RTI Is Friend To All

Why  Do I  Recommend  RTI  For Everyone ?

By:Raman Sharma

Let everyone know that Right to Information Act is not focused against anyone and it can only serve the interest of the society and a right-doing person has no reason to worry about this act. Often officers say that people are using RTI to defame and encroach privacy of the officers and also to grind personal gains. But such allegations are baseless, since the provisions of the RTI do not allow any applicant to interfere in personal life of any  individual unless public money is involved in the case.

 

 

Now  if the officers want to say that their family members are using official vehicle for the private parties and picnics and people do ask about such details then it cannot be said that applicants are in anyway encroaching upon their privacy.

 

 

 

RTI  is  perhaps the only law which enables even an individual to make government machinery working. We all know in our country and particularly in Jammu and Kashmir innocent people have to come on streets, they are forced to adopt the path of violence and draw attention of the media and only then an FIR is registered forget the follow up done by the agencies,  but  with  the  power  of  Right  to  Information Act  the people need  not  to do such  hectic  exercises  for  their  democratic  rights.

If  officers  want  to   say  that  if  they are keeping an innocent person in illegal confinement and some RTI applicant ask them to give reason for the illegal detention; then is that also breach of privacy of the officer(s)?  RTI is just to make officers and government accountable so that no injustice is done to the citizens.

The perception that RTI is against the bureaucrats and government officers is totally false, Right to Information can even help them. In many cases the government officers have been able to get justice with the help of RTI Act. Their illegal and void transfer orders have been revert back.  Many retired employees have been able to get their pension cases settled which were pending for the past so many years. Now, employees using RTI to get details of their G.P.F and P.F funds.

 

Once again it is advised that do not be afraid of RTI power but you also need to exercise this right and feel the essence of the democracy.  

 

For, every member of our society RTI has a significant role.

For students: They can use RTI to get information related to excess fee charged, delay in exams and results, and against error in declared result.

For Legal Professionals: The legal fertility can use this act to collect evidences and gathering details like orders, circulars regarding the case, so that they can pursue their case effectively and help the judiciary in deciding the case in a time bound manner.

For Patients: From any health institute the patient or his family member can seek every detail related to the facilities a patient entitled to avail thus making the institute to give better services.

For Housewives: They need and can use this act more effectively, if a housewife is not able to get her booked LPG cylinder in prescribed time then she may approach the Oil company and can ask the reason for delay ultimately making the agency holder to act and ensure delivery well in time.

For Consumers: With increasing buying habits we all are becoming victim of the companies and individuals, often we are served with poor quality of service and low quality material. With the help of RTI we can make these companies accountable. If a person is being deprived of the service which he is suppose to be provided then he may approach the head of the company concerned through an RTI application.

For Civil Society: Now, people need not to worry about poor condition of the road or an open manhole. Just file an RTI application to the department concerned and how fast road is being done and manhole comes back. Or a broken letter box is repaired in a few days.

For Politicians: The politicians always remain busy in gathering information which can bring the weakness of the government so that they can build pressure on the government. The politicians can use RTI to bring the corruption of any department into notice of the government and public. Ultimately it also serves the interest of the general public.

For Historians: RTI can be helpful to historians who are engaged in writing on past events; they can seek the copy of documents and can use that in his assignment.

For Government: RTI can serve the government even in a much broader way, it helps in building a habit of accountability and transparency amongst the officers. It also reduces fake and heavy TA, DA bills of the officers and officials. Channelize the hotchpotch system of the government offices.

For NGO's: In our system NGO's play an important for the welfare of the downtrodden people of the society. They have been able to bring significant changes be it women empowerment or girl education. The NGO's can seek information on any issue of public importance and make department concerned to act on that. They can also seek information related to various schemes run by the different agencies of the government.

For Journalists: Journalists play the role of all above mentioned members of the society they have  even more responsibilities and are epicenter of  expectations of the society members. They have a crucial role to play. For the  RTI is a never ending source  of daily stories, as far as profession of journalism is concerned  there is a need and appetite of gathering information for self use and for references in the stories. Thus recommending RTI to journalists must be appreciated.

There is no one in our society who cannot feel the wonderful experiences of RTI. Hence every member of the society should exercise his democratic right and file at least one application under Right to Information Act.

 

Writer, Raman Sharma is a devoted RTI activist, feedback@: jkrtiact@gmail.com

 

 

RTI Precautions…..

RTI Applicants Don't Panic, But Be Cautious!

 

Raman Sharma

In view of the fact that the state government has failed to assign any explanation for not appointing the State Information Commissioner(s) even after more than one year since the implementation of the Jammu and Kashmir Right to Information Act 2009, therefore now it is for the applicants to continue to use RTI and avoid conflicts. The government that always orchestrate and chant the slogans of transparency and accountability has totally failed to justify their failure in appointing the SIC members. As in the state there is no body/organization to deal with the cases related to RTI implementation thus the applicants are not served with the reply but are often become victim of corrupt officers and their associates.

To discourage RTI applications PIO's and their staff members never oblige to  the applicants and make every possible move to detract them from lodging RTI application. Sometime even the Public Information Officers  refused to entertain the application on some trivial and silly  grounds.

In this violence hit state if somehow a poor RTI applicant dares and is able to file his application then he is forced to withdraw his application by using all the means. In many cases the applicant is being approached both physically and on his telephone just after hours after submitting RTI application. His identity is revealed by the concerned PIO or his staff members.

