JAMMU : Majority of Principals heading Government Degree Colleges (GDC) in Jammu division are either not aware about the mandate of Right to Information (RTI) Act or preferably flout it to obstruct transparency measures initiated by the LG administration to end deep rooted corruption prevailing in the government departments.
Negating preamble of RTI Act 2005, several Principals who are considered in the society well conversant have not complied with the instructions of Public Information Officer (PIO) of HED who vide letter No HED-RTI /2/2024-04 dated 29/1/2024 had directed the Nodal Principals of Kashmir as well as Jammu to directly furnish the desired details to RTI applicant within stipulated time pertaining to details of teachers who were not relieved by the Principals in compliance to the transfer orders recently issued by the HED along with their period of stay in their respective current place of postings.
In response to RTI dated 1/1/2024, the Nodal Principal of Kashmir has delivered the information in a professional manner, however, the same remained elusive in case of Nodal Principal of Jammu division. In response to the direction of PIO of HED, the Nodal Principal of Jammu province had instructed the Principals of GDCs falling in his domain to provide information to applicant directly.
Though some of the Principals instantly furnished the information within stipulated period of 30 days, yet, interestingly, the Nodal Principal Jammu, SP Saraswat who also happened to be the Principal of GCW, Parade himself turned defaulter along with several Principals in the matter.
It is worthwhile to mention here that in the recent transfer orders issued by the HED under Annual Transfer Drive, the Principals of GCW, Gandhi Nagar, GCW Parade, MAM College and GGM Science College were in the eye of storm for retaining their favorite transferees by not complying with transfer orders issued by the Principal Secretary.
The GDCs of Jammu province which failed to provide information in response to RTI application include GCW, Gandhi Nagar, GCW, Parade, GGM Science College, GDC Hiranagar, MAM College, GDC Bhagwati Nagar, GDC Samba, GDC Ramgarh, GDC (Boys) Kathua, GDC Akhnoor, GDC Sidhara, GDC Nagrota, GDC Mendhar, GDC Poonch, GDC Paloura, GCW, Udhampur, GDC RS Pura, GDC Jindrah, GDC Ram Nagar, GDC Sunderbani, GDC, GDC Nowshera, GDC Chenani and GDC Ramban.
The information further revealed that that a few who were not relieved have genuine stakes while a few namely Mohd Aslam Bhat of sociology (GDC Gurez), Aijaz Qureshi of EVS (GDC Ganderbal), Jatinder Lal as well as Shah Jahan of GDC, Gool efc without any substantial grounds have not been relieved as part of operation quid pro quo.
The Principals of GGM Science College, GCW Parade as well as GCW Gandhi Nagar have miserably failed to relieve scores of teachers caring two hoots for the orders of Principal Secretary HED and brazenly attempting to hide their administrative wrongs by not revealing information under RTI Act.