SAC abolished, RTI weakened by BJP Govt: Congress

By
Daily Excelsior
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Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 19: Questioning the tall claims of the Centre and the State Governments to fight against corruption, J&K Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) has said that the State Accountability Commission (SAC) and the State Transparency Law (RTI) are the first casualties of the policies of BJP Government at the Centre after re-organization of the State.
In a statement, JKPCC chief spokesperson Ravinder Sharma said that SAC was slowly weakened and made virtually defunct especially when the State Government of PDP-BJP challenged in the Supreme Court, the suo moto power of SAC to take cognizance of incidents of corruption by public servants including sitting and former CMs, Ministers and legislators. But the worst had yet to come as now the SAC has been totally abolished.
“As regards, the State RTI Act, it was initially enacted in 2004 during Congress-PDP coalition Government in the State, prior to the Central legislation, contrary to the version of some ill informed senior BJP leaders. The State Act contained some unique features in certain aspects including the time bound disposal and provision of reference by the first appellate authority and direct complaint against the PIO to the State Information Commission,” Sharma said.
He said now the National Commission at Delhi would have the jurisdiction to entertain and decide the second appeals under the RTI, unless specific provision is made to the contrary. “It will make it nearly impossible for the aggrieved and an ordinary information seeker to pursue the remedy, thus making it easier for the Government departments to avoid and delay the desired information,” he added.
The JKPCC leader said that already the Institution of Central Information Commission (CIC) has been weakened by a recent amendment by the BJP Government at the Centre despite much hue and cry by the RTI activists across the country. Thus, the acts and deeds of the BJP do not match their tall claims regarding corruption.
Sharma said the SAC was also constituted during Congress-PDP regime while the anti corruption law in the State was strengthened during the chief ministership of Ghulam Nabi Azad inserting provision of attachment of the disproportionate property of the accused during the pendency of the trial.

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