Thursday, December 27, 2012

UP RTI activist sends legal notice to prime minister

An Uttar Pradesh Right to Information (RTI) activist has sent a legal
notice to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for his comment on the
"frivolous and vexatious use of the RTI Act" in his address at the 7th
annual convention of information commissioners in Delhi Oct 12.

RTI activist Urvashi Sharma said that after the observations by Prime
Minister Singh, an RTI was filed with the office of Central
Information Commission (CIC) asking for information on all such
applications that were personal in nature and were made to hog the
limelight.
In a letter (no.CIC/CPIO/2012/1850 dated 03-12-12), Director and Nodal
CPIO-Central Information Commission Pankaj Shreyaskar informed Sharma
that "no information in this regard is available with the commission".
She said the "last destinations of RTI applications are information
commissions and the seven-year record of the CIC does not have even a
single paper to validate the claims made by the prime minister".
"The reply is self-explanatory. It made it clear that no personal,
frivolous and vexatious RTI applications have ever been filed in these
seven years," the RTI activist told IANS.
She said that being a social and RTI activist, she was deeply hurt by
the anti-RTI statement.
Through her notice, Sharma has asked Singh to "either put the
documentary evidences to support your statement before the nation or
take your words back and issue a public apology".

read full story at
http://upcpri.blogspot.in/2012/12/up-rti-activist-sends-legal-notice-to.html

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

RTI applications pile up with information panel

The pendency of Right to Information (RTI) applications at the State
Information Commission (SIC) are heading only northwards. Till March
2012, there were some 35,000 applications pending at the commission.
At present, with only three information commissioners (ICs) working at
the UPSIC, cases are piling up. UPSIC has eight vacancies against the
sanctioned strength of 10 ICs.

About 250 applications are filed everyday. The pendency at the
commission is due to first appeal authorities being almost absent in
the state. RTI applications are not getting disposed of at the level
of the public information officers (PIOs) too. In such a situation,
the entire burden of disposing of the RTI applications rests with the
commission.

read complete story at
http://upcpri.blogspot.in/2012/12/rti-applications-pile-up-with.html

Thursday, December 20, 2012

No records of Taj Mahal being one of the seven wonders: Govt

By Neha Shukla, TNN | Dec 21, 2012, 03.37 AM IST

when the government was asked to provide certified copies of
notifications, circulars, office notes and other records that declared
the 'monument of love' as one of the wonders of the world, the
government said it had no records to the effect.

The application which moved from PMO to Ministry of culture and landed
at ASI table finally, was answered in a one-liner by Agra circle of
ASI. "Record regarding declaration of Taj Mahal as one of the wonders
of the world is not available in this office," said the superintending
archaeologist and appellate authority of ASI's Agra circle.

The government could have explained if there was any international
body that described the Taj as one of the wonders of the world, or if
the monument was called so in a general parlance, said RTI activist
Urvashi Sharma.

Read full story at
http://upcpri.blogspot.in/2012/12/no-records-of-taj-mahal-being-one-of.html

No frivolous, personal-in-nature RTI queries: Central information commission

TNN | Dec 17, 2012, 03.36 AM IST

LUCKNOW: In response to a query under the Right to Information (RTI)
Act, the the Central Information Commission (CIC), New Delhi, denied
it had any 'frivolous or personal-in-nature' applications available in
the records. This is against statement of chief information
commissioner (CIC) Satyanand Mishra at a seminar on RTI, organized in
the city recently, in which he said, people had not understood the
basics of the RTI Act, and that many applications received by the
central information commission (CIC) were personal in nature, adding
that information should be sought in public interest. In response, RTI
activist Urvashi Sharma moved the commission which denied receiving
queries frivolous or personal in nature.

Read full story at :
http://upcpri.blogspot.in/2012/12/no-frivolous-personal-in-nature-rti.html

Sunday, December 16, 2012

demotix.com:rti news :Right To Information Seminar & Public Hearing in INDIA by YAISHWARYAJ

SOUTH ASIA > India > Lucknow

December 16th, 2012 by Ram prakash

Right To Information Seminar & Public Hearing in INDIA by YAISHWARYAJ

Lucknow,India based NGO YAISHWARYAJ Seva Sansthan organized National
Right To Information Seminar & Public Hearing.Program was attended by
more than 60 Right to Information activists from various states of
India.Urvashi Sharma anchored the program.

