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| Medicos turn goons, threaten information seeker of dire consequences | | CMO Budgam abuses RTI applicant, shields 'tainted' medical officers | | Jehangir Rashid
Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, May 24: At a time when Right to Information (RTI) Act has gathered momentum across India the people who file the applications to seek information from the government departments continue to face harassment from people at helm and non-state actors.
In a latest case, Chief Medical Officer Budgam, Dr. Mahmooda Kar abused an RTI applicant after he met him in person with some complaint. The RTI applicant had reservations over the information provided to him and as such he approached the CMO, but only to receive abuses from the concerned officer.
On April 8, 2015, Mohammad Maqbool filed an RTI application before CMO Budgam's office seeking information on fund utilization under National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) by Block Medical Officer (BMO) Beerwah at Primary Health Centre (PHC) Uttherpora and PHC Pethkoot.
The RTI applicant also sought photocopies of qualification certificates of the two Medical Officers posted at PHC Uttherpora and PHC Pethkoot.
On the date of filing the application Maqbool was insisted by the local Sarpanch and 15 other persons to withdraw the RTI application. The Sarpanch and his team threatened the RTI applicant of dire consequences in case he went ahead with his application. Braving all threats Maqbool dared the Sarpanch and his team and made it clear that he would not withdraw the application.
Maqbool and his brother started receiving harassment calls by the two medical officers. The medical officers threatened to inflict physical harm to the RTI applicant and his family members. There are allegations that one among the medical officers is an ex-militant.
After 30 days, Maqbool was provided misleading and incomplete information with the date of inspection also not specified. Once Maqbool went to inspect the record, both the PHC officers refused to follow the BMO's order and didn't allow him to inspect the record.
On May21, when the RTI applicant approached the office of CMO Budgam with a complaint in person, he was categorically abused by the CMO and her staff present there. In the past CMO Budgam has clearly shown her irresponsible behavior towards the RTI implementation and its provisions. It has become routine of Dr. Mahmooda to abuse and misbehave with the people complaining about peripheral health services in Budgam district.
Taking a serious note of the incident, Jammu & Kashmir RTI Movement has urged the Health Minister, Chaudhary Lal Singh to take strong action against CMO Budgam and order a probe in fund mismanagement in CMO Budgam's office.
"This becomes primary task for Health Ministry to remove this irresponsible officer, so that common man gets relief. J&K RTI movement had already decided to file 100 RTI applications in the same office for the sake of reformation," said Dr. Ghulam Rasool Chairman J&K RTI Movement.
The J & K RTI Movement Chairman said that several cases have come to the surface where the whistleblowers have to meet the ill consequences and have lost their precious lives. He said that if the same is not checked at this point of time every person fighting against the corruption will have to face the wrath of culprits.
"The government must take a serious cognizance of the matter before it is too late. It must enact the whistle blower protection law to ensure safety and security of the whistle-blowers and the information seekers," he said. |
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