‘

DDK Srinagar records burnt

in low intensity blast on Aug 28^th;

Official critical at SMHS;

Case being hushed up

’

CBI probe demanded in DD’s ‘Srinagar-2G’ scam

In-house programmes worth Rs 52 Cr approved in 3 months against 25% ‘commission’ in advance

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

SRINAGAR, Sep 5: Beneficiaries of the loot-and-scoot in Doordarshan Kendra (DDK) Srinagar, allegedly hand-in-glove with officials at Mandi House and Prasar Bharti headquarters in New Delhi, are currently burning midnight oil to ensure that there was no investigation into illegal approval of in-house programmes worth Rs 52 Cr, distributed during last three months of Dr Rafeeq Masoodi’s tenure in Srinagar. Private producers and artists have, meanwhile, demanded a thorough investigation by CBI Delhi into the mysterious blaze of August 28^th when a number of files were destroyed in record room of DDK Srinagar and one of the officials sustained critical injuries.

Srinagar District Police’s lackadaisical initiative in the DDK Srinagar blaze is being widely interpreted as a “hush up” by the fraternity of freelance producers and artists in the Valley. Fresh enquiries revealed that FIR was not registered for several days at Police Station Kothibagh and, surprisingly, in the initial report there was no mention of an official having sustained critical burn injuries. Informed sources confirmed that no statements have been recorded, no professional inspection of the spot has been conducted and no circumstantial evidence has been seized despite the fact that the fire had started with a low-intensity blast, burning the anterior of an official. Clear evidence of inflammable and explosive material is still tell-tale on the spot, insiders claimed.

 As earlier reported in this newspaper, DDK Srinagar stenographer, Ashiq Hussain, was burnt beyond recognition in the fire that started on Sunday, August 28^th, at 1700 hours. He is recuperating at SMHS Hospital since Aug 28^th, though his condition continues to be grave. According to sources, nobody has till date made an effort to know as to why the ill-fated official was present on the CRPF-guarded premises on the day of a gazetted holiday and why he had entered DDK Srinagar through an overhead bridge after parking his two-wheeler on the premises of Radio Kashmir Srinagar. Each and every DDK official and visitor is supposed to enter only through the DDK gate.

Some DDK officials, as well as Kothibagh Police, had initially maintained that Ashiq got burnt when a power transmission line fell on him. However, it became clear within a day that there were no transmission lines or overhead livewires at the spot. Doctors treating the official at SMHS Hospital have also opined that the patient was burnt in the flames caused by highly combustible and explosive material.

A delegation of private producers, artists and script writers, which also comprised a number of DDK Srinagar employees, complained that the matter was being “hushed up”. Members of the delegation, who are ready to record their statements but do not want to be identified as this stage, told Early Times that a “coterie of well connected producers and officials from Srinagar to Delhi” was clearly behind the subversive act. They demanded a thorough investigation by CBI Delhi while pointing out that some officials of CBI Srinagar had already “bungled” investigation into two FIRs registered against DDK Srinagar officials in 2009 and 2010.

“Directors of DDK Srinagar have been past masters in managing things with local staff of central agencies. Proved cases have been closed as not established. We have no faith in local staff of these agencies. We know that their relatives have also got largesse of programmes from some former Directors of Srinagar Doordarshan”, members of the delegation said. They made it clear that nothing short of a CBI inquiry, to be held by a senior Delhi-based officer, would be credible or acceptable to the producers and artists community in J&K.

Their specific demand included a detailed, transparent CBI inquiry into the circumstances in which in-house programmes to the order of Rs 52 Cr have been approved by a former Director of DDK Srinagar, namely Dr Rafeeq Masoodi, for just last three months of his tenure before his transfer to Mandi House. “Nobody from Delhi has asked Dr Masoodi how he had approved hundreds of proposal files and created huge liability of Rs 52 Cr in three months without any allotment of funds or commitment from Directorate General of Doordarshan”, said a member.

“CBI inquiry will make it clear that advance commission at the rate of 25 percent of the approved amount has been received from each beneficiary producer”, revealed a DDK Srinagar officer. He confirmed the huge figure of Rs 52 Cr liability having been created by Masoodi in just three months and challenged Mandi House to contradict it. According to him, Masoodi had doled out packages of hundreds of programmes and serials to few families without availability of funds.

