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| JKNPP, NC exposed over RTI double speak | | | Sumit Sharma
Jammu, Oct 14: Complaints against two regional political parties in Jammu and Kashmir have been lodged with the State Information Commission for resorting to double standard in respect of JK RTI Act 2009.
The complaints were lodged by two RTI activists namely Balwinder Singh and Deepak Sharma following which they received the reply from Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) that the political party did not come within RTI ambit. The reply came barely a couple of week ago when JKNPP Supremo Professor Bhim Singh in his interview with national channel strongly advocated for bringing political parties under RTI ambit for transparency. However, NC is mum over the reply of the query filed by the RTI activists, though the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah himself made it clear in a function organized by Central Information Commission in that he wanted that his political party came under RTI ambit but his party(NC) opposed his ideology.
The RTI activists in their query sought details of the working of the JKNPP including details of persons who have donated more than Rs 20,000 and upto 1 Lakh to JKNPP from year 2008 to 2009; name of the volunteers who made single contribution of more than Rs 1 Lakh to JKNPP, copies of election manifestoes of JKNPP for election held in the year in which NC formed coalition government under Chief Ministership of Omar Abdullah; any land allotted to party by government, details of allotment on rental basis and tax benefits enjoyed by the party for the year 2008 to 2013.
The same questions were put to the National Conference except one namely " Were all the promises made in its election manisfesto after NC formed the government in coalition with Congress under the Chief ministership of Omar Abdullah fulfilled?"
However, in reply, JKNPP said that the party is not financed directly or indirectly by State Government and hence is not covered under the 'Public Authority'. For further clarification, the RTI seeker should approach to the office of the Election Commissioner of India.
Meanwhile, when contacted, JKNPP Supremo Prof Bhim Singh, admitting to the reply said that the same is replied by a clerical level person that too without his consent. Further advocating bringing political parties under RTI ambit, he said the party has yet to appoint PIO to deal with the RTI.
However, NC became subject of accusation when CM Omar Abdullah talked about RTI act "As of now, my party is not on the list of parties that have to be covered under right to information and I don't know whether my party will agree with what I have to say" the NC leader said speaking at the eighth convention of the Central Information Commission (CIC).
Reacting to the statement Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday described chief minister Omar Abdullah's support for bringing political parties under the ambit of Right to Information Act (RTI) "as meaningless utterances unless people know the details of the wealth amassed by the top leadership of ruling National Conference".
"Nobody knows the factual position about the money being given to the NC top leadership in lieu of MLC seats and Haji Yousuf's death removed the lid from all such corrupt practices only partially," alleged PDP chief spokesman and MLC Naeem Akhtar. |
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