Inquiry initiated to identify elements behind RTI
Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, June 4: Stung by the Excelsior report on Government bodies in Jammu and Kashmir soliciting information about the employees having any link with Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the General Administration Department today amended its earlier direction on providing information in this regard.
Stating that no such information is available in the records, the Central Public Information Officer of GAD disposed of the RTI application in this regard after more than one and half month since it forwarded the same to various departments for furnishing the requisite information regarding number of employees working as `Over Ground Workers and Under Ground Workers of RSS’.
“The Right to Information application filed by the applicant is disposed of, since the information sought in respect of point number 1, 2 & 3 of the application dated 01-04-2021, is not available in the records,” reads the order No. GAD (Adm) RTI/31/2021, issued today by the CPIO of GAD.
Pertinent to mention that in point number 1 of the RTI, a copy of which is in possession of the Excelsior, the applicant has sought detail list of Government employees (gazetted and non-gazetted) from different departments, associated hospitals, Corporations and autonomous bodies of J&K Government working as Over Ground Workers and Under Ground Workers of RSS. In point number 2, detail list of employees is solicited who actively participate in the `Shakhas’ being held by RSS across the Union Territory of J&K while in point number 3, the applicant has sought to know whether such employees have obtained due permission from the J&K GAD, DoPT and, if no, what action J&K Government has taken against such `erring’ officials/officers.
The Excelsior, in its today’s edition, carried an exclusive report on response to the said RTI by the Central Public Information Officer of GAD, vide communication number O.M.No: GAD (Adm) RTI/31/2021, dated 19-04-2021, who forwarded the application to different departments for furnishing the requisite information within stipulated time following which some colleges in Jammu not only solicited the required information from their employees on a format but also secured undertaking from them stating that they were not having any link or affiliation with RSS.
As the Excelsior report in this regard triggered a stir in the political circles and administration in BJP-led Central Government ruled J&K Union Territory, the CPIO of GAD issued an order this afternoon modifying his earlier direction to various departments for providing the requisite information and also disposed of the RTI application.
Stating that no such information is available in records, the order by GAD CPIO says that the applicant shall be at liberty to approach the First Appellate Authority, General Administration Department in the event of not being satisfied with the information furnished.
As the order modifying earlier direction to provide the requisite information directly to the applicant within the stipulated time, has been issued after more than one and half month, sources said that several employees have already furnished the desired undertaking even as CPIOs of various departments had intimated that no such information was either available with them or maintained in their offices.
Meanwhile, sources said that an informal enquiry has been initiated by the Government to identify the persons behind the controversial RTI, which triggered a stir in the political circles in Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory.
“The intelligence agencies have been assigned the task to identify the elements, who conspired to get the RTI filed through one Sudhir Kumar of New Plot Jammu,” said a senior officer on the condition of anonymity, adding that all angles are being looked into the matter.
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