These underground beneficiaries, according to the DD insider, included a number of illiterate persons and government employees who have been shown as suppliers of assorted facilities on the proposals approved by Dr Masoodi but who have actually never entered DDK Srinagar premises. Bribe money of Rs 70 Lakh has been allegedly received from just one private producer living in Shivpora locality of Srinagar.

“If New Delhi has to really make Kashmir a part of India, it has to put Kashmir’s Suresh Kalmadi’s and A Rajas too in Tihar Jail. Scams in DDK Srinagar and so-called Kashir Channel are miniature versions of Common Wealth Games scam and 2-G scam”, observed a senior television artist.

Local Congress leader, Jan Mohammad Rishi, has no hesitation to state on record that Srinagar-based officials of central agencies were either disinterested or simply protecting the corrupt DD officials. “I had approached Srinagar-based officials of a central investigating agency with material evidence of embezzlement of funds and forgery at DDK Srinagar. They disappointed me with the plea that they had very little staff and many more things to do”, Rishi complained.

The Congress activist made a sensational disclosure that after getting disappointed, he had sent detailed representations with material proof to Director of CBI, A P Singh, by registered post on May 25^th, 2011, underscoring the apprehension that DDK Srinagar could destroy records in case action was not quickly initiated in the matter.

“Officers in Delhi ordered an inquiry and a team, led by senior Vigilance official Girish Bhat was scheduled to arrive in Srinagar in the first week of August. Still, the fire occurred and some records were burnt on July 28^th”, Rishi disclosed. He claimed that his letters, all sent by registered mail, had since gone to DG Doordrashan, CEO of Prasar Bharti, Minister of Information & Broadcasting, union Minister of Home and the union Home Secretary who had all assured him that the rot of corruption at DDK Srinagar would be arrested.

 “I am hopeful of justice but, till date, there has been no substantive action. Corrupt officials are continuously calling the shots at many quarters”, added Rishi who alleged that empanelment of news stringers and distribution of their assignments had been “fudged in a brazen manner”. However, officials at RNU said that Rishi’s allegations were not objective as his son was himself a news stringer. They asserted that politicians of all parties had been “blackmailing” news staff in order to ensure excessive coverage in daily bulletins.

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DGP Khoda becomes seniormost among all IAS, IPS, IFS officers of J&K cadre

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

SRINAGAR, Sep 4: With the superannuation of P S Gill as Director General of Punjab Police at the end of current month, DG of Jammu and Kashmir Police, Kuldeep Khoda, will have the distinction of being the seniormost official among All India Services---IAS, IPS, IFS---officers of Jammu and Kashmir cadre. Senior by one year to the country’s Home Secretary, R P Singh, Khoda is presently sharing this distinction with only Gill.

              

Currently, Gill and Khoda are the seniormost IPS officers of J&K cadre. Born in Moga township of Punjab on September 9^th, 1951, Gill had joined as an IPS officer of J&K cadre on July 14^th, 1974. He is due to retire from service on September 30^th. After holding several top level positions in J&K Police, Gill had proceeded on a deputation to his home state and was appointed as DG of Punjab Police in July 2009. His last posting in J&K was Commissioner Vigilance.

Born on 28-05-1952 in Srinagar, Khoda too had joined as J&K cadre IPS officer on 14-07-1974. Being younger to Gill, he is due to reach superannuation on 31-05-2012. After holding senior positions in the home state, Khoda was appointed as DG of J&K Police in July 2007. If left intact for the next nine months, he will be holding the honour of serving as DG of J&K Police for nearly 5 years at the end of his 38-year-long service career in IPS---maximum in last 25 years.

Interestingly, Khoda’s immediate juniors in IPS, J&K cadre, Commissioner Vigilance P L Gupta and Additional DGP Armed/ Law & Order, K Rajendra Kumar, are both 10 to 11 years junior to him in service. While as Rajindra (DOB 24-09-1956) had joined IPS on 21-08-1984, Gupta (DOB 04-08-1955) had joined on 04-01-1985. All others, who have been recently elevated to the position of ADGP in J&K, are 1986-batch IPS officers. Rajindra is from Andhra Pradesh and Gupta is a state subject.

In IAS, Chief Secretary Madhav Lal, who was born in Delhi on 04-06-1955, happens to be the seniormost among all J&K cadre IAS officers. He is from IAS batch of 1977. Recalled from a central deputation, Madhav Lal took over as Chief Secretary of J&K state on 01-02-2011. He shares the honour of being the seniormost IAS officer of J&K cadre with only Pervez Dewan (DOB 13-10-1954) who is on a central deputation, followed by a study leave, till 01-12-2011. Dewan is a resident of Laridara village of Baramulla district but his father had settled in Delhi in 1960s.

