Daily Excelsior: Kohima: Monday, February 29, 2016.
Reacting to
the clarification of directorate of municipal affairs (DMA) on the allotment of
flats under Basic Services for the Urban Poor (BSUP), the Association of Kohima
Municipal Wards Panchayat (AKMWP) said RTI was published in the media as it
felt necessary in informing and educating the public and beneficiaries by
inviting their attention so that logical conclusion could be reached.
In a press
release, AKMWP president, Neibulie Kiewhuo, general secretary, Thejao Sekhose
and joint secretary and legal advisor, Hukato Chishi stated that the
publication of the RTI was well “considered, purposeful and certainly not
premature” as claimed by Addl.Director & HOD DMA. “It may not have suited
his convenience or preference but the general public interest certainly exceeds
all others”, AKMWP stated.
Agreeing that
as per RTI rules, 30 days was “maximum” period allotted for a “truthful and
honest response” to the petition, the AKNWP said that the act does not
‘prohibit’ honest and precise response to queries within a couple of hours, the
same day, or at any time before 30 days.
“Publication of the RTI was also hoped to
elicit an early response, rather than using the 30 days to conceal the facts, a
la, needle in the haystack. The onus is on the department concerned”, AKMWP
added.
Alleging that
BSUP flats issue might be just the tip of the iceberg, the signatories pointed
out that it was very unfortunate that more misdeeds are “revealing every single
day”.
In this
regard, AKMWP assured of adopting “multipronged approach” in dealing each of it
in an appropriate forum, time and manner.
The
association also claimed that the issue was a “broad day light robbery”
inflicted upon the hapless urban poor, “mercilessly” robbing them of a rare
opportunity to secure for themselves and their dependents, one of the most
basic necessities and universal aspiration- housing.
They claimed
that the association was exercising due prudence because of the fact that such
malpractices were being discovered rapidly, where common man is forced fed more
than its fair share.
While
reminding DMA that any sensible person when caught red handed “with his pants
down, may not claim otherwise”, the AKMWP said it was expected to expose of the
wrongdoing indulged with a reflection, retrospection, express remorse and make
amends.
They said
that AKMWP was partly born of the union for- frequent torments cause by
instances of indifference, corrupt, irregular and illegal practices, on the one
hand and the desire of the denizens of
Kohima, to be heard and the longing to usher in transparency, accountability
and justice in all spheres and at all levels.
AKMWP
therefore, stated that it will challenge any attempt that tried to deceive the
people by trying to project a clean image when in actual it was not.
However, the
association said it believe in co-ordination and co-operation with varied
authorities connected to public welfare activities, but when required, would
not be hesitated to “confront the powers that may be, for our town, state and
country”.
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