RTI Activist demand probe against State Information Commisison's Officer

Inordinate Delay Of  7 Months In Posting Complaint

RTI Activist demand probe against SIC’s officer

Jammu, 22/Feb/2013: RTI activist Raman Sharma has demanded action against the responsible officer of the Jammu and Kashmir State Information Commission for unnecessary delay in presenting his case before the Chief Information Commissioner GR Sufi. In this regard a formal complaint dated 4^th/Feb/2013 has been made to the State Chief Information Commissioner demanding probe and action against the officer(s) of the Jammu and Kashmir State Information Commission who are responsible for an inordinate delay of more than 7 months in posting and presenting a complaint of the applicant before the State Chief Information Commissioner.

Giving brief about the case, RTI activist Raman Sharma informed that he has urged GR Sufi to order a probe to pin point the  officer(s) of the JKSIC who was responsible for presenting his complaint before the CIC which way lying with the commission for more than seven 7 months . Moreover even after one hearing of the case in Dec/2012, the applicant was never briefed, informed about any decision/order or present status of the complainant’s case.

The Northlines

The applicant has been kept out of the loop. Activist further divulged that earlier he had submitted a complaint with the commission on 16/May/2012 against a Public Authority for not following section 4 of Jammu and Kashmir Right to Information Act 2009 and sought a direction in this regard. But for the reason better known to the officers of the State Information Commission, this complaint was presented before the CIC only in the month of December 2012 only after a number of requests from the applicant himself. Taking strong note of the complaint of the RTI activist Raman Sharma against the officers of the Information Commission, GR Sufi has ordered a probe in this matter. It is pertinent to mention here that though under the provisions of Jammu and Kashmir Right to Information Act 2009, though there is no time limit fixed for disposal of complaint under section 15, but unnecessary delay of more than 7 months without any justification must be investigated and the officer/official responsible for this delay must be dealt strictly, Raman Stressed.

Published in Rising Kashmir, Kashmir Times, Earlytimes, The Northlines, State Observer and many others o 22.02.2013.

http://www.risingkashmir.in/news/rti-activist-demands-probe-against-sics-officer-42140.aspx 

Kashmir Times..

J & K : RTI Activists conduct Inspection of Ranbir Canal

Activist during Inspection of the Canal along with the officers

Jammu,13/Feb/2012: Today , Balvinder Singh, Convener Sangarsh RTI Movement alongwith RTI Activist Raman Sharma inspected de-silting works at various sites of the Ranbir Canal at Jammu-Akhnoor Road. The senior officers of the Irrigation department including Sh.SK  Lakhnotra, AEE Sub Division Domana, Sh. Chander Shekhar, AEE Sub Division Mishriwala, AE’s and other technical officers of the  of the department were also present during the inspection. The activists appreciated the department for allowing and cooperating with them in conducting the inspection under the provisions of the Jammu and Kashmir Right to Information Act, 2009. Giving brief details about the Inspection, Balvinder Singh informed that after receiving certain complaints from the farmers and locals about certain discrepancies in the de-silting works, he had filed an RTI application with the Public Information officer of the Irrigation department last month and has requested to hold an inspection. Balvinder Singh informed that the motive of the inspection was to have first hand information about the ongoing work. 
Though by an large the inspection exercise was satisfactory but the all the works were carried out without obtaining any Technical Sanctions and in some cases the department have also taken up the works without inviting tenders thus violating the lay down norms and guidelines issued by the state government from time to time. Activist, Raman Sharma who was also present during the inspection congratulated the government and the officer of the irrigation department for honouring the provisions of the Jammu and Kashmir Right to Information Act 2009, he termed it as good sign of government-public bonhomie particularly steps towards participatory democratic system where the ordinary citizens also have equal rights in all developmental process.  The activists have also requested the department that they may also be allowed one more inspection after the de-silting work but before the release of water in the canal.

also published in Kashmir Times, Early Times, JKNewspoint, Northlines, Journeyline, Daily Udaan, Rising Kashmir and other on 14th/Feb/2012

Daily Udaan

Kashmir Times

Why innocent citizens of J&K being defamed?

