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Despite so much hype & hoopla, SIC comes out as yet another 'toothless' tiger in State Corrupt ready to pay Rs 25,000 as penalty, get absolved of all charges 1/9/2014 11:50:20 PM Jehangir Rashid SRINAGAR, Jan 9: State Information Commission (SIC) constituted to ensure that provisions of Right to Information (RTI) Act are applied in principle in Jammu and Kashmir seems to be a 'toothless' tiger like the other commissions functioning in the state at the end of the day. The Commission can impose penalty only up to a prescribed limit whatever grave the situation is. In other words we can say that the Public Information Officer (PIO) of a department can easily shield himself/herself or his/her superior in a case of corruption as he/she fully knows that nobody can touch him/her once the penalized amount is paid. Section 17 of Jammu and Kashmir Right to Information Act makes it clear that State Information Commission cannot impose penalty on any PIO beyond Rs. 25,000. This means that a PIO can pay Rs. 25,000 and get absolved of all the charges leveled against him/her by the person who has sought information on any issue regarding working of that particular department. On November 28, 2013, SIC imposed Rs. 25,000 as penalty on Abdul Rashid, ex Executive Officer,...   READ MORE

FRONT PAGE STORIES

Referendum par Kashmir ko josh kyun aata hai? 1/9/2014 11:50:09 PM Early Times Report JAMMU, Jan 9: Aam Aadmi Party's Prashant Bhushan has been a hero for the Valley's pseudo-intellectual kingdom on account of his soft corner towards the Naxalite insurgency, and lately the separatist militancy in Jammu and Kashmir. Constituents of this political spectrum have been in a longtime liaison with Bhushan and a few others on account of the latter's perceived concern for the human rights abuse by Police and security forces. Despite the Hurriyat's own current conflict , which the former Chairman and the professor of Persian language and literature Abdul Gani Bhat would call 'taqseem-dar-taqseem' (division into division), being in its full bloom and every head of ...   READ MORE   With apprehensions of 'ulterior motives', Congress must adopt caution Why is NC trying to rush through new administrative units? 1/9/2014 11:50:03 PM Early Times Report Jammu, Jan 9: On an admiration note for his leader and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, National Conference Provincial President for Jammu, Devender Singh Rana has sought an early decision on new administrative units. The manner and tone in which he has showed his concern for creation of new units immediately should evoke a positive response. But the way National Conference has been dealing with the issue has not augured well in the political circles with most reflecting NC's conduct in haste having some hidden and ulterior motives. The concern expressed by senior Congress leaders though on conditions of anonymity also reflects ruling ally not too happy the things are h...   READ MORE   Omar & Co leave people high and dry Are rarely seen in Civil Secretariat 1/9/2014 11:49:51 PM Early Times Report Jammu, Jan 9: The Chief Minister and his Ministers rarely remain present in the Civil Secretariat and thus leave the people who come to see them high and dry. Today around 1.45 pm, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who turned up in his office first time this week, left the civil secretariat and headed towards Udhampur to check the progress on four-laning of National Highway. Even if the Chief Minister is in office, it is impossible to meet him and put your problems in front of him. He has never been a Chief Minister of common man and is covered by his bureaucrats and some politicians. When Omar is in Kashmir valley, he gives time to people to meet him but for past five ...   READ MORE   Govt to take final call on AFSPA at appropriate level: Soz Prashant Bushsan lacks information 1/9/2014 11:49:41 PM Asif Iqbal Naik Jammu, Jan 9: Senior Congress leader and President Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee Professor Saif-ud-Din Soz today said that Aam Admi Party leader Prashant Bushan who sparked a massive controversy in the country over the issue of demanding referendum over the withdrawal of Armed Forces Special Power Act (AFSPA) from the State of Jammu and Kashmir, lacks information. While talking to "Early Times" Professor Soz said that there is turmoil within the AAP party itself over the statement issued by the Bushan seeking referendum on withdrawal of AFSPA and Army from Jammu and Kashmir and added that there is no question that he will agree with his statement. He said th...   