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J&K govt fails to share details of PM’s saffron mission, RTI application remains pending

Last Updated on April 22, 2022 at 3:47 pm

Jammu and Kashmir government has not provided any communication regarding Prime Minister’s Saffron Mission launched in the year 2014. Lackadaisical attitude of the concerned officer can be gauged from the fact that even after Central Information Commission (CIC) issued show-cause notice to the officer concerned for penal action as per the provisions of the Right to Information Act.

An RTI activist in the year 2017, asked for Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) prepared and approved for implementation of Prime Minister’s Saffron Mission in J&K under transparency law before the Directorate of Agriculture.

He had further sought year-wise budgetary allocation under Saffron Mission with effect from April 1, 2014 to October 31, 2017, practical steps taken for implementation of Saffron Mission; details of infrastructure development including recruitment, equipment, seeds etc under Saffron Mission; names of agencies and officials who were designated or engaged for handling of Saffron Mission and causes of decline of Saffron production in J&K along with the details of saffron production in the years 2014, 2015 and 2016.

Activist did not receive any information till three years and went to CIC in 2020. Chief Information Commissioner Y K Sinha told Excelsior that it appears that no information has been provided to the complainant within the time period stipulated under the Right to Information Act after analyzing facts.

Accordingly, the Commission directed the Public Information Officer to show-cause to the Commission by May 31, 2022 stating as to why penal action should not be initiated against him as per Section 20 of the RTI Act, 2005 for not providing the information within the stipulated time period.