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| Beyond Omar's transparency claims: NC sarpanch, workers thrash whistle blower | | | Early Times Report
BUDGAM, June 4: On the hind side of Omar Abdullah's transparency claims, a whistle blower has been terrorized by the workers and village head of his own party when the former filed an RTI query to unveil their shady deeds.
On Tuesday a Sarpanch from Watkaloo Budgam who belongs to ruling National Conference allegedly thrashed an RTI activist when the activist tried to expose the wrong doings of the said sarpanch and his associates. RTI Activist Abdullah Qayoom Ganai from Watkaloo district Budgam in central Kashmir had sought some information about the developmental works being executed in the area under MGNREGA and IAY. According to details available with Early Times, Abdul Qayoom Ganai S/O Late Khizar Mohammad Ganai had filed an application under Right to Information Act (RTI) before the Assistant Commissioner Development (ACD) Budgam some time back.
Abdul Qayoom ( RTI activist) had apprehensions that there was a large scale mismanagement of funds and bungling taking place from many years in the selection of homeless beneficiaries under Indira Awaas Yojna (IAY) and works executed under MGNREGA were also being undertaken by some influential people in Watkaloo village. To know the factual position , Abdul Qayoom filed an application before ACD Budgam and after some days the NC Sarpanch and his associates started harassing him and were forcing him to take back the applications. As the RTI applicant did not concede, the Sarpanch Abdul Hamid Ahangar along with one Mohammad Maqbool Teli (NC halqa President), Ghulam Hassan Bhat (PHE employee) and Ghulam Qadir Khatata and Hamid Ahangar both NC workers attacked the RTI activist when he was heading towards Chadoora town on Tuesday morning.
The RTI activist was beaten to pulp by the Sarpanch and his associates which caused severe injuries on the body of the activist. RTI activist Abdul Qayoom while talking to Early Times said that CM must himself intervene as he talks about enactment of RTI Act very oftenly but on the ground his own workers defy this law and beat up those who try to seek information using this legislation.
Police station Charar-e-Sharief has registered a case against the sarpanch and his associates but no arrests have been made till now. The relatives of injured RTI activist have urged upon SSP Budgam to ensure that accused are arrested as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and RTI activist Dr Raja Muzaffar Bhat has strongly condemned the attack on RTI activist at Watkaloo and he has blamed that National Conference workers in the area are involved in the bungling who have patronage of a senior Minister who also happens to be the local MLA of the area.
"Few years back we exposed a Dabang Sarpanch of Kutabal Chadoora who too was involved in an IAY scam and this man was also protected by a local Minister, now the Sarpanch of Watkaloo too is doing the same with patronage of the same Minister," said Dr Muzaffar. |
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