RTI REVEALS 3 JK CITIZENS STILL MISSING IN UTTARAKHAND

RTI reveals 3 JK-Citizens still missing

After 3 Months of Uttarakhand Tragedy

9/18/2013 3:21:06 AM

NL Correspondent  Jammu, Sept. 17: The Jammu and Kashmir State Government has informed that still 3 of its citizens are missing at Uttarakhand.  This information has been provided by the Jammu and Kashmir Police to activist Raman Sharma, in response to his Right to Information plea seeking details from the state home department about the number of J and K People killed or missing in Uttarakhand natural disaster that claimed lives of thousands of people in June-2013.  Public Information Officer of Zonal Police Headquarters, Jammu (ZPHQ-J) vide his office letter no. RTI/ZPHQ/42/2013/24286-87 dated 07/Sept/2013 has apprised the Information Seeker that three persons namely Sham Lal Gupta S/o Hakumat Rai (62), Neelam Gupta w/o Sham Lal Gupta (60) both residents of Sarwal Colony Jammu and Ramesh Gupta(62) S/o Des Raj who is resident of Kashmiri Mohalla Akhnoor, Jammu are still missing at Uttarakhand and report in this connection has been reported at Police Station Dehradun and search of all the 3 missing person is still going on.  The reply also mentions the name of Late Bhim Singh S/o Late Padhu Singh of Hiranagar in Kathua, an Inspector in ITBP who sacrificed his life during the rescue operations on 25/06/2013. It also states that except Jammu and Kathua districts, no person from other district of the state is missing or died there in Uttarakhand. On the question of ex-gratia being offered to the families of the victims, it has been replied that an amount of Rs. One Lac has been given by the Deputy Commissioner , Kathua to the NoKs of the deceased Inspector. However, the information served by the police department has skipped the direct reply where the applicant has asked about the steps being taken out by the J & K government to trace out its citizen and the detail about the total number of officers from Jammu and Kashmir State that are being sent there to Uttarakahand to find out the missing JK People. Reacting over the RTI reply served by the state government, the activist Raman Sharma said the government should have had itself made pro-active disclosure about its initiative to find out the missing people of the state and help offered to the families of the victims. He said the government needs to be more sensitive to the miseries of the affected families, besides demanding monetary relief for the next kin of the victims, he also urged the state government to establish a coordination cell there at Uttarakhand to find further details about the missing persons.   NORTHLINES....19/09/2013 http://www.northlines.in/newsdet.aspx?q=71177 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------     3 from state missing in Uttarakhand Tribune News Service Jammu, September 17 The state government has informed that three of residents of the state were still missing in Uttarakhand. The information was provided by the police to activist Raman Sharma, in response to his application under the Right to Information Act seeking details from the state Home Department about the number of people from the state killed or missing in the Uttarakhand disaster that claimed lives of thousands in June last. The Public Information Officer of Zonal Police Headquarters, Jammu has informed that Sham Lal Gupta (62), his wife Neelam Gupta (60) both residents of Sarwal Colony, Jammu, and Ramesh Gupta (62), a resident of Kashmiri Mohalla Akhnoor, Jammu, is missing. A report in this connection has been lodged at Dehradun police station and the search of all the three missing persons is on. The reply also mentions the name of Late Bhim Singh of Hiranagar in Kathua, an Inspector in the ITBP who sacrificed his life during the rescue operations on June 25 last. On the ex-gratia relief, the government has replied that Rs 1 lakh has been given by the Deputy Commissioner, Kathua, to the family of the deceased. However, the information provided by the police has skipped a reply about the steps being taken by the state government to trace its residents and the detail about the total number of officers from the state that are being sent there to Uttarakhand to find out the missing persons. Activist Raman Sharma said the government should have had made pro-active disclosure about its initiatives to find out the missing persons from the state. He also urged the state government to establish a coordination cell in Uttarakhand to find further details about the missing persons. TRIBUNE INDIA, 18/09/2013 http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20130918/jmtrib.htm#7