RTI: Power and Vulnerability

not been made public and even the Chairman J&K Board of School Education (BOSE) continues to be in the office.

We exposed a scam of Rs 30 Crore dating back to 2007 wherein J&K Projects Construction Corporation (JKPCC) allotted Rs 30 crore bridge construction project to a Jammu based firm without inviting any tenders. We obtained documents under RTI Act. A sum of Rs 5 crores was released in favour of the contractor one year prior to start of work (2006). This contract was allotted by the then R&B Minister and till date no action has been taken against the Minister or the former MD of JKPCC.

A senior Congress Minister has grabbed hundreds of acres of land in Jammu and the case is pending in state high court.

A multi crore scam of J&K Cricket Association was exposed few months back. The media highlighted it but till date no action has been taken against the main accused and it seems that matter has been hushed up.

Few years back a senior cabinet minister was accused of purchasing a villa in Dubai Palm Islands but the matter was hushed up and investigation stopped. When we sought details from State Vigilance Organisation in this regard under RTI Act it was shocking to know that no such investigation has been initiated by the Vigilance Organisation.

The RTI Activists and RTI users are being continuously harassed by the state machinery and other non state actors as they try to expose all such illegal practices. Recently, RTI activist Fayaz Ahmad Wani was thrashed by a Sarpanch in Kutabal village in Chadoora Budgam after it was revealed through RTI filed by Fayaz that the Sarpanch provided 26 cheques (for Rs 48,500) each under Indira Awaas Yojna (IAY) to his 26 close relatives many of whom are minors and Govt employees.

The total amount provided by Sarpanch to his relatives amounts to Rs 13 lacs and it was exposed in the local press, but till date even FIR has not been lodged against the Sarpanch Mohammad Aslam Khan who is fully involved in this whole mischief in connivance with the officials from Rural Development Department Chadoora block.

The Sarpanch and his father Ahad Khan who is the Deputy Sarpanch did not stop here. A few days back on 28th June at around 5 pm the duo along with 20 other goons stripped one Abdul Majeed Thakkar of Kutabal village in Chadoora and got him paraded naked in the village and his family which included mother Jajira, wife and other relative including a boy of three years were beaten to pulp.

The family has taken refuge in another village as they have been threatened by the Sarpanch and his father that if they enter the village they would be killed. It is so unfortunate that till date the Sarpanch and his father (Dy Sarpanch) have not been arrested. This all has been done because Majeed has been affiliated with RTI movement for many months as he has some dispute over land with his relatives on which Sarpanch has constructed a Govt school building.

The reality is that Majeed has not filed even a single RTI application but his mere association with J&K RTI Movement is an eyesore for the people like Ahad Khan or Asalm Khan.

But such pulls and pressures won’t deter us from exposing all such illegal activities and corrupt practices . We are on a mission and we can sacrifice even our lives for such a noble cause.

(The author is Convener of J&K RTI Movement)