Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Feb 23: The district administration Budgam in a reply to an RTI application has stated that it does not have any information regarding the conduct of training programmes on RTI for Government officials and disadvantaged communities.
In a statement issued here, the J&K RTI Movement said that the Deputy Commissioner’s Officer Budgam has made an unconvincing revelation about training of Government officials on Right to Information Act 2005 (RTI) and JK Public Services Guarantee Act 2011 (PSGA) post Article 370 abrogation.
“In a written reply the Assistant Commissioner Revenue (ACR) who is also the designated Public Information Officer (PIO) under RTI Act 2005 has told an information seeker that the information related to holding of training programmes on RTI for Govt officials and disadvantaged communities is not available in the repository of his office,”
Information seeker Dr Raja Muzaffar, as per the statement, had sought some details from the office of Deputy Commissioner Budgam related to awareness programmes on RTI & PSGA.
“The applicant vide his RTI application dated 18.01.2021 asked DC office Budgam about the number of awareness/ training programmes on RTI Act 2005 and JK Public Services Guarantee (PSGA) held for the designated officers of Budgam post Article 370 abrogation with effect from Nov 1, 2019 to Jan 15 2021 (both physically and virtually),” the statement said.
It said that the information seeker had sought names and the designation of participant officers as well.
“In addition, RTI applicant sought details of training programmes held under RTI & PSGA for general people especially the disadvantaged communities as mandated under Section 26 of RTI Act 2005 w.e.f Nov 1, 2019 to Jan ‘15 2021,” it said.
Dr Raja Muzaffar said that saying the information is not available in the repository of the DC Office is simply a ridiculous answer.
“I am not asking about an event which was held 20 or 30 years back. I am asking for updates from Nov 2019 onwards. Not a single officer or citizen has been trained on the provisions of RTI Act 2005 in Budgam during the last 1 to 2 years,” he said.
He said that the new RTI Law is applicable in J&K from Oct 31st 2019 while the PSGA is also dying its own death.
“I am not only cornering DC office Budgam but all the DC’s, HoD’s and even Administrative Secretaries have also not held any awareness programme on RTI physically or through the virtual mode from November 2019 till date,” he said.
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