Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 9: After RTI activists and legal experts, now the civil society has also stepped in to take on the Government for its unilateral decision to issue new SRO regarding RTI rules. In this regard, a protest demonstration was held here at Press Club.
Lead by Sangarsh RTI Movement in support of members, Universal Foundation, YHAI, Vichar Kranti Manch International, Duggar Pardesh Yuva Sangathan, Nature Human Centric People’s Movement, Universal Foundation, Green Alternatives, Arohi Sangeet Vidayalaya, All India Youth Hot Blood Association, Save My Tawi Campaign, Khitij Foundation, RTI activists, senior citizens and students joined the protest and demanded revocation of the new RTI rules.
Worthwhile to mention here that the new RTI rules has eroded all the powers of the statutory i.e. State Information Commission, whereas the members of the Commission are mutually appointed by the Government and Leader of Opposition.
Protestors raising slogans against the corrupt bureaucrats insisted for strengthening the SIC, SAC and SVO. They also urged the Chief Minister to beware of bureaucrats who are misjudging the ministers and the CM on RTI rules and asked him to root out such elements from the bureaucracy.
Demonstrators also rubbished the arguments of the State Government that the new RTI rules are made at par with the Central law and amendments are made after the recommendations from the State Chief Information Commission.
They also sought the cooperation from the opposition political parties against the Government’s attempt to weaken the institutions of transparency and accountability.
Later RTI activists including S Balwinder Singh, Roop Chand, SK Jain and Raman Sharma also addressed the demonstrators.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena activists led by their State chief Askok Gupta held protests to oppose the amendment of rules relating to the Right to Information.
“The amendment of rules have come as a major setback to the RTI movement in Jammu and Kashmir,” Gupta told reporters.
“The move is a deliberate attempt on the part of the State Government to clip the wings of SIC,” he said.
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