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| RDD Kishtwar non-serious about RTI Act | | Info sought under RTI delayed | | Asif Iqbal Naik
Early Times Report
Kishtwar. Mar 24: Despite clear cut directions from the government and State Information Commissioner, various government departments in J&K are denying information to information seekers.
The Rural Development Department, in a latest case, has resorted to delaying tactics to deny information to an RTI applicant. The applicant was forced to knock the doors of Information Commissioner who directed the Block Development Officer concerned to appear before the commission on 9-04-2018 along with counterstatement and relevant documents.
As per the details available with Early Times, Vijay Kumar, son of Ved Parkash, of Sigdi Nanzla Mughal Maidan, Kishtwar filled an RTI before BDO Mughal Maidan on 11-9-2017 seeking details regarding list of job card holders of panchayat Drubeel, Horna, Kuchhal A, Kuchhal B and Rahalthal of Mughal Maidan block.
He wanted names, parentage, complete address, job card numbers, details of wages paid to them for the period 2011 to till date, detail of works executed under different development schemes prevailing in the RDD along with location, copies of public resolutions regarding different works under all heads of MGNREGA & IAY along with muster role sheets, invoices and MBs, list of IAY, IHHL, BRGF, CDF showing the names of the beneficiaries, details of expenditure under MPLAD, CDF & TSC.
Accordingly, BDO fixed 17-10-2017 for hearing of the matter, but on the said date when applicant reach the office of BDO Mughal Maidan, the officer was not present in his office following which the applicant filed first appeal with Assistant Commissioner Development Kishtwar who directed the concern BDO to provide the information to the applicant within 10 days. But even then the BDO concern did not provide the information to applicant who was forced to appeal before the state Information Commissioner who had now fixed the hearing on April 9 and directed both applicant and the BDO Mughal Maidan to appear before the commission for disposal of the RTI application.
Speaking to Early Times the RTI applicant said that the officials of the RDD dodged the Information Commissioner by providing wrong facts before him wherein the department claims that the applicant has been allowed to inspect the record in persons as the information seek by the applicant is voluminous contrary to the facts that he (applicant) claims that he had in fact never make any inspection of the record as was claimed by the RDD department.
He said that he had also filled another RTI application in which he seek information regard names of material suppliers from 2014 till date of Panchayat Mulchater, Sigdi B1 and Sigdi B2 along with invoices pertaining to withdrawal of money against the said material along with names of skilled labours engaged in these panchayats and payments made thereof beside details of works executed under CDF in these Panchayats. He said that the RDD officials with regard to his 2nd RTI summoned him in his office on 13-3-2018 wherein he was ask to inspect the record pertaining to his 2nd RTI which he refuse and demanded the information in documentation as was demanded for which the RDD officials had ask him to deposit Rs. 2000 as Photostat charges. He said that in order to cover his misdeeds, the official of the department submitted wrong reply before the commission concealing the real facts behind the unnecessary delay in providing the information to him. He said that he will appear before the commission on next date of hearing and hope that commission will tight the nose around the officials for delaying in providing the information demanded by him under RTI Act 2009.
It is pertinent to mention that the RDD faces allegations of corruption with each passing day, particularly with regard to purchase of material under MGNREGA for various schemes undergoing in the department.
Earlier BDOs of Kishtwar also denied the information to RTI filed in the month of May 2017 wherein the BDOs of Kishtwar were repeatedly directed by the Assistant Commissioner Development to provide the information to the information seeker.
Similarly the 2nd RTI was filled to seek information for the period 2016-17/2017-18 on account of quantity of Cement purchased, name of agency from which the cement was purchased, Supply Order No. along with date, quantity of cement purchased from open market, agency from which purchased, supply order No. along with date, authorizing authority who authorized to purchase the material from open market, Xerox copies of Stock Register 2014-15, 2015-2016, 2016-17 & 2017-18.
The information was also sought with regard to construction of steel/Iron bridges during the period 2016-17/2017-18 block wise , name of bridge, quantity of steel used, specification of steel used in construction of bridges, agency which supplied the steel, name of committee members who verified the weight and importantly certified copies of certificates furnished by the committee members who verified the weight of steel bridges in each block.
But no information was provided by any BDO of Kishtwar . |
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