In IFS, Jagdish Kishwan has the distinction of being the only officer of 1975 batch, J&K cadre, after the retirement of Irshad Ahmad Khan on August 31, 2011. Currently on central deputation, Kishwan served as PCCF in J&K for about a year before R D Tiwari took over the seniormost position of the Forest service in J&K in October 2010. He was, however, confirmed as PCCF earlier this year.

Kishwan, who joined IFS, J&K cadre, on 01-03-1975, is due to reach superannuation on 30-09-2012. In his absence, R D Tiwari, who joined IFS, J&K cadre on 01-03-1977, is now the seniormost IFS officer in J&K. He is, however, due to retire on 31-12-2011.

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Commissions or rehabilitation centres for retired officials?

Deadwood of Kashmir, Jammu universities may not deliver in SIC

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

JAMMU, Sep 3: In total dismissal of Supreme Court of India’s judgment in P J Thomas case, Government of Jammu and Kashmir has decided to completely bar entry of the representatives of civil society into its transparency and accountability commissions. Some retired and retiring government officials, including two former professors of law from universities of Kashmir and Jammu, who are favourites of politicians on account of their personal relationship with them, are being considered for rehabilitation in the much-hyped Jammu & Kashmir State Information Commission (SIC).

While quashing the appointment of Thomas as head of the Central Vigilance Commission, Supreme Court had earlier this year laid considerable stress on appointment of the representatives of civil society in such apex bodies. It was in the backdrop of that judgment that radical changes became necessary in constitution of State Vigilance Commission (SVC) in Jammu & Kashmir even after it was constituted in accordance with an existing law.

It was even before Supreme Court’s snub to the political establishment that lawmakers in Jammu and Kashmir had created room for appointment of the representatives of civil society in the State Information Commission. Omar Abdullah’s coalition government picked up a retiring official of central taxation service as Chief Information Commissioner. However, the appointment of Mr Ghulam Rasool Sufi was appreciated from all quarters in view of his being a son of soil as well as a man of meticulously clean service span. Sufi has demonstrated adequate dynamism in establishing sanctity, influence and writ of the SIC that he launched from a straw.

However, for months, government did not show any interest in completing constitution of the SIC with the appointment of two State Information Commissioners. Disappointment in the matter forced Governor N N Vohra to break a tradition on the day of swearing-in of Chairman and a member of State Accountability Commission. Governor delivered a speech, only to bring home to the state government that constitution of all commissions could be no more delayed. He made a specific mention of the need of appointing two State Information Commissioners as required by law.

Weeks later, Government began coming out of its slumber, albeit with glaring ill intentions. When a coordination committee of six coalition members, three each from NC and Congress, met in Srinagar on Friday, it began giving its own individual interpretations to the law, only to make it clear that blue-eyed boys of politicians were being rehabilitated in the name of completing constitution of the SIC. Prof Saifuddin Soz, Mangat Ram Sharma and Tara Chand represented Congress. NC was represented by two of its senior Cabinet Ministes, namely Abdul Rahim Rather and Ali Mohammad Sagar, besides a former Minister and sitting MLA Choudhary Ramzan.

Well placed authoritative sources revealed to Early Times that NC and Congress decided to share the vacancies on 1:1 basis. It was also decided that one Commissioner would be from Kashmir and another from Jammu. That all makes sense. But, when the names were floated, some of the members began justifying the appointment of two retired professors of law from Kashmir and Jammu universities with their “interpretation” that Section 12, Sub section (5) makes it incumbent to appoint only men of “legal background”. Nobody asked them if veteran incumbents like Wajahat Habibullah or our own Chief Information Commissioner Mr Sufi had any “legal background”.

One of the members asserted that head of the SIC Mr Sufi had written a letter to Chief Minister that he needed “only men of legal background”. The letter did not surface in the meeting. Nor did any one ask was the Chief Information Commissioner by law competent to write such a letter or what was the law or rule that gave the Chairman any role in selection of State Information Commissioners.

Relevant provision of Section 12 sub section (5) of J&K State Information Commission Act of 2009 makes it unambiguously clear that even the representatives of civil society could be appointed as the head or members of the SIC. It reads: “The State Chief Information Commissioner and the State Information Commissioners shall be persons of eminence in public life with wide knowledge and experience in law, science and technology, social service, management, journalism, mass media or administration and governance”.

