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| CM's directions defied with impunity | | RTI awareness amongst masses | | Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, Oct 30: Directions of the Chief Minister to make people, especially those from far flung areas aware about the provision of the RTI Act in order to infuse more transparency in government functioning have been defied blatantly.
The Government not only has miserably failed to undertake these awareness programs for the residents of J&K but even the Government officials haven't been trained to understand the provisions of J&K RTI Act 2009 since the enactment of RTI law in J&K.
The Section 23 of J&K RTI Act 2009 lays emphasis on RTI Awareness and directs the Government to undertake such programmes. Even the Government issued a circular in this regard on the directions of Chief Minister but on ground nothing has been done till date.
Around two years back the State Government on the directions of Chief Minister issued a circular No: 10-GAD of 2011 Dated: 25.02.2011 wherein all the Deputy Commissioners were directed to undertake workshops, seminars, symposia etc. for people and Government officials. This circular was issued after RTI Activists from Jammu & Srinagar had a threadbare meeting with the CM.
Due to the lack of knowledge in the rural, far flung, backward and inaccessible areas, the public generally has not been coming forward for availing the opportunities available through RTI.
It has further been learnt that due to the lopsided approach so far pursued, the benefits under this scheme have been confined to selected pockets and to a limited section of population.
During an interaction of CM with the RTI activists, the need for holding seminars, symposiums, informative sessions and workshops was emphasized with specific mention about remote and far flung areas. In this backdrop, it was proposed to the Deputy Commissioners that they may have necessary steps initiated for conducting seminars, workshops , symposiums and informative sessions where all stakeholders are associated in the pursuit to inform all sections of society about the benefits available through RTI.
With a view to ensuring that the workshops and other IEC activities are made highly productive, NGOs and social activists engaged in this task can also be associated for interaction and imparting of necessary know how and knowledge. Training sessions can also be organized for APIOs/PIOs besides District Officers and other Government employees for their sensitization for improving the quality of services. Progress reports in above background shall be furnished by the concerned to the GAD in a consolidated manner reflecting the activities undertaken in next two months so that the brief resume of the achievements are summarized for the quarterly meeting being held under the Chairmanship of HCM with the social activists and NGOs for appraising the impact of the RTI Act.
"Till date hardly any programme has been organized by the Deputy Commissioners on their own level viz a viz RTI in different districts . The main reason for this is that Government officials are reluctant to undertake such programmes because corrupt officials are exposed through RTI said Abdul Rehman Sheikh a senior RTI Activist from Srinagar. |
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