Prime Minister’s ”Saffron Mission” which was launched in the concerned states in the year 2014 and thus in Jammu and Kashmir as a major saffron producing (state) of the country has, as of now, its status wrapped in utter suspense. In other words, to promote its cultivation, quality maintenance, standardisation, marketing , providing the requisite infrastructural support and other associated factors budgetary allocations are also made . Where does the progress of the scheme stand and how the said Mission has transformed in pushing up the production and resultant increase in money incomes of the agriculturists engaged in its cultivation must be known supported by the year wise data. It is , however, intriguing that the UT Government through its Directorate of Agriculture should be found reluctant in furnishing such information and that too when sought under the statutory provisions of the RTI Act by an applicant citizen. Further, the extent of recklessness shown in it can be gauged by the fact that such an application was filed way back in 2017.
The applicant , therefore, had to seek the intervention of the Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) in the matter where after analysing all facts and material provided with reference to seeking the information observed that not only was the information not passed during the mandatory fixed period but while hearing , none appeared before the CIC on behalf of the respondent (Deptt. of Agriculture) to provide the updated information before it which projected how total disregard was shown to the entire issue under the RTI provisions. The things have reached to such a pass that section 20 of the RTI Act is sought to be invoked against the erring authority in the matter which is initiating of penal action. It is , however, unfortunate that such an attitude of poor response should be manifest in the working of the UT Administration , that also in respect of a scheme like the one under reference, and an immunity having been developed in this respect to treat the Transparency Law so casually . That again shows how repeated and prolonged violations are otherwise not viewed seriously by the higher authorities in the UT Government. There are other similar instances of treating furnishing of information under the said Act quite casually and the matter reaching the extent of the extreme – that of facing penal action is projecting the functioning of the Government departments in a limitless recklessness which needs to be checked forthwith.
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