Already in Jammu and Kashmir the people themselves are either reluctant to ask or perhaps they are not aware of the Act and this was the reason that during the period  of March/09 to Feb/10 only 534 RTI applications were received in all by the state government departments . In the recent few months because of the awareness spread by a very few RTI activists some applicants came forward and put their RTI applications.

But again the vested interests never allow citizens to exercise their democratic right. Both in Jammu and Kashmir region of the state  the RTI applicants are on hit list of the corrupt officers and possibly this was the reason that in few cases even FIR's have been registered against the RTI applicants and in Jammu a Young Boy Mulkh Raj from Village Ramnagar was forced to flee from his home and took shelter in one of his friends house in Jammu.  The only mistake he committed was filling an RTI application seeking details of the irregularities there in government Higher Secondary School Ramnagar. After filling his RTI application he was physically approached by a group of 8 to 10 people threatened him of risk to his life if RTI application is not withdrawn.

Again recently in Kashmir also an RTI applicant Ghulam Nabi Shah of Badgam was beaten up for seeking details from, the Block Development Office Khanasahib, on   money distributed under ' INDIRA AWAAS YOJNA 'and 'NREGA'.

These are not isolated incidents but are just example to show that how does RTI applicants are being discouraged and pressurized to desist from using RTI to seek their rightful share in the system.

Of course the above incidents can dishearten an aspiring RTI applicant to seek details on any issue happening around his surroundings. But let me assure them that they must not loose hope and even without the existence of State Information Commission they can avoid such harassment and escape from becoming victims of the atrocities of the nexus of the corrupt officer and their associates. First of all, if  possible first time applicant must consult a person who has already made any application under the act. He may also approach any local RTI activist. If the sought information is sensitive then it should be submitted by a group of 10-15 people instead of any individual. One may also take the assistance of any friend or activist residing some other place so that the exposed person(s) do not make any harm.

The RTI citizens should not loose courage and continue to ask to make our state a corruption free zone.

Writer is a devoted RTI activists, may be contacted at JKRTIACT@GMAIL.COM

 

 

rti

J & K: Government Websites Mum on RTI

 RAMAN SHARMA

Jammur: Unfortunately politicians  never deliver what they orchestrate and promise the most; Omar headed Jammu and Kashmir government is also not an exception. Despite repeated prayers from citizens and RTI activists for appointment of State Information Commission members, the state government prefers to keep an obscure silence. The sincerity of the government on RTI can be well anticipated that even after more than 16 months of the act came into force the official websites of the state government departments do not have any update on the RTI Act. Only a very few departments have shown sincerity towards the act and have placed the copy of act and other details on their official websites. Jammu and Kashmir Police, Jammu University are amongst the organizations that have put RTI details on their WebPages. Unfortunately the websites of the District administrations (almost all the districts) and even that of Institute of Management, Public Administration & Rural Development, (IMPA), it is note worthy to mention here that IMPA has been designated as Nodal agency to conduct training and seminars on promotion of RTI act. They have failed to provide any sort of information on their websites. Under the RTI Act it is mandatory for every department to provide name of PIO's, Fees and other related details about right to information act on their websites.

Feedback: jkrtiact@gmail.com

RAMAN SHARMA

J & K… RTI   Is   A   Crawling  Baby

By: Raman Sharma

For proper implementation of the Right to Information regime in the state we need participation of the citizens. Unfortunately even today in Jammu and Kashmir a very few people perhaps know about Right to Information  Act. Not only ordinary citizens but also people engaged in legal system and profession of  journalism are unaware about this powerful law. To strengthen this act we must take it closer to the people.The government should engage at least 100 volunteers in each district of the state on honorarium basis. The act needs to be strengthen from both the ends, at the bottom people be taught and  encouraged to file application and at the top, the members of the state information commission be appointed without any further delay. If the state government is actually sincere in tackling the issue of corruption then it must allow citizens to exercise their right which cannot be fulfilled without bringing awareness about the RTI Act and appointing SIC members.The training programmes for the designated PIO's and associated staff is must but in the state it has not been initiated even after  16 months of the implementation  of the act. Thus the Public Information Officers are not  acquainted with knowledge about the act.Under the provisions of  Jammu and Kashmir Right to Information Act 2009,  it is obligatory for every department of the  government to make pro-active disclosure of the information but that is not being done so far. Not even a single department has been able to adhere to the rules of the RTI Act.It is not only the duty of the government alone but other members of the civil society should also step in. BAR councils and press clubs should take a lead for the purpose and conduct seminars and workshops on regular basis. Unfortunately even media in Jammu and Kashmir  possibly at the behest of state government not giving much publicity to this noble law. They are not even covering the stories of life threats to the RTI applicants. Only a few publications are sincere are taking the cause of RTI. It is true that without the help and involvement of media RTI will not be able to reach to the common people. The other reason for slow response towards RTI is because even our elected representatives have also failed to make the state government accountable by using the mean of RTI. Not only the ministers and MLA's of the ruling coalition but also that of opposition  are perhaps themselves afraid of RTI because they know that if people start using RTI then their deeds will come into light and they will no more be able to befool the people.The response of NGO's and social workers also not very appreciable for the promotion of RTI Act in the state.

Feedback@jkrtiact@gmail.com