Sources revealed that neither of the two individuals considered in the meeting is “person of eminence” in respective fields and their qualification was nothing but their proximity to certain influential politicians.

“They are being appointed for the purpose of their post-retirement rehabilitation, not for delivering in SIC”, said a senior government official. He said that a brigade of blue-eyed boys of politicians had already launched hectic lobbying to grab a position in Public Service Commission (PSC), where the term of three members ended earlier this year, State Vigilance Commission, where all appointments are pending in absence of an amendment in law as also in State Human Rights Commission and State Consumers Commission where some heads and members are retiring in next few weeks. “It appears to be a grand post-retirement package for favourites of politicians”, another senior bureaucrat observed.

Three- member selection committee, headed by Chief Minister, is meeting in the summer capital on Monday to select two  State Information Commissioners. One of the members is supposed to be the nominee of Chief Minister, most likely Dy CM Tara Chand while as Leader of the Opposition and head of PDP’s legislature party in Assembly, Mehbooba Mufti, is the third member. On the recommendations of this panel, Governor N N Vohra may subsequently issue the warrants of appointment.

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Crime Branch probe ordered in migrant relief scam

RTI activist files appeal before CIC

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

SRINAGAR, Aug 30: Taking cognizance of a news story carried by Early Times on August 29^th, Director General of Police, Kuldeep Khoda, has asked IG Crime to conduct a preliminary inquiry into the monthly payment of relief money and rations to 500 non-migrant Kashmiri families by the Relief Organisation in Jammu.

Authoritative sources disclosed that Police Headquarters yesterday sent a communication, alongwith the Early Times story, to IGP Crime Raja Aijaz Ali, asking him to conduct a preliminary inquiry through Crime Branch into the facts mentioned in the report. Sources at Crime headquarters later confirmed that Crime Branch Kashmir was being directed to hold an investigation to establish whether 500 non-migrant families, including all 168 Muslim families from Budgam district, had been receiving relief in cash and kind from Relief Organisation in Jammu.

Cash relief of Rs 1250 per member but subject to a maximum of Rs 5000 per month is being paid to all migrant families who have no stable source of source. They are also entitled to free ration of 9 kilos of rice and 2 kilos of atta each soul besides 1 kilo of sugar per family. This newspaper had reported that none of the 168 Muslim families of Budgam district, who have been receiving the migrant relief from Relief Organisation in Jammu, has actually migrated from Kashmir valley.

In addition to that, more than 100 Sikh families of Budgam district have also been taking the migrant relief in Jammu without having physically migrated. Reports indicate that even among the 2671 Kashmir Pandit families of the district, at least 50 are such who have returned and settled back in Valley but the relief is being continuously paid to them in Jammu.

In reply to an application under RTI, PIO of Relief Organisation had revealed in the month of February 2011 that a total of 2671 Hindu families, 168 Muslim families and 336 Sikh families from Budgam district stood registered as migrants. And all of them had been continuously taking the relief in Jammu since 1990.

The PIO, however, declined to provide any information with regard to details of the beneficiary families. He argued that no information could be provided as to how many of these families had been living in migrant camps and how many of them had been provided government accommodation.

The PIO took refuge under section 8 of J&K RTI Act of 2009 which actually guarantees protection of the identity of government’s informants, privacy of individuals besides safety and security of the country and its citizens.

Applicant Raman Sharma has, yesterday itself, filed a complaint before Chief Information Commissioner Mr Ghulam Rasool Sufi under section 15 of J&K RTI Act 2009, asserting therein that no matter of privacy, safety or security of state or its citizens was involved in revealing identity of the families who, according to Government, had been receiving the migrant relief in Jammu. He has sought a direction to PIO of Relief Organisation Jammu to the effect that all the 3175 families of Budgam district, registered as migrant in Jammu, be identified.

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DDK Srinagar record room gutted in mysterious blaze

17 RTI application, seeking record of programmes and payments, had piled up in 2 months

Early Times Report

SRINAGAR, Aug 29: One official got critically injured when record room of Doordarshan Kendra (DDK) Srinagar gutted in a mysterious fire last evening. Since seventeen private producers had filed applications in the last about one month and sought records of the ‘fraudulently paid’ in-house programmes under RTI, officials are wildly suspected to have destroyed the files that could have landed them in trouble.

