Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, June 3: The Right To Information (RTI) Act has helped in bringing transparency and accountability in Government departments in the state since its implementation in 2009, the Jammu and Kashmir State Information Commission (JKSIC) said in a report today.
“Number of fake and fabricated Government appointment orders were cancelled and enquiries started. The Jammu and Kashmir State Vigilance Commission and Vigilance Organisation have started number of enquiries against the massive corruption cases and embezzlement of Government money,” stated JKSIC report tabled by Minister for Public Works and Parliamentary Affairs, Abdul Rehman Veeri on behalf of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti in Legislative Assembly today.
It said an entire village was refunded the electricity fees by the Power Development Department (PDD) as RTI resulted in finding that during this period, there was no electric supply to the village.
“Certain officials of Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CA&PD) Department were found of having charged excess rates for ration in remote areas of the state. Invoking RTI Act led to displaying of rate lists on every depot of the department,” it said.
Several cases of illegal mutations of land got cancelled after an RTI was filed. “During militancy in J&K, a section of society had to migrate from the valley and all the religious places fell vacant without any proper security. Certain religious premises were unauthorizedly occupied by the land grabbers. One of the prominent temples at Srinagar administrated by Dharmarth Trust was vacated only because of the intervention of the JKSCI. Individual migrant properties illegally occupied by land grabbers was also freed and handed over to the local panchayat heads for restoration to the legal owners,” it said.
The report said that it has found that politically influential panchayat head had occupied number of tenements constructed for Below Poverty Line (BPL) people allotted under Indira Awas Yojana (IAY). He was made to handover the illegally occupied property.
“156 families of a village have been benefitted after a disclosure of information by Animal Husbandry Department about the live stock schemes for rural poor,” it said. “The J&K State being rich in forests, the complaints of illegally falling of trees and unauthorized sale of timber is regular feature. An amount of Rs 7.2 lakh was recovered by the Forest Department on account of seized timber,” it further added.
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