushtaq Pahalgami President Himalayan Welfare Organization, Pahalgam, Wednesday organized a one day awareness camp on Jammu and Kashmir Right to Information Act 2009 and Public Service Guarantee Act 2011, in Collaboration with Kashmir News Service (KNS), at Town Hall, Pahalgam.

Mohammad Afroz Baba Principal Government Higher Secondary School Pahalgam Presided over the event as chief guest and Founder Convener RTI Movement Dr Raja Muzaffar   Presided over the event as guest of honor, keynote speaker. Other speakers Mushtaq Pahalgami included,Muzar Ahmad Khadim,Advocate Naseer Ahmad Mir.

Other themes in the discussion included the J&K Public Men and Public Servants Declaration of Assets and Other Provisions Act, 1983 and the Jammu and Kashmir Prevention of Corruption Act, 2006. Notably, The Jammu and Kashmir Right to information act 2009 and Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Guarantee Act 2011, comprise of statutory laws which guarantee time bound delivery for public services rendered by the Government to citizens and provide well-specified mechanisms for punishing errant public servants who are deficient in providing service stipulated under the statute.

While the Prevention of Corruption Act (2006) requires the constitution of mobile courts and conferment of powers to additional and district sessions courts to hear corruption cases for fastracking of justice in corruption related cases, the Declaration of Assets Act (1983) requires that all public servants send in their annual property returns by 31 January every year, also requiring them to show all their moveable and immoveable property in the return including increase if any. The source wherefrom the increased property has been raised is also required to be indicated.

Read together, all four provide a robust framework of good governance initiatives, aimed at providing a mechanism for the timely delivery of public services while ensuring transparency and efficiency in the Government Departments, and keeping corruption and illegal amassing of wealth at bay. Discussion in the seminar included acknowledgement of the fact that with flood relief and rehabilitation efforts being carried out by the administration, both the scope of mismanagement of funds and the need for a citizen-watch over the same is profound. The issue of elections being around the corner and the obvious possibility of misappropriation of the said funds for vested private interests also came up.