watch seminar pics and read full story at
http://www.demotix.com/news/1680972/right-information-seminar-public-hearing-india-yaishwaryaj#media-1680955

themailtoday.com:RTI News : 'सरकारी मानसिकता सूचना के अधिकार में बड़ी बाधा’

'सरकारी मानसिकता सूचना के अधिकार में बड़ी बाधा'

http://themailtoday.com/%e0%a4%b8%e0%a4%b0%e0%a4%95%e0%a4%be%e0%a4%b0%e0%a5%80-%e0%a4%ae%e0%a4%be%e0%a4%a8%e0%a4%b8%e0%a4%bf%e0%a4%95%e0%a4%a4%e0%a4%be-%e0%a4%b8%e0%a5%82%e0%a4%9a%e0%a4%a8%e0%a4%be-%e0%a4%95%e0%a5%87/

लखनऊ || दिसंबर 16, 2012: कैसरबाग, लखनऊ स्थित जयशंकर सभागार मे ''सात
वर्षीय सूचना का अधिकार नागरिक वर्ग को शिक्षित करने, भ्रष्टाचार को
रोकने और लोक प्राधिकरणों को उत्तरदायी बनाने में कितना कारागार ?'' विषय
पर संगोष्ठी एवं प्रदेश के विभिन्न जिलों से आये 'सूचना का अधिकार'
प्रयोग-कर्ताओं की जन-सुनवाई का आयोजन किया गया। कार्यक्रम का आयोजन
'येश्वर्याज सेवा संस्थान' एवं एस0आर0पी0डी0एम0 समाज सेवा संस्थान के
सामूहिक तत्तवावधान में किया गया।

कार्यक्रम में पूर्व न्यायाधीश सी0बी0 पाण्डेय ने मुख्य अतिथि के रूप में
संगोष्ठी को सम्बोधित किया। कार्यक्रम की अध्यक्षता सेवानिवृत्त
आई0ए0एस0, अधिवक्ता, आर0टी0आई0 एक्टिविस्ट एवं समाजसेवी एस0एन0 शुक्ला ने
की। कार्यक्रम में मूर्धन्य लेखक एवं प्रोफेसर-लखनऊ विश्वविद्यालय डा0
नीरज कुमार, वरिष्ठ पत्रकार मोहित दुबे, आर0टी0आई0 एक्टिविस्ट प्रो0
डी0डी0 शर्मा एवं आर0टी0आई0 एक्टिविस्ट एवं सामाजिक कार्यकत्री डॉ0 नूतन
ठाकुर विशिष्ट वक्ता के रूप में उपस्थित थे।

कार्यक्रम में वक्ताओं ने सूचना के अधिकार के सात वर्ष की यात्रा पर
प्रकाश डालते हुए सूचना के अधिकार को भारतीय लोकतन्त्र का गौरव बताया।
वक्ताओं ने अपने विचार रखते हुए कहा कि 'जानकारी' या इसे प्राप्त करने के
साधन के बिना एक लोकप्रिय जनता की सरकार प्रहसन या त्रासदी मात्र होती
है। किन्तु 2005 में सूचना का अधिकार प्राप्त होने के बाद भारत में अब
ऐसा नहीं है।

जागरूक नागरिकों को प्रजातन्त्र की मजबूत कड़ी बताते हुए सूचना के अधिकार
के द्वारा देश की आम जनता को देश को बदलने, ताकत मिलने की बात बताते हुए
यह बताया गया कि यह अधिनियम एकमात्र ऐसा अधिनियम है जिसकी शुरूआत जनता
करती है अर्थात जिसकी कुंजी जनता के हाथ में है और इसके सही क्रियान्वयन
से जनता सरकार व अधिकारियों को कठघरे में खड़ा करती है।

लोकतंत्र जनता के द्वारा, जनता के लिए, जनता का शासन होता है किन्तु
सूचना का अधिकार आने से, पूर्व गोपनीयता की आड़ में छद्म राजशाही कायम
थी। सूचना का अधिकार आने से जनता जागरूक और सशक्त हो रही है एवं सशक्त
जनता को शासक-वर्ग बर्दाश्त नहीं कर पा रहा है।