Even as DDK Srinagar maintained silence and it did not issue any clarification, informed sources revealed to Early Times that a devastating blaze occurred in mysterious circumstances in the record room at around 1700 hours on Sunday. Sources said that voluminous records, that had been shifted from main complex to the makeshift record room in a barrack, beside the boundary wall between DDK and Radio Kashmir complex, perished in the fire.

Presence of a stenographer of Regional News Unit, Ashiq Hussain, in the record room on Sunday, which was a gazetted holiday, raised speculations of sabotage. The official, who happens to be the relative of DD’s Administrative Officer, Abdul Samad Baig, sustained critical burn injuries on entire anterior of his body. He was evacuated by staff and sentries on duty and rushed to hospital. He is now under treatment at SMHS Hospital.

DD officers spread word that Ashiq had got injured when an HT power line fell upon him. However, when dozens of employees went for an inspection to the spot, they found that there was no power line over the premises. It became clear in the afternoon today that Ashiq had unusually entered Radio Kashmir, parked his scooter there and crossed to DDK premises through an overhead bridge. Security officials at DD entrance maintained that he had not entered the premises through the usual main gate on any point of time on Sunday.

Things became more suspicious when it became known that DD officials had not made any mention of Ashiq getting injured in their report submitted to Police. When some officials objected and insisted that the injured official’s name should be mentioned and his statement must be recorded after his recovery, a secondary report was submitted to Police for filing FIR.

Insiders said that piling up of RTI applications, seeking record of in-house programmes and payments made thereto, could be one reason behind the blaze as these revelations could certainly land many high ups and inside producers in trouble.

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Maulana Shaukat murder accused Abdullah Gazali, Bil Papa disowned by TM

After Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, Tehreek-ul-Mujahideen too regards Srinagar Police investigation

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

SRINAGAR, Aug 29: In a significant development, militant outfit Tehreek-ul-Mujahideen (TM) has disowned two of its key functionaries, Abdullah Gazali and Bil Papa, who have been charged by Srinagar District Police with killing of cleric-politician Maulana Shaukat Shah. President of Jamiat-e-Ahl-e-Hadith (JAH) Jammu and Kashmir, Maulana Shaukat had died in an IED blast at a mosque in Maisuma locality here on April 8^th this year.

JAH President and head of the separatists’ SIT, Maulana Ghulam Rasool Malik, today released TM’s letter which indirectly corroborated involvement of its key functionaries, Abdul Gani Dar alias Abdullah Gazali of Russu, Budgam, and Javed Munshi alias Bil Papa of Chhanapora, Srinagar, in Maulana Shaukat’s assassination in April. On August 26^th, Malik had released a letter from another formidable militant organisation, Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, which also confirmed Srinagar District Police investigation, described Javed Munshi as the key assassin but claimed that LeT’s Kashmir-based Pakistani commander Abdullah Yuni was not involved in the heinous crime.

According to the TM letter, addressed to the separatists’ SIT, Abdul Gani Dar as well as Javed Munshi had served as key functionaries of the organisation in the past but neither of them had remained associated with the guerrilla group since long. It claimed that a four-member investigating team of the organisation, comprising Abdul Shakoor Azad, Owais Sajjad, Mohammad Shahid Salfi and Abu Hamza, had conducted a thorough investigation into Maulana Shaukat’s assassination, though the investigators were not in a position to interact with the men arrested by Police and detained in jail.

TM has sought to make it clear that Dar had been arrested in 2001 after working with the outfit for several years. After his release from jail, he joined a political outfit, titled “Sautul Haq” and became its head. In Sautul Haq, Dar developed differences with a colleague, namely Bashir Ahmad Sofi, and was subsequently dismissed as head of the new organisation. Text of the letter claimed that TM’s Pakistan-based  supremo, Sheikh Jamil-ur-Rehman called Dar only once over telephone when latter’s brother passed away six months before Shaukat’s murder. It claimed that TM supremo Sheikh Jamil-ur-Rehman called Dar twice or thrice (from across LoC) after Maulana’s killing and enquired about the murder and resultant mourning in Kashmir.

While claiming that the organisation had never thought in terms of carrying out the assassination, it suggested SIT to scan call detail records of Dar’s telephone. “If there is even a single word against Maulana Shaukat from Sheikh Jamil-ur-Rehman, we will accept the crime and its punishment”, said the TM letter.