READ MORE   Privilege Committee grants one more chance to Ex Army chief to present his view point 1/9/2014 11:48:14 PM Kunal Shrivatsa JAMMU, Jan 9: Much on the expected lines, the former Army chief General VK Singh didn't appear before the Privilege Committee of Jammu & Kashmir Legislative Council for his controversial statement that ministers in the state were being paid money by army from its secret funds time to time since 1947. A formal summon would be issued against him to appear before the panel on January 22. In case he fails to turn up on the fresh date fixed by the panel, the House can issue non bailabale warrants against the former Army Chief. The Privilege Committee comprising Jugal Kishore Sharma as Chairman and members Devender Singh Rana, Ghulam Nabi Monga and Ali Mohammad Dar, however, to...   READ MORE   'Complainant' on Board to decide fate of Gen Singh 1/9/2014 11:48:07 PM In the midst of all the hype generated through summoning of Gen Singh by the Privilege Committee of Legislative Council, hardly anyone noticed a flaw with the composition of the Committee as one of the complainants Devender Singh Rana is also a member of it. "It is quite surprising that Rana, who had filed complaint against Gen Singh, is also a member of the Committee…. How is it possible that a complainant is allowed to be a part of the Committee……It is a clear case of denying natural justice to a person against whom a complaint has been filed as the complainant would be a party in decision making," sources told Early Times. It is worthwhile to mention here that the ruling National Confe...   READ MORE   Congress takes exception to Chenab Valley, Pir Panchal idea `Omar intends to divide Jammu on communal lines' 1/9/2014 11:47:57 PM Early Times Report Jammu, Jan 9: A section of Congress leadership has taken strong exception to the move of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah of dividing Jammu region on communal lines. Senior Congress leaders had said demands for creating units like Chenab Valley and Pir Panchal units were first pushed by former Chief Minister late Sheikh Abdullah and Omar is following the same. According to the reports some people in their demands put before the Cabinet sub-committee for creation of new administrative units have called for creating Chenab Valley comprising of erstwhile Doda district, including Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban. "This is what Sheikh Abdullah had tried to do. He first mooted this pr...   READ MORE   Revenue officials among 5 booked for fraudulent conversion of land title Rs 150 Cr land scam at Kishtwar 1/9/2014 11:47:46 PM Sumit Sharma JAMMU, Jan 9In a major land scam involving Rs 150 Cr , five beneficiaries among various revenue officials have been booked by state Vigilance organization for converting title of state land, here on Wednesday. The accused have been identified as Mohamad Iqbal Kitchloo,Patwari, one Tehsildar now dead and beneficiaries included Pardeep Singh, Deevan Chand, Kuljeet Singh and others. They were booked under FIR NO 3/2014. Official sources giving information said the land scam involving crores, was unearthed when one Lal Chand of village Pachal lodged a complaint with the Vigilance organization alleging that his name was not included in the list of beneficiaries of 100 kanals ...   READ MORE   Delete Jammu from state's nomenclature Congress under sharp attack 1/9/2014 11:47:35 PM Neha Jammu, Jan 9: The other day, the state unit of BJP charged the Congress with conspiring against Jammu province in 1949 and said that the Congress more than the Valley-centric and pro-autonomy NC and pro-self-rule PDP has harmed the people of Jammu province to keep its masters in Kashmir on its right side. Actually, the BJP dismissed as hollow the oft-repeated claim of Congress that Jammu was safe in its hands and the people of this province had to strength its hands as it alone could come to power in the state and said that "the Congress more than the pro-autonomy NC and pro-self-rule PDP has greatly harmed the general political and economic rights and interests of the people of Jammu...   