news details |
|
|
| Let CIC wield a stick | | | Government officials, working in Jammu and Kashmir, have been seen quite reluctant in dishing out information to those who seek it under the cover of the Right To Information (RTI) Act. This is evident from the figures the Chief Information Commissioner, G.R.Sofi, has given out. He has stated that during the last five months over 200 complaints and appeals were received by his office wherein the complainants have alleged that the Public Information Officers(PIOs) have refused to provide them the necessary information sought about various Government activities. The Chief Infomation Commissioner has dircted the PIOs to dish out the requisite information sought by the applicants. He has warned them of action in case they refuse providing information to the applicants under the RTI. In fact under the RTI Act no Government agency can withhold the information sought by the applicants unless the information sought is deterimental to the security of the state. And even if it is so the PIOs are supposed to inform the applicants about the issues being sensitive thereby preventing them from dishing out the information.
In reality the RTI Act has the potential of making the functioning in the Government departments transparent. Since there are a number of skeltons in the cupboard of various Government departments, especially those connected with the development and execution of various public utility projects, PIOs are usually reluctant to provide relevant information to the applicants. In certain cases the PIOs are under pressure from either the Departmntal heads or from other senior functionaries of the departments which invariably prevents the PIOs from giving any information to the applicants. In other cases the information provided is either scanty or partly correct. Giving incorrect information can be a serious offence liable for punishment.
If Sofi is to be believed PIOs in the Departments of Social Welfare and Rural Development have been on the top of the list of those who have refused to respond to the request for information sought by applicants under the RTI Act. Why so ? The two Departments receive huge sums of money not only fom the state Government but from the centre also. As far as the Department of Rural development is concerned there are series of multi-crore centrally sponsored schemes. Similarly Social welfare has assumed greater significance after the rise of militancy related violence and the Government has been spending several hundred crores of rupees, annually, on relief and rehabilitation of widows, destitutes, orphans and other weaker sections of people. As far as Jammu and Kashmir is concerned bigger the plan allocations greater are the chances for misappropriation and swindling of funds. Hence reluctance on the part of the PIOs to give information about various activities in the departments of social welfare and rural development is understandable. In this context the Chief Information Commissioner has to play a vital role in making the RTI Act effective in the state. If he succeeds in his task it will promote and ensure transparency in the functioning in Government departments. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
STOCK UPDATE |
|
|
 |
| BSE
Sensex |
 |
| NSE
Nifty |
|
|
| |
CRICKET UPDATE |
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