Official Diktat ‘Only One Sim’ Published in JK Newspoint, Earlytimes, State Observer, Northlines and others on 4th/Feb/2013

Raman Sharma

To hide their failure in dealing with the terrorism and intelligence information gathering mechanism now the government agencies instead of strengthening their own system are putting the onus on innocent citizens. A new diktat has been issued by the Department of Telecommunication perhaps on the behest of union government where all the telecom service providers are being asked for mandatory police scrutiny of every person applying for a second mobile phone connection in J&K State. This is not the first time that  J&K's innocent citizens/ mobile phones subscribers are put on the radar of the intelligence and security agencies. Though one may understand that there might be some logic for this order because we are having a hostile neighbor but can anyone at the helm of affairs in Union Home Ministry tell that why this diktat given so wide publicity worldwide that people of J&K cannot have 2nd mobile connection. Before taking such harsh decisions our bureaucrats should also consider global pace of technology, today the people around the world are enjoying and benefitting with the IT revolution but here in state we are pushing out people to the stone ages. Do we the people Jammu and Kashmir do not deserve the same treatment as our friends and brothers enjoying elsewhere in the world or at least in the country? Are we the people of Jammu and Kashmir less nationalistic or the authorities have made their minds that we do not belong to the nation? Such bizarre decisions at the first hand then the wide publicity by some incompetent officers not only defame the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir but also brings a sense of alienation amongst the people of the state. Why every time the people of Jammu and Kashmir need to prove that they are not terrorists? Why no action was taken against the officers and officials of intelligence and security forces deputed there when last year a long tunnel was exposed by a young boy there near international border in Samba sector of Jammu. Instead of strengthening their own man mechanism the unnecessary and arbitrary orders are issued which directly or indirectly hurt a common man. How a state or nation can run when it does not trust its own people. Why only the state of Jammu and Kashmir become the laboratory for experiments, are the people of this state not human beings, don't we have the feelings, emotions of nationalism and patriotism ?. If yes then the government needs to think seriously before issuing such  dictates which obviously put a question mark on the integrity of the people of this state. Whenever and wherever required we the citizens offered our support and assistance to the agencies but the reciprocation remained very mild. Jammu and Kashmir is not only terrorist hit state in India, there are other state also where a number of terrorist incidents have happened but the officers and politicians cannot dare to put an interrogation mark on the people of those states, why SMS services and Pre-Paid connections were not barred in New Delhi after High Court Blast, why no police verification for  people of Mumbai when they buy of mobile Sims despite horrific terrorist incidence of 26/11 in 2008, then why only we the people of Jammu and Kashmir targeted repeatedly.  The State government should also come out of its deep slumber and convey its displeasure to the union government for depicting the people of J&K in bad color and taste. This news of police verification would further humiliate the people of Jammu and Kashmir whenever any person of the state would visit any other city or town of India. He would be looked and treated as 'Criminal'. We already know how does the police of other states treat the people of Jammu and Kashmir and this new propaganda by some incompetent officers would obviously lower their image further and make life of our people miserable. Here I would also urge the union government that they must brace up the system rather that  taking such anti-people decision which are obviously contrary to the constitutional provisions and violate fundamental principle of right to equality and to live with dignity.  About Raman Sharma, he is an RTI Activist an can be reached [a] jkrtiact@gmail.com, mobile, 9796811012. http://www.jknewspoint.com/newsdet.aspx?q=7159

Police headquarters mum despite several reminders from CM office

         Tribune News Service

                        Call for installation of police complaint boxes 

           Jammu, February 4/2013

A Jammu-based activist Raman Sharma has accused the state Police Headquarters of maintaining a silence on installation of police complaint boxes at police stations and main markets of the state.

Sharma, who has filed a petition with the Chief Minister Grievance Cell, said that the police on the directions of the then Director General of Police (DGP) had installed various complaint boxes or mail boxes outside every police station and in the main markets in each town of the state a few years ago where the citizens can directly submit their complaint to the Director General of Police.

Initially, this initiative by the police gathered lot of attention and bridged the gap between the police and people, but slowly, due to negligence of junior officers of the department, these complaint boxes gathered dust and ultimately became defunct, he alleged.

To awaken the police authorities from their deep slumber, he said he filed a petition with the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah through his Grievance Cell on December 29, 2012.

“Unfortunately, for the last 1 to 2 years, these co plaint boxes have either been removed or in some cases damaged and even without any lock. I urge the Chief Minister that the state police department should be directed to ensure installation of these complaint boxes and also for necessary service of the damaged complaint boxes,” Sharma said.

He said that Chief Minister’s office, within two days, forwarded it to the Director General of Police (DGP), but despite four reminders since then, no intimation had been received from the police headquarters.

He questioned the silence of police headquarters on the issue and urged the Director General of Police to issue directions to his officers for installation of complaint boxes at the earliest.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20130204/jmtrib.htm#7