�RTI not followed in Asom�

[Pradip Kumar Datta]

        ‘RTI not followed in Asom’
By our Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI, Aug 31: The State Government has made mockery of the Right to Information Act (RTI) in Asom by not furnishing the information to the public.
In a glaring example of this, former Asom Home Commissioner TL Baruah applied to the Public Information Officer of the DGP on May 22 this year under the RTI Act to know some information regarding assistance to the surrendered militants in the State from 1998 to 2007. 
As he did not get any communique from the PIO, he sent a letter to the DGP on July 9 where he stated that he did not get any information within 30 days of the receipt of the application. Then on August 20, the IGP (A) informed him through a letter (G.VI/16/99/pt-I/Vol-I/75) that the ‘information sought falls within the restriction of Section 8 of the RTI Act, 2005, as such they cannot furnish the reply.’
In the application for information, the retired IAS officer wanted to know : how many militants surrendered to avail the rehabilitation under 1998 policy during the 1991-2004, number of weapons deposited by the surrendered militants during the same period, total amount of compensation paid for the surrendered weapons, how many militants surrendered under the latest Rehabilitation Policy announced in 2005, the number of militants attending rehabilitation camps, total amount of rehabilitation money paid so far and etc. 
To this, the Assam Police said the Special Branch cannot provide the information sought as it falls under Section 8 of the RTI Act. But in Section 8 of the RTI Act, it is clearly stated information which would prejudicially affect the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security, strategic, scientific or economic interests of the State, relation with foreign State or lead to incitement of an offence cannot be provided. But the information wanted to know by Baruah does not fall in this category. These information was placed in the Asom Assembly, Parliament and press conferences. Besides, South Asia Terrorism Portal, a New Delhi-based think-tank run by the Institute for Conflict Management, has also made these information available to the public. 
So, why does the State Government want to suppress these information to the public? 
When contacted, Baruah told The Sentinel that he would file an appeal before the State Chief Information Commissioner over the matter. “When the Central Information Commission (CIC) can ask to furnish details to an applicant to make communique between then President KR Narayanan and then Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on Gujarat riot, my applicant does not affect any national security and integrity.”
     
       
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