The letter also confirmed that Javed Munshi had for years worked for TM but claimed that, like Dar, he too had ceased his association with the outfit after his arrest in Katmandu, Nepal, in 1998. It claimed that Javed had visited Nepal in 1998 without the permission of his leadership to meet his relatives and friends. He, however, got arrested and was released after 8 years. Thereafter, he made three attempts to cross over to other side of the LoC from Kashmir but was each time arrested and released by forces and Police.

The letter asserted that neither the outfit chief Sheikh Jamil-ur-Rehman nor the organisation had any contact with Javed Munshi since 2009 when he issued threats over telephone to a TM functionary Owais Sajjad. It asserted that TM would own the crime and accept its punishment in case it was proved in any investigation or call detail record of telephones that the orgainsation or its leadership had any contact or association with Javed Munshi in the last over two years.

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500 non-migrant families receive migrant relief in Jammu

Budgam tops with 168 Muslim and 50 non-Muslim families getting Rs 5000 a month plus ration

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

SRINAGAR, Aug 28: Over 500 families, continuously living at their respective homes in Kashmir valley, are believed to be among thousands of migrant families who receive relief of Rs 5,000 and rations every month from Relief Organisation in Jammu. These include all the 168 Muslim families of Budgam district, besides nearly 50 non-Muslim families, who figure in the long list of “migrant families” while their continuously living in Valley.

Informed sources revealed to Early Times that not less than 500 families, living continuously and comfortably at their respective homes in Kashmir valley, are among recipients of migrant relief in Jammu for over a decade. In league with officials of Police and Revenue departments, besides those working in the office of Relief Commissioner, these families are said to have got themselves registered as migrants in Jammu from 1990 to 2004. CID and Security Wing headquarters those days used to issue certificates of threat perception and resultant displacement on fake and engineered threatening statements against cash payment.

Party workers of a Revenue Minister from Budgam district had reportedly collected money from hundreds of residents in Beerwah-Khansahab belt with the assurance that they would be provided government jobs at monthly wages of Rs 3,000. These unscrupulous elements managed to raise monthly relief of migrants from Rs 1800 to Rs 3000. Within days, over 150 non-migrant Muslim families were declared as migrant by Ministry of Revenue and thus made entitled to payment of Rs 3000 a month.

Amount of monthly relief has, over the years, reached Rs 1250 per member but subject to a maximum of Rs 5000. Migrant families are also paid 9 kilos of rice and 2 kilos of atta each soul besides 1 kilo of sugar per family. Even as registrations have taken place from time to time in the last 21 years, all these families are shown to have taken the relief from 1990. Enquiries revealed that only one Muslim family of Budgam district had actually migrated to Jammu. Benefit was also showered on the brother of then News Editor of Doordarshan Kendra Srinagar in lieu of “excessive news coverage” to then Revenue Minister. The beneficiary had not migrated to Jammu even for a single day.

The beneficiaries are understood to have created a mechanism to conveniently receive the monthly relief in Jammu. Officials reportedly retain the ration items, dispose off the aggregate quantities among retail and CAPD dealers and also take a cut from the cash relief. Agents operate on behalf of different clusters and conduct the transactions, apparently without the knowledge of Relief Commissioner.

In reply to a Jammu-based RTI activist Raman Sharma’s RTI application, dated 8-2-2011, Assistant Commissioner Relief Organisation Jammu revealed vide letter No: RCM/AC/CAMPS/2482 Dated 26-2-2011, that a total of 2671 Hindu families, 168 Muslim families and 336 Sikh families from Budgam district stood registered as migrants. All of them, according to PIO, had been receiving the relief from 1990. The PIO, however, declined to provide any information with regard to details of the beneficiary families. He also contended that no information could be provided as to how many of these families had been living in migrant camps and how many of them had been provided government accommodation.

The PIO maintained that the information sought was being suppressed under section 8 sub section (f) and (i) of J&K RTI Act of 2009. This section bars sharing of any information that could endanger life or physical safety of an individual, invade lawful privacy of an individual or identify source of an information given in confidence for law enforcement or security purpose.

RTI activist Dr Muzaffar Bhat disagrees with the PIO’s argument. “It has been observed that a number of officials suppress information under smokescreen of section 8 though the information sought does not even remotely endanger an individual’s life or physical safety”, Dr Bhat argued. He claimed that revealing details about migrant families of Budgam district, as sought by the RTI applicant, would in no way invade privacy of any individual. He asserted that an appeal would be filed soon against suppression of the information by PIO of Relief Organisation.

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