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| CIC initiates inquiry against Commissioner, others | | Irregularities in SMC | | Early Times Report
Srinagar, Mar 18: State Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) has initiated inquiry against several officers of Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) including Commissioner, Chief Sanitation Officer Chief Revenue Officer and several other officers as an information seeker was denied information about illegal building permissions , illegal street vendors and measures taken for solid waste management (SWM).
Details available with Early Times reveal that information seeker M M Shuja General Secretary J&K Peoples Forum filed an application before PIO of SMC on 4.8.2017 seeking details of permission given for construction (commercial / residential ) in Zoonimar , Lal Bazar , Ali Jan road and adjacent areas by SMC from last few years. In addition to it information seeker sought details of steps taken for managing solid waste and monthly rent (if any ) realized from street vendors in Lal Chowk and adjacent areas like Batmaloo , Jahangir Chowk .
Taking serious note of the issue CIC under section 15 of J&K RTI Act 2009 issued order for initiating inquiry into the allegations made by the complainant. Sources say that inquiry has been initiated against all the top officers of SMC including Commissioner.
As already reported, the CIC had earlier rejected the plea of Public Information Officer (PIO) of Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) of not being able to provide so called voluminous information about building permissions under Right to Information Act (RTI), to information seekers and had directed SMC to make all these permissions public right on the official website. Sources say that such information hasn't been made proactively available by SMC.
In the meanwhile, Qazi Ayaz and Khud Asfandyar lawyers at JK High Court had filed a joint RTI application with PIO, Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) under Right to Information Act on 09.03.2017 seeking information regarding commercial building permission granted from 2013 onwards till 9.3.2017 in Barbarshah, Nai Sarak, kaka Road, Munwar Abad, Habbakadal areas of Srinagar particularly permission granted in favour of Nana Khan (Hotel name Gulstar) & other hotels constructed in the said area. The lawyers allege that instead of providing proper information, the Secretary SMC who is also the designated PIO under State RTI Act 2009 in SMC provided wrong and misleading information.
The appellant lawyers alleged before the Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) Khurshid Ahmad Ganai that the Commissioner SMC was shielding the PIO and both the PIO and the FAA are in league & are protecting each other and also shielding other functionaries of the department who have granted permission illegally in favour of many people in violation of Municipal Rules. |
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