शासक वर्ग का यह व्यवहार प्रधानमंत्री समेत चोटी के राजनेताओं एवं
अधिकारियों के आर0टी0आई0 विरोधी वक्तव्यों एवं सूचना का अधिकार
कार्यकर्ताओं के विरूद्ध हो रही दमनात्मक कार्यवाहियों से परिलक्षित होता
है। इसी कड़ी में सरकारों द्वारा आयोगों को भाई-भतीजावाद की भेंट चढ़ाकर
एक साजिश के तहत अशक्त बनाया जा रहा है।

सूचना का अधिकार, एकमात्र ऐसा अधिकार है जिसमें बिना कोई कारण दिये आम
जनता को सूचना मांगने का अधिकार प्राप्त है एवं यह जनता द्वारा शासक वर्ग
की जिम्मेदारी नियत करने की व्यावहारिक व्यवस्था लागू करने के दृष्टिकोण
से लाया गया था किन्तु यह दुर्भाग्य का विषय है कि देश की जनता को पहले
तो सूचना का अधिकार पाने के लिए संघर्ष करना पड़ा और अब सूचना के अधिकार
को बचाने के लिए संघर्ष करना पड़ रहा है।

सरकारी तन्त्र द्वारा सूचना के अधिकार के प्रति उदासीन रवैये पर प्रकाश
डालते हुए वक्ताओं ने कहा कि सरकारी संस्थाओं द्वारा कानून में प्रदत्त
स्वतः खुलासे के प्रावधानों पर अमल नहीं किया जा रहा है। धारा 4-1(बी) के
तहत जो सूचनाएं चार माह में विभागों की वेबसाइट पर अपलोड हो जानी चाहिए
थी वे 7 साल में भी विभागीय वेबसाइटों पर अपलोड नहीं हो पाई।

कार्यक्रम के अन्त में रामस्वरूप यादव ने धन्यवाद ज्ञापित किया।
कार्यक्रम की संचालिका उर्वशी शर्मा ने लोगों का आवाह्न करते हुए बताया
कि आगामी दिनांक 01.04.2013 को उ0प्र0 विधान सभा के सामने स्थित धरना
स्थल पर ''भैंस के आगे बीन बजाकर'' सूचना के अधिकार के प्रति सरकार के
सुस्त रवैये के विरूद्ध आर0टी0आई0 कार्यकर्ता प्रतीकात्मक प्रदर्शन
करेंगे जिसमें उन्होंने प्रदेश के अधिक से अधिक आर0टी0आई0 कार्यकर्ताओं
से प्रतिभाग करने हेतु आवाह्न किया।

http://themailtoday.com/%e0%a4%b8%e0%a4%b0%e0%a4%95%e0%a4%be%e0%a4%b0%e0%a5%80-%e0%a4%ae%e0%a4%be%e0%a4%a8%e0%a4%b8%e0%a4%bf%e0%a4%95%e0%a4%a4%e0%a4%be-%e0%a4%b8%e0%a5%82%e0%a4%9a%e0%a4%a8%e0%a4%be-%e0%a4%95%e0%a5%87/

Friday, December 14, 2012

आर टी आई कार्यकर्ता करेंगे प्रदर्शन

http://www.shritimes.com/Admin/data/2012/12/15/Lucknow/Lucknow/images/page6_01.gif

भैंस के आगे बीन बजाकर किया जायेगा विरोध

भैंस के आगे बीन बजाकर किया जायेगा विरोध

http://www.instantkhabar.com/lucknow/item/3957-lucknow.html

Written by Editor Friday, 14 December

लखनऊ: येश्वर्याज सेवा संस्थान लखनऊ के राजाजीपुरम स्थित कैम्प कार्यालय
में उ0प्र0 के सूचना के अधिकार कार्यकर्ताओं एवं प्रयोगकर्ताओं की बैठक
हुई। बैठक में उ0प्र0 में सूचना के अधिकार का सही क्रियान्वयन न हो पाने
के कारण सूचना मांगने वाले नागरिकों को होने वाली समस्याओं पर गहनता से
विचार विमर्श किया गया।

बैठक में उपस्थित लोगों ने सूचना के अधिकार के प्रति सरकार, राज्य सूचना
आयोग, अपीलीय अधिकारियों एवं जनसूचना अधिकारियों के उदासीन रवैये पर गहरा
क्षोभ प्रकट करते हुए सर्वसम्मति से यह निर्णय लिया कि येश्वर्याज सेवा
संस्थान की सचिव उर्वशी शर्मा के नेतृत्व में

