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| 'Peoples' House' remains shut and veiled for masses | | Hyped website of Assembly still elusive | | Abodh Sharma
Jammu, Mar 2: With most likely the last session of the present Assembly coming to an end in two days, the coalition government has forfeited yet another chance of atleast looking to foster transparency in government functioning as hyped website of the State Legislature is still nowhere in sight.
Despite the prolonged rhetoric, the State Legislature, which is the prime most constitutional entity of the State has failed to go online, defeating the essence of transparency and direct participation of the people in the processes of Democracy.
The solemn House of State Legislative Assembly has been no less than a wonderland for the common people. Even that small chunk of the population which has access to cable television, has just a faint idea of what really happens beyond the several tiers of security and high walls of their house.
The security constraints in the state have made the Peoples' House more inaccessible to the people.
Seldom do people who have no political affiliation walk into the heavily guarded Civil Secretariat to witness the proceedings of the House eventhough the House has a visitors' gallery and a Speaker's gallery for which the passes are issued, but even this is no less than a well kept secret.
Jammu and Kashmir's E-governance initiatives were hugely celebrated, when in May 2007, the General Administration Department (GAD) floated its website and Finance Department assured putting all its treasuries on line, but it is a pity that not much has followed since then.
At a time when people's participation in the processes of the governance, transparency and accountability in government functioning is being debated all across the country, the peoples' House still sans a website and there is little information about it on the web. People know a little about the various committees of the House, which work throughout the year to resolve the issues of the people.
"At a time when even small business houses have their presence on the web, it is important that the legislature which is highest institution of democracy must be accessible to the people on the web," said a former legislator. "Such an initiative shall enhance the credibility of the legislature and the people shall have easy access to their elected representatives," he said.
It is pertinent to mention here that Speaker Mubarak Gul during the proceedings of the ensuing session had hinted at the launch of website that would make entire information disseminated in the House on the website, but with just two days left for the Session to be over, the assurance remains unrealized even as most other State assemblies of the country have well defined and oft visited websites. |
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