Daily Excelsior: Srinagar: Saturday,
June 04, 2016.
The Right To
Information (RTI) Act has helped in bringing transparency and accountability in
Government departments in the state since its implementation in 2009, the Jammu
and Kashmir State Information Commission (JKSIC) said in a report today.
“Number of fake and fabricated Government
appointment orders were cancelled and enquiries started. The Jammu and Kashmir State
Vigilance Commission and Vigilance Organisation have started number of
enquiries against the massive corruption cases and embezzlement of Government
money,” stated JKSIC report tabled by Minister for Public Works and
Parliamentary Affairs, Abdul Rehman Veeri on behalf of Chief Minister Mehbooba
Mufti in Legislative Assembly today.
It said an entire village was refunded the
electricity fees by the Power Development Department (PDD) as RTI resulted in
finding that during this period, there was no electric supply to the village.
“Certain officials of Consumer Affairs and
Public Distribution (CA&PD) Department were found of having charged excess
rates for ration in remote areas of the state. Invoking RTI Act led to
displaying of rate lists on every depot of the department,” it said.
Several cases of illegal mutations of land got
cancelled after an RTI was filed. “During militancy in J&K, a section of
society had to migrate from the valley and all the religious places fell vacant
without any proper security. Certain religious premises were unauthorizedly
occupied by the land grabbers. One of the prominent temples at Srinagar
administrated by Dharmarth Trust was vacated only because of the intervention
of the JKSCI. Individual migrant properties illegally occupied by land grabbers
was also freed and handed over to the local panchayat heads for restoration to
the legal owners,” it said.
The report said that it has found that
politically influential panchayat head had occupied number of tenements
constructed for Below Poverty Line (BPL) people allotted under Indira Awas
Yojana (IAY). He was made to handover the illegally occupied property.
“156 families of a village have been
benefitted after a disclosure of information by Animal Husbandry Department
about the live stock schemes for rural poor,” it said. “The J&K State being
rich in forests, the complaints of illegally falling of trees and unauthorized
sale of timber is regular feature. An amount of Rs 7.2 lakh was recovered by
the Forest Department on account of seized timber,” it further added.
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