DONA PAULA: Mohamad Ashraf Yatoos family would have heard something about him by now if the Centres RTI Act extended to Jammu and Kashmir too. Yatoo, a Jammu and Kashmir food supplies department employee, and two others were picked up by the BSF in December 1990. The others have returned home, but Yatoos wife and children have not heard from him since.

Dr Raja Muzaffar Bhat, a "reluctant activist", filed an application under the Jammu amp; Kashmir RTI Act (the RTI enacted by the Centre in 2005 does not apply in Jamp;K due to its special status) to know of Yatoos whereabouts. The BSF DG asked the Srinagar headquarters to provide information, but no data has been provided yet.

The Central RTI Act specifies that intelligence agencies cannot deny information on corruption and human rights violations. But in Jamp;K, where human rights violations are common, there is no such relief. "We too are Indians," said Bhatt, showing a dark stain on his index finger, proof that he had voted in the ongoing assembly polls. He was speaking at a two-day national convention on the RTI Act in Goa on December 12-13.

"Rights available to Indian citizens are not available to residents of Jammu amp; Kashmir. Why should we be denied such pro-people legislations?" he said. His query is crucial, given that the people of Jamp;K have ignored the separatists poll boycott call.

Supporting Bhat, activist and Magsaysay Award recipient Aruna Roy said, "The RTI Act is an extension of the fundamental rights guaranteed to every Indian under Article 19."

Bhat, who gave up his dental practice, used the RTI Act to get free houses for widows in Harjoora village under the Indira Awas Yojna. An RTI query filed to the irrigation department on withholding wages of labourers led to over a 100 workers being paid within two days. He even exposed a scam of Plaster-of-Paris casts supplied to government hospitals being sold in the open market.
Source : Central