Kohima: The Nagaland Public Rights Awareness and Action Forum (NPRAAF) has cautioned the government depts to adopt due seriousness in handling Right to Information (RTI) applications and provide the response within the mandatory time limit.
According to a statement issued by NPRAAF information and publicity cell the Departments are Land Resources, Rural Development, Health and Family Welfare, Power and Education delayed in providing RTI replies filed by the forum on November 4, 2016.
The Forum also threatened to initiate action as deem democratically fit in the event the responsible department failed to adhere on the RTI Act.
Further, NPRAAF decided to write to the respective Ministry at the Centre with its findings with corroborated evidences on the nexus between non-local contractors, officials and politicians in awarding contract works or supplies.
And in such eventuality, the forum said it would not be responsible for further disruption of flow of funds from the Centre.
NPRAAF’s claim was most of the contract works or supplies have been awarded to non-Naga businessmen as they have the support of department officials and politicians.
Therefore, NPRAAF said it would not allow Naga interest to be compromised by corrupt practices of the few non-Nagas, but will strive to streamline all unholy activities taking place in the Departments.
NPRAAF has also decided to divulge the names of non-Nagas involved in corrupt practices in due course of time.
According to NPRAAF, on December 21, 2016, when it inquired on the reason for the delayed, the Director of School Education and Chief Engineer of Power Department apologized for the delay and sought some more time, however, there was no official communication from the rural department and land resource.
It stated that Heath and Family Welfare had intimidated to the Forum stating that the Department had transferred the RTI application on November 10, 2016 to State Programme Officer and PIO (NHM) and Programme Officer and PIO (RCH). Therefore, NPRAAF wanted to know whether the two PIO have received the letter and if so the reason for inordinate delay in reply to RTI, it said. (UNI)
