Published on 24/09/2012 in Kashmir times, JK Newspoint, Northline, State Times, Panun Kashmir and other newspapers...
Jammu: In a press note issued by the J & K Sikh Council, the council members unanimously objected to the recent amendments made in Right to Information Rules by the state government where the State Information Commission has been rendered as a virtually dead institution. Castigating the State Government and bureaucrats for their anti-transparency anti-human move the council demanded immediate roll back of the SRO 279 issued by the General Administration Department. The council members expressed shock over the decision which is taken in haste without any consultation with the stakeholders.
Neither the State Information Commission's nor the RTI activists opinion was ever sought by the government before taking this harsh decision. The council has strongly warned the government to reconsider its decision of diluting RTI rules or else get ready to face strong protests from the council and other members of the civil society. It was also informed that in case of failure of the state government the council members can even give call for gherao of senior bureaucrats and ministers of the government. Citing the example of State Accountability Commission, Mohinder Singh, the chairman of the JKSC said that the state government wants to put the commission on pause mode so that the mischievous activities of the corrupt politicians and bureaucrats remain unnoticed and people cannot take cognizance. Another senior member of the Council and Social activist Sardar Harasis Singh said that in state like Jammu and Kashmir where the rights of minorities are always undermined and compromised for political compulsions, independent and strong institutions like SAC, SHRC and SIC are last ray of hope for the underprivileged class of the society.
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