READ MORE   A year on, CIC directs PIO to furnish information within 15 days PIO RC denies RTI information 1/9/2014 11:47:20 PM Avinash Azad Jammu, Jan 9: Showing total disregard to Right to Information Act (RTI), the Public Information Officer of Resident Commissioner New Delhi denied information sought by an RTI applicant, for more than last one year and finally former has been directing Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) to furnish information within 15 days. Responding to second appeal filed by information seeker, Balvinder Singh, the CIC J&K, G R Sufi directed PIO, Asif Hamid Khan to furnish information within 15 days. According to documents in the possession of Early Times the information seeker sought information of eight questions from the PIO. "Provide the detail of laid down procedure for allotting roo...   READ MORE   Now, opposition in Kashmir to new administrative units Where is the money?, asks Salman Soz 1/9/2014 11:47:08 PM Rustam Jammu, Jan 9: It's interesting. In Jammu province, parties like the BJP and JKNPP are demanding more administrative units in Jammu province on the ground that its area is two times more that of Kashmir, as also on the ground that the terrain of bulk of area of the this province is difficult and treacherous, in Kashmir, son of JKPCC chief Saif-ud-Din Soz, Salman Anees Soz, also Congress's spokesperson, has opposed the creation of new administrative units, saying the state cannot afford more administrative units as it has little or no money in its exchequer. Salman Soz is very active on Facebook and he invariably seeks people's opinion on issues of political import. On Wednesday, he...   READ MORE   Omar trying to claim Jammu-Udhampur four laning Project NC flags, hoardings greet CM 1/9/2014 11:49:07 PM Early Times Report Jammu, Jan 9: With his eyes on the upcoming elections, Omar Abdullah has started collecting the list of achievements of his tenure, moreover he is also trying to claim projects initiated by others. Omar today inspected the status of 4-lanning of Jammu-Srinagar National Highway from Jammu to Udhampur. "Local youth should have priority preference in getting jobs in the projects being executed by the private and Central companies in the State", Omar said. After two years of t...   READ MORE   Video on beheading of Indian soldier creates national storm 1/9/2014 11:42:58 PM Asif Iqbal Naik Jammu, Jan 9: A video clip showing beheading of an Indian soldier by Pakistan backed militants has created a national storm. The video came to fore on the first anniversary of the beheading of two Indian soldiers in Poonch sector. The political parties as well as the people have questioned the integrity of the government of India over their soft stand on terror and foreign policy towards Pakistan. The people also question the government for sitting over the video since last over 9 months after the same was recovered from the possession of a LeT militant Abdul Rashid alias Abdullah presently in Doda police custody. Early Times was the first newspaper to report about the ...   READ MORE   NC impediment in implementing 73rd amendment, refugee settlement: Soz 1/9/2014 11:42:40 PM Arun Singh Jammu, Jan 9: Launching a veiled attack on National Conference, Senior Congress leader and Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee chief, Prof Saif-u-din Soz today attributed the coalition as a main reason for non implementation of 73rd amendment and settlement of refugees. "If we have not been able to resolve the issues related to settlement of refugees, 73rd amendment till date, which were promised by Congress party, the compulsions of a coalition government was the only reason behind its undue delay which has created many hurdles for its smooth passage," Prof Soz said at the sidelines of a function organized by Chambers of Commerce and Industries Jammu here today. He ...   READ MORE   Message alerts over food grain in vogue in other states, J&K working over Digitization Omar Govt unable to plug leakage of ration 1/9/2014 11:42:34 PM Bivek Mathur Jammu, Jan 9: At a time when states like Gujarat, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Union Territory like Pudducherry have adopted a policy of dissemination of information through SMS alert regarding food grain dispatch/availability at FPS, Jammu and Kashmir government under Omar Abdullah is yet to implement Union Government's policy of Digitization of PDS records. As per a document in possession of Early Times, Union Government had directed all the states including Jammu and Kashmir to complete this process in a time bound manner but Jammu and Kashmir has so far failed to implement the project in the given time and has sought extra time from central government for the ...   READ MORE

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