Avinash Azad
Early Times Report
Jammu, January 30:
A self styled journalist who even cannot define the term “journalism” has reportedly extracted money from engineers posted in REW Jammu to keep an information seeker silent, who had sought answer of various several questions related to the department.
According to information seeker, Ankush Kumar, he filed two separate RTI applications in Public information officer (PIO), Rural Engineering Wing (REW) Jammu but did not get any reply.
“On 03/10/2019 I filed an application under J&K RTI Act, 2009 and on 15/11/2019 second application under Central Information Act 2005 as the J&K State Information Commission was winded-up following the implementation of J&K Reorganization Bill 2009”, said Ankush, since no fresh order regarding the future of RTI Act was issued, he waited for further order from the government in this regard.
“Though, I filed second appeal for first application in the office of First Appellate Authority (FAA). In the meantime, I received repeated phone calls from the self-styled journalist, who pressurized me to withdraw the RTIs I filed, annoyed over his repeated calls I taught a lesson and warn him to file a case against him with Crime Branch”, Ankush said.
“The FAA in response to my appeal summoned the PIO and the information seeker (me) as well, but I received the summon letter two weeks after date of hearing was scheduled”, he said.
“I came to know about implementation of provisions of Right to Information Act, 2005, i.e. Central Act, in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, vide Govt Order No. 45-JK(GAD) of 2020, dated 08/01/2020, few days back”, he said, adding that he was surprised when he came to know game played the fake journalist.
When contacted XEn REW, (PIO) Jammu Ram Singh said, “A journalist (name withheld), claimed to be associated with reputed news paper of J&K, met the officials, against whom the RTI applications was filed. He claimed that the information seeker is my ‘man’ and struck the deal after extracting money from them”, he added. “Even we have compiled the reply on basis of available record, but he insisted them (engineers) for deal, so the reply could not be sent to the information seeker”, he added.
Sources in the department claimed that the self-styled “senior journalist” is habitual of such deeds. “He frequently extracts money from the government officials by blackmailing them, he uses corruption related stories carried by local news papers for extraction. Few years back, he blackmailed an in-charge XEn REW Ramban on the basis of a cover story carried by the lone bold news paper of J&K”, said an officer familiar with the matter and added that however, the administration of the news paper took strong notice and warned him to stop the practice. “He also introduces himself as a leader one of a wing of the Indian National Congress party and is notorious for his practice in almost all the government departments”, he added.
|
