| Wrong information exposes vulnerability of RTI Act | | CEO Srinagar, Relief Commissioner Jammu furnish wrong info, no action | | Akshay Azad
Early Times Report
Jammu, Mar 14: By furnishing wrong information under Right to Information (RTI) Act, the Chief Education Officer Srinagar and office of Relief and Rehabilitation Commissioner (Migrant) Jammu, have exposed the vulnerability of the Act which can be easily manipulated by information givers and the helplessness on part of applicant to authenticate the veracity of the information furnished to him.
An RTI applicant of Jammu Advocate Pankaj Basotra of Jammu was fortunate and intelligent enough that he able to substantiate the information through some other sources and found that the information given by both above said offices was wrong.
RTI applicant Basotra had sought information from CEO Srinagar as well as from Relief and Rehabilitation Commissioner (M) Jammu, regarding list of teachers, masters/Principals from Jammu province with their respective place of postings, those who have been adjusted, deputed to Relief and Rehabilitation Office Jammu from district Sringar as per records available.
The office of CEO Srinagar as per order number CEO/Estt./RTI 561-62, dated 27/12/2014, maintained that no order of adjustment has been issued in favour of Master/Teacher/Lecturer/Principal from District Srinagar in Migrant Cell of the Relief and Rehabilitation Office Jammu.
Moreover, the office of Relief and Rehabilitation Commissioner (Migrant) Jammu as per order number RCM/Acctts./1231-32, dated 25/11/2014 maintained that in reference to letter number-DSEJ/RTI/2014/5778-81 dated, 3/11/2014 and received by this office on 20/11/2014, it is informed that no such employee viz teachers/Masters/Principal of Jammu province are either deputed or has been adjusted in Relief Organization (M) Jammu.
But surprisingly, the information seeker, Pankaj Basotra got two orders, exposing that both the offices had furnished wrong information as a newly promoted master from a government School Srinagar was transferred to Migrant Cell Jammu and later to Higher Secondary School Khour Jammu.
According to government order number 559-Edu of 2014, dated 8-8-2014, an order was issued by the then under secretary to government School Education department Ajay Bharti. The order read as, "In the interest of administration Smt. Vijay Rani, newly promoted Master Government Middle School Namchibal, Zone Rainawari, Srinagar is hereby adjusted at Migrant Cell Jammu". Moreover the copy of same order was also forwarded to CEO office Srinagar and Relief and Rehabilitation Office Jammu.
Interestingly, after only 20 days another order number 602-Edu of 2014, dated, 26-8-2014 was issued by Ajay Bharti, Under Secretary to government School Education department, which read as, "In partial modification to Government Order number 559-Edu of 2014 dated, 8/8/2014, Vijay Rani, newly promoted Master, who was adjusted at Migrant Cell Jammu, is hereby now posted at Higher Secondary School Khour, District Jammu against available vacancy".
Same order was also forwarded to CEO Sringar but same office as well as Relief and Rehabilitation Office Jammu both furnished wrong information to applicant, which warranted penalty against the officials' concerned.
While criticizing the previous government and officials of department, the RTI applicant regretted that Vijay Rani had secured job under category, and after her posting in Jammu, one post of Jammu province has been filled.
"There is a good number of teachers, masters, who have secured jobs under category posts but have transferred to Jammu province, occupying posts of Jammu", he said, adding that such system should be stopped and action must be taken against the officials concerned.
As usual, to hide their mistake, CEO Srinagar, Farooq Ahmed blamed last year floods and said that once again correct information would be provided to information seeker.
Sangarsh RTI Movement, convener Balwinder Singh said that a penality of Rs. 25,000 could be imposed if some wrong information would be furnished by officers.
"It is very difficult to prove that wrong information is provided but there are many instances when wrong information is provided", he said.
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