Harassment of Chairman J&K RTI Foundation’s Family at Magam

 

Activists seeking safety from Government

May 3, 2019: While Right to Information Act has been an important tool in the hands of the common man and has exposed scams from top to bottom level in the government departments, the instances of harassment of RTI Activists is increasing day by day particularly in the conflict affected Kashmir.

J&K RTI Foundation whose branch office is at 2nd Floor Mustafa Complex Magam has been doing a tremendous work for the implementation, awareness and advocacy of RTI Law in the state. In all the applications which are filed on behalf of the J&K RTI Foundation, the above said address is used for correspondence with PIO’s/FAA’s/Commission.

In 2017 an RTI Application related to public issues including questions related to Dumping Site of Municipal Committee located on Ferozpora river bank at Magam was filed in the office of Executive Officer Municipal Committee Magam by Chairman J&K RTI Foundation Er. Irfan Banka which was not replied on time by the PIO and the case proceedings are going on since then in the State Information Commission who is the Appellate Authority under RTI Act. In this matter a Notice vide No. SIC/K/Comp/30/2017/1572-73 was issued to the PIO, municipal Committee Magam to appear before the State Information Commission with relevant documents on 14th of May, 2019 (12:00 Noon) for hearing of the complaint under J&K RTI Act 2009.

Unfortunately, to hide the realities, some employee namely Fayaz Ahmad has mislead Haji Ghulam Mustafa R/o Magam with wrong facts regarding RTI Application filed against him. In the matter, Er. Irfan Banka’s father was harassed at Magam inside his business unit. The physical harassment was based on the wrong reporting by the employee of Municipal Committee Magam who has misused his official position.

Er. Irfan Banka and the team of J&K RTI Foundation have already conducted a protest in 2018 against dumping issue of Magam which remained unaddressed by the authorities on ground level since 2017. Complaint against the employees creating problems against RTI Applicants has been filed in the police station Magam and the SHO Magam has assured action. Copies of the complaints were sent to his Excellency Hon’ble Governor of J&K, State Information Commission and Deputy Commissioner Budgam for stern action against the responsible employees of Municipal Committee Magam who committed breach of peace which led to the harassment of the activist’s family.

“It is not the first time where RTI Activists are facing harassment, but many activists are being harassed. I was also harassed in May 2017 in which the then Chief Information Commissioner and SSP Budgam intervened himself and took appropriate action”, said Sheikh Sartaj an RTI Activist.

At the same time Spokesperson J&K RTI Foundation Sheikh Maqbool has appealed the government to issue orders for the safety of RTI Activists in the state and take action against all the employees who are behind the location of dumping site Magam on the bank of River Ferozpora creating threat to the lives of downstream people surviving over its use.

 

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