RTI Act

Sir,

Recently Govt. implemented RTI act with the objective to provide right to information to citizens on any matter/case being dealt in Govt. officers of various deptts. to know and ascertain the reasons for timely redressal and to bring transparency. Govt. introduced a prescribed format on which the applicant can give the details request the concerned Govt. offices/departments to furnish informations under RTI Act.

Since the implementation, it has been observed that as per reports pouring in form various parts of the country through newspapers, that while filling up the columns on the prescribed format to such information and RTI Act, the applicants are facing some problems and inconvenience have been felt by the applicants. In some cases from Delhi Development Authority (DDA), it has been found that an applicant had to visit DDA office to convince or satisfy the concerned department office as the information sought is not on the right format. There are several such cases. In reply to such problems, the Govt. have said "that a standard application cannot be mandated, it is not covered by prescription of Rules but is to be treated simply as an easing of process. Its absence cannot be grounds for rejection of an application".

In similar cases, it has been found that the requisited information is refused to applicants after causing inconvenience to information seekers. In view of such hurdles on the way, the very objective to provide information to the public, for which RTI Act was formulated and implemented, is not being fulfilled in true letter and spirit. The concerned authorities are requested to find out ways and means to sort out and resolve such discrepancies, cropping up on the way of implementation of RTI Act causing inconvenience, so that the very objective to provide the right to information to general public is fully achieved.

Yours etc.....
Lokinder Singh Ravi
Chhani Rama,
Jammu

Indian reactors

Sir

In response to an article about "Indian Nuclear Reactors" (DE, Oct 4) Indian Nuclear Reactors have an enviable track record. Right from the days when India's first experimental reactor Apsara went operational there have been no reports of any radiation leak in which people had to be evacuated to safer places. About 31 reactors of all types are operational pumping in about four thousand megawatts of power to the various grids.

In near future the efforts are on to raise the capacity of nuclear power to ten thousand megawatts. The technology conceived by the father of India's nuclear programme, Dr. Homi Babha has borne fruit. His vision to develop a step by step technology which eventually would suit as well as utilize our own raw material of monazite sands to produce thorium and then plutonium was far ahead of his times. Safety features incorporated in the Indian designed reactors are better. After all who will forget chernobyl or three mile nuke accidents. Many like them have not been reported in Russia, China or even the US.

Yours etc....
Er. T.K. Bhat

Akalpur, Jammu

Sir,

A news report titled "Siachen troops to get special shoes", dated October 1 published in this paper is a decision which has long over due. Infact it reflects a measure of delay in the decision making process of the men who are at the helm of affairs. Countless visits have been made to Siachen area by ministers and top brass of the army but the authorities were yet undecided to equip the soldiers manning the most treacherous battlefield in the world with a shoe that could withstand a temperature of minus 50 degree celsius. It has been reported that the temperature of our highest posts in Siachen plummets down to even minus 60 degree celsius. I salute our jawans posted at Siachen who although poorly shod have kept our borders safe.

However the decision to equip the Jawans with appropriate footwear will help to save their feet from intense frostbite as a result of which the fingers or sometimes even the feet need to be amputated. Our jawan is our first concern no stone should be left unturned to make him feel comfortable.

Yours etc.....
A.S.Raina
Satwari,
Jammu