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| Honest officials, officers transferred by corrupt higher ups in a government department | | Despite adequate protection in Act whistle blowers continue to be targeted in JK | | Jehangir Rashid
Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, Apr 26: The Right to Information (RTI) Act both at the Central and State level provides adequate safeguard to the whistle blowers and ensures that these people are not targeted by the officers as well as officials once they expose their misdeeds.
Despite the adequate provision it has been observed that 'punitive' action has been taken against the whistle blowers who exposed corrupt practices in the various government departments in Jammu & Kashmir. The whistle blowers have either been given threats clandestinely or being transferred as a matter of 'punishment'.
Early Times has learnt from sources that a group of whistle blowers were transferred to different places after they exposed the misdeeds in their particular department. These employees are working in a government department entrusted with the responsibility of imparting technical education to the youth of the state.
"The department in question has been in news in the past since the corrupt practices have become a permanent feature. Some of the employees have exposed the misdeeds of the officers including the head of the particular department. The exposure of corrupt practices has not gone well with the tainted officers," said sources.
Sources said that the tainted officers including the Head of Department ensured that action is taken against the group of whistle blowers in the department. Following this the officials were transferred to far off places despite the fact that some of them are very senior and honest to the last penny.
"It is important that the transfer orders of the whistle blowers are revoked and they are repatriated to their previous places of posting. If that is not done then it would be clear that the present coalition government in the state is shielding the corrupt officers and officials. Then there would be no difference between the present government and the previous dispensation," said sources.
Sources said that Jammu & Kashmir government should take a lead in protecting the interests of whistle blowers in the state. They said that Whistle Blowers Act should be passed in the state at the earliest so that the corrupt officers and officials are exposed. This would also ensure that the interests of whistle blowers are kept intact and they escape the 'wrath' of the corrupt officers and officials.
"The State Information Commission should also chip in and take the necessary measures in this regard. Adequate steps need to be taken so that the RTI activists receive a shot in the arm and they carry on with their campaign more vigorously. This would also encourage the honest employees to expose the wrong doings of their colleagues in their particular department," said sources.
It would be in place to mention here that many RTI activists were killed in different parts of the country by the people whose corrupt practices were brought to the fore through the medium of RTI applications. In hundreds of other cases the RTI activists were threatened and honest employees being transferred to far off places. |
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