Central RTI body asks Kashmir activist to seek data on pleas from non-existent state panel

By A Representative
In a surprise revelation, India’s top Right to Information (RTI) body, Central Information Commission (CIC), has stated it does not have data on the number of RTI applications and first appeals filed in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) in the past four years. The revelation comes following Irfan Banka, founder, J&K RTI Foundation, an advocacy group, sought details through an RTI plea.
The CIC suggested that Banka file an RTI request with the government in J&K to obtain the “desired information”. Normally, the data is kept by state information commissions, but no such department or state information commission exists for the Union territory, as the J&K RTI Act was repealed in 2019 when the Central RTI Act 2005 was introduced in for the region, said the advocacy group in a statement.
Criticising lack of transparency and accountability related to the RTI law, especially after J&K was made a Union territory and its own state information commission was dissolved, Banka said, the RTI Act has “weakened in the region" and that "some public information officers (PIOs) view it as useless.”
“The RTI Act of 2005 empowers citizens to access information held by public authorities in order to promote transparency and accountability. The Act applies to all states and union territories of India. However", asserted Banka, his experience "raises questions about the effectiveness of the RTI Act in in the Union territory."
As a result of the lack of data, it is unclear how many RTI applications and appeals have been filed in Jammu and Kashmir since it was reorganized in 2019. This lack of information makes it difficult to hold public authorities accountable and undermines the very purpose of the RTI Act, the advocacy group noted.
Banka's concerns highlight the need for greater transparency and accountability in the RTI system in J&K. As citizens' right to information is an essential part of a functioning democracy, it is imperative that the government takes steps to ensure that the system is effective and transparent, the advocacy group added.

Beyond the 'silent relocation' narrative in Bangladesh's Chittagong Hill Tracts

By Dr. Mohammad Asaduzzaman* In recent years, a narrative has emerged from the rugged and forested terrain of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), portraying the region as the site of a “silent relocation” — a mass forced migration of Bangladesh’s non-Muslim ethnic communities into neighboring India and Myanmar.

Ram, Bam and Bengal: Memories of a Left turn toward the Right

By Rajiv Shah The BJP ’s massive electoral win in West Bengal is being interpreted across political persuasions — except, of course, by the BJP itself — as the result of the alleged deletion of around 90 lakh voters from the electoral rolls during the controversial intensive revision process. This may well be true, given my own experience in Gujarat regarding the shoddy manner in which electoral revisions have often been conducted. In West Bengal, there also appeared to be a political angle to the exercise. But I am not interested in discussing that here, as enough has already appeared in the media on the subject.

The farmer's burden: How oil, war, and climate are rewriting the price of food

By Vikas Meshram The scorching flames of the Middle East conflict are now slowly reaching the kitchens of ordinary people. The true price of this war is paid in daily markets, vegetable shops, and in the shattered minds of farmers. Expensive crude oil, skyrocketing fertilizer prices, and rising agricultural costs are together creating the conditions for global food inflation — and this crisis is directly tied to what people eat and drink every day.

Counterview

Search This Blog