01.04.2013 को विधान सभा के सामने स्थित धरना स्थल पर ''भैंस के आगे बीन
बजाकर एंव ''साँपों को दूध पिलाकर प्रदेश के आर0टी0आई0 कार्यकर्ता एवं
प्रयोगकर्ता प्रतीकात्मक प्रदर्शन करेंगें।

इस अभियान हेतु एक पोस्टर भी जारी किया गया। अभियान की प्रभारी उर्वशी
शर्मा ने बताया कि अभियान से जुड़ने के लिए सरकार, राज्य सूचना आयोग,
अपीलीय अधिकारियों एवं जनसूचना अधिकारियों के रवैये से परेशान नागरिक
मो0नं0 9369613513 पर सम्पर्क कर सकते है।

खबर की श्रेणी लखनऊ
Tagged under urvashi

सूचना के सिपाही "भैंस के आगे बीन बजाकर" और "साँपों को दूध पिलाकर" करेंगे प्रतीकात्मक विरोध प्रदर्शन

सूचना के सिपाही "भैंस के आगे बीन बजाकर" और "साँपों को दूध पिलाकर"
करेंगे प्रतीकात्मक विरोध प्रदर्शन

http://upcpri.blogspot.in/2012/12/blog-post_14.html

Thursday, December 13, 2012

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Invite:RTI Seminar & Public Hearing on Sunday 16-12-2012 in Jaishankar
Sabhaagaar, Rai Umanath Bali Auditorium , Quaisarbagh ,Lucknow

find the details at
http://rtioptima.blogspot.in/2012/12/inviterti-seminar-public-hearing-on.html

Invite:RTI Seminar & Public Hearing on Sunday 16-12-2012 in Jaishankar Sabhaagaar, Rai Umanath Bali Auditorium , Quaisarbagh ,Lucknow

Invite:RTI Seminar & Public Hearing on Sunday 16-12-2012 in Jaishankar
Sabhaagaar, Rai Umanath Bali Auditorium , Quaisarbagh ,Lucknow

Saturday, December 8, 2012

‘Substantially’ funded NGOs to make info public under RTI Act

"If an NGO is not substantially financed by the government and also
raises funds by collections from public contribution and it performs
functions of a public nature that are ordinarily performed by the
government or its agency, it is desirable that the NGO voluntarily
place maximum information regarding its activities on its
website,"...................

read full stort at
http://upcpri.blogspot.in/2012/12/substantially-funded-ngos-to-make-info.html

Friday, December 7, 2012

Info chief asked to check fake RTI applications

Justice M Rafiq issued an interim advisory to the CIC to consider
issuing some directives to filter pseudo applicants by seeking
identity proofs.......

read full story at
http://upcpri.blogspot.in/2012/12/info-chief-asked-to-check-fake-rti.html

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Corruption Perceptions Index 2012 : See where your Country Stands?

Find the detailed report at

http://upcpri.blogspot.in/2012/12/corruption-perceptions-index-2012.html

" 7 Years of RTI :Informed Citizenry vis-à-vis Governments’ accountability & Corruption containment"

Complete information at

http://upcpri.blogspot.in/2012/12/rti-seminar-public-hearing-on-sunday-16.html

RTI Seminar & Public Hearing in Lucknow on Sunday 16-12-2012 at Jaishankar Sabhaagaar, Rai Umanath Bali Auditorium , Quaisarbagh ,Lucknow

RTI Seminar & Public Hearing

in Lucknow Uttar Pradesh

on Sunday 16-12-2012

at Jaishankar Sabhaagaar, Rai Umanath Bali Auditorium , Quaisarbagh ,Lucknow

Topic :" 7 Years of RTI :Informed Citizenry vis-à-vis Governments'
accountability & Corruption containment"

Registration : From 9:30 AM Onwards
Breakfast : 10 AM
Seminar : Upto 2 PM
Tea Snacks/Lunch : 2 PM
Public Hearing : 02:15 onwards

All are coordially invited to attend
--
- Urvashi Sharma
Contact 9369613513
Right to Information Helpline 8081898081
Helpline Against Corruption 9455553838
http://yaishwaryaj-seva-sansthan.hpage.co.in/

http://upcpri.blogspot.in/

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Man calling himself SP worker threatens whistle blower

Man calling himself SP worker threatens whistle blower
Published on December 4, 2012 by SAReporter

http://www.vancouverdesi.com/news/man