Early Times Report
Jammu, Dec 6: While the RTI movement has been severely hit in the state as the Information commission has been rendered defunct, it has been dented further as most post offices of the state have run out of the Indian Postal Orders (IPOs), which are the most preferred means of paying the fee with the RTI application.
Earlier the General Post Office (GPO) Srinagar had denied to share details about the sale of Indian Postal Orders (PIOs) across various districts of Kashmir. The Public Information Officer (PIO) of GPO Srinagar had told an information seeker that he cannot provide the information in an excel format and after some time information had been completely denied.
Details available with Early Times reveal that GPO Srinagar provided a misleading information to an RTI Activist last year wherein the Senior Postmaster had informed in writing that information under RTI Act cannot be provided in an excel format. The GPO officials seem to be unaware that Excel format is an easy mode of providing information and due to lack of computer knowledge they have related excel with an RTI section. The reply sent via speed post under letter No: RTI /MISC/2015 Dated 20/06 /2016 reads as : " The Information sought to be supplied in an excel format does not fall under the purview of section 2 (F) of Right to Information Act 2005" " I was under this impression that after 30 days information would be provided to me , in some other format other than excel , but the information has been completely denied to me" said information seeker.
Pertinent to mention that a senior member of J&K RTI Movement had filed an application under Central RTI Act 2005 before PIO of General Post Office (GPO) Srinagar on 11.6.2016. Information seeker wanted details about the number of Indian Postal Orders of Rs 10 denomination supplied to various post offices from June 2015 to May 2016 ? The post offices about which information was sought included Rajbagh , Jawahar Nagar , Natipora , Rambagh , Bagh e Mehtab , Chadoora , Wathoora , Budgam , Beerwah , Khag , Charar I Sharief , Khansahib, Gurez , Bandipora , Sumbal , Rainawari , Hazratbal , Shalimar , Eid Gah , Safakadal, Ganderbal , Lar , Kangan, Shopian , Pulwama , Pampore, Raj Pora, Mattan , Achabal , Pahalgam.
Information seeker had filed RTI application to know the details of postal orders being send to aforementioned post offices. It is alleged that most of the post offices hardly have Rs 10 Indian Postal Orders (IPO) available which is a mode of fees to be paid under RTI Act 2005.
" We are going to take up this matter with Central Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) and Union Telecom Secretary. How can postal officers be so callous in replying an RTI application" Farooq Kuthoo added.
Information seeker had also sought reasons as to why Department of Posts was not keeping adequate Indian Postal Orders of Rs10 denomination available in different post offices as these IPOs have a great demand in view of being used to pay fees under Right to Information Act (RTI). |
