Early Times Report
Jammu, Jan 25: More than five years back Financial Commissioner (FC) Revenue had instructed Deputy Commissioner office Jammu through Additional DC (ADC) to conduct an inquiry into a scam involving tampering of revenue record in a village located in R S Pura tehsil of Jammu. Even after so many years the officials of revenue department are yet to investigate into this matter. Shockingly Tehsildar office RS Pura told an information seeker under RTI Act that no such inquiry has been conducted as DC office Jammu has not forwarded any such case to them. The State Information Commission (SIC) has directed Tehsildar R S Pura to forward the case to ADC Jammu so that information is provided to RTI applicant.
Details available with Early Times reveal that one Ramesh Prakash a resident of Brahmana Basti R S Pura had sought information from Tehsildar R S Pura vide his application dated 9.7.2015. He wanted to know the status of the implementation of FC Revenue's order dating back to 2011. The PIO/Tehsildar R.S.Pura provided information at the end of the stipulated period which according to Ramesh Prakash was not genuine. He filed 1st appeal before SDM R S Pura , but was not satisfied and finally he filed 2nd appeal before the State Information Commission (SIC) Jammu office. Accordingly, he requested the Commission to provide authentic information.
In the RTI application addressed to the PIO/Tehsildar R.S.Pura, the information seeker says that he had lodged a complaint before Financial Commissioner, Revenue Jammu on 04.02.2011 regarding tampering of revenue record of land comprising Kh. No.1096/489, measuring 9 kanals 10 marlas situated at Badyal Brahmana, Tehsil R.S.Pura. The Financial Commissioner, Revenue, vide letter dated 15.02.2011 had directed Addl. Deputy Commissioner(ADC), Jammu to enquire into the matter. On the basis of this letter, RTI application was filed seeking status report of enquiry on three points. The RTI application has been responded to by Tehsildar, R.S.Pura, on 09.10.2015 by enclosing para-wise information from Naib Tehsildar which is reads as:
1. No such enquiry proceeded in the undersigned office. As such, no statement is recorded.
2. No such enquiry is received.
3. No tampering of the said Khasra No.2096/489 is found in Girdwari.
The First Appellate Authority/SDM, R.S.Pura disposed of first appeal vide order dated 02.11.2015 with the observation that Tehsildar R.S.Pura has provided information to the applicant on 12.10.2015, which is beyond the period of prescribed limit.
SIC's order 11.1.2016 reads: "The information sought by the appellant is related to complaint filed by him before Financial Commissioner Revenue, which has been forwarded to ADC, Jammu by Administrative Officer(R) vide office letter No. FC/Cord/Comp/108/2011 dated 15.02.2011 along with enclosures directing ADC, Jammu to enquire into the matter and report to his office within 15 days. Evidently, the records pertaining to this inquiry should ordinarily be in the office of the ADC, Jammu. Therefore, Tehsildar, R.S.Pura ought to have gone through the enclosures/documents and should have transferred the RTI application to the concerned PIO, on the basis of the communication of Financial Commissioner Revenue addressed to the ADC, Jammu"
The order further reads: "The First Appellate Authority/SDM, R.S.Pura has also overlooked the communication on which RTI application is based and thereby endorsed reply of the Tehsildar, R.S.Pura, which is irrelevant because the enquiry, if any, was to be conducted by the ADC, Jammu. Therefore, Commission directs Tehsildar, R.S.Pura to immediately transfer the RTI application of the applicant alongwith its enclosures to PIO, Office of the Deputy Commissioner, Jammu under Sec. 6(3) of the Act. The PIO, Office of the Deputy Commissioner, Jammu shall dispose of RTI application as per record within the period prescribed under Sec.7 of the Act. The appeal is disposed of with the direction to the Tehsildar, R.S.Pura and PIO, Office of the Deputy Commissioner, Jammu to file compliance report to the Commission". |
