Dr Raja Muzaffar Bhat
To create pressure on Public Authorities especially the Government officials, Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) Khurshid Ahmad Ganai soon after assuming the office of CIC , issued a notice that stressed for voluntary or suo-moto disclosure of information under section 4 (1) (b) of J&KRTI Act 2009.The notification No: SIC/J/15/2009 -11/148-80 issued by State Information Commission (SIC) on March 17th 2017 through its Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) Khurshid Ahmad Ganai reads as :
“Whereas it has come to the notice of State Information Commission that a large number of Public Authorities in state have not made suomo to disclosure of information in terms of section 4 of J&K RTI Act 2009 and have not taken various steps mentioned therein for the same purpose. Now therefore in exercise of the powers conferred under section 22 (5) of J&K RTI Act 2009 , J&K State Information Commission makes recommendations to all such Public Authorities in the state to take necessary steps so as to confirm all the provisions of section 4. The State Information Commission also recommends that action / actions in this regard be taken and completed by or before 30th June 2017 to achieve such conformity”
The June 30th deadline is over and dozens of Public Authorities especially the Government departments are yet to abide by SIC’s advisory. Irony is that some Departments have not even created their official websites and several Government organizations have not updated them from last almost a decade of more. After a random internet surfing , I found following Government departments who have not at all adhered to rule of law as enshrined under Section 4 (1) (b) of J&K RTI Act 2009 and subsequent advisory from State Information Commission (SIC) issued on June 30th 2017…..
Rural Development Department :
Rural Development Department (RDD) is one of the important Government organization in state. Majority of development works are executed through them across J&K state. National flagship programmes like PM’s AwasYojna (PMAY) , MG NREGS , Swatch Bharat Mission (Gramin) etc are implemented by Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Department. Irony is that Administrative Department of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj has not developed a proper official website. The only website related to this department I found on internet is www.jkpr.gov.in. The domain name itself makes it clear that this is the website of JK Panchayati Raj Department and not exclusively of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj Department. In the About Uscolumn , one can find information on Indira AwasYojna (IAY) which has been named PMAY around two years back but the correction has not been made on the website. Financial assistance of Rs 1.50 lakhs is provided to Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) under PMAY as on date but the website says Rs 75,000 are provided to PMAY beneficiaries. Details of Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan is uploaded several years back, the scheme is now called Swatch Bharat Mission (SBM Gramin), but the correction hasn’t been made on the website.
Directorate of Rural Dev Jammu :
After going through the official website of Directorate of Rural Development Jammu (www.drdj.nic.in) , I found all the misleading and outdated information on the website which is open violation of J&K RTI Act 2009. Again name of Indira AwasYojna (IAY) has not been changed to PMAY. Financial assistance under IAY is shown as Rs 35,000 in hilly areas and Rs 30,000 in plain areas. This assistance used to be given to homeless families way back in 2005 or 2006 , but from last 12 years the information has not at all been updated by the Directorate. Annual plan of 2009 is uploaded and no further information is available. Under RTI link, M L Raina is shown as First Appellate Authority (FAA) ie Director Rural Development Jammu, while as on Who is Who link R K Bhat is the designated Director Rural Development Jammu and First Appellate Authority (FAA) under State RTI Act.
When I contacted M L Raina on his mobile number 9419198023 shown on the website, he told me that he was posted as Director RDD Jammu several years back. “After my transfer from RDD Jammu I was posted as Administrator Govt Medical College Jammu and recently I was posted as Director Stationery and Office Supplies J&K Govt” said Raina while talking to this author….
Large number of Public Information Officers PIOs (BDOs, DPOs) shown in RTI link have either been transferred or have retired, but they continue to be designated PIOs like M L Raina who is still Director and FAA of Directorate of RDD Jammu . When I tried to call MrAshiqHussainBhat Deputy Director Planning RDD Jammu on his mobile number 9797483130 shown on the official website, the number belonged to some other person who yelled at me when I rang him twice.
Directorate of Rural Development Kashmir :
As compared to Directorate of Rural Development Department Jammu (RDD Jammu) , the website (www.drdk.nic.in) of RDD Kashmir is well maintained but lot more needs to be done to meet the section 4(1) (b) obligations. Under schemes column, updated information about PMAYbeneficiaries is available but this information pertains to only 4 districts of Kashmir valley ieBandipora , Kupwara, Shopian and Srinagar. Under RTIcolumn , PDF version of J&K RTI Act 2009 and Rules of 2012 are available. Instead of uploading a list of designated PIOs under RTI Act , list of Departmental Vigilance Officers (DVOs) has been made available.
Social Welfare Department :
Social welfare department has 3 websites. One belongs to Administrative department (www.jksocialwelfare.nic.in). Two more websites www.jkdswdj.nic.in and www.jkdswdk.nic.in belong to Directorate of Social Welfare Jammu and Kashmir respectively. Underthe RTI link except the name of Vir Ji Hangloo Director Social Welfare Jammu (First Appellate Authority) no other information is available. List of PIOs cannot be accessed, voluntary disclosure of information under section 4 (1) (b) is also not uploaded. Details of District and Tehsil Social welfare officers is also not available on this website . The website of Directorate of Social Welfare Kashmir cannot be accessed at all which is a complete violation of State RTI Act 2009. I am not sure whether this Directorate has a website or not.
Conclusion :
Among several websites I went through, I found official website of lesser know Depar-tment of Soil and Water Conservation (www.jkdosc.com) most updated and upto the mark. Under RTI column , not only PDF copies of RTI Act and rules are available but list of PIOs , their office address and phone numbers are available as well . Citizens charter and RTI handbook has also been uploaded in the RTI column. Names of projects , schemes , models is available on the website. Latest orders have been uploaded. Details of success stories , state plan , sponsored programmes and special programmes can be seen on this website. Circulars issued until March 2017 and orders issued until June 16th 2017 have been uploaded on the website. I would suggest all those departments who haven’t updated the information on their website to learn from Department of Social & Water Conservation. Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) must take action against all the public authorities who have not adhered to the provisions of making suomoto disclosure. A team of State Information Commission (SIC) officials must sit and see all the official Govt websites and prepare a report about all those public authorities who are not at all bothered to be transparent and accountable under J&K RTI Act 2009. CIC must write to Chief Minister and Chief Secretary so that disciplinary action is initiated against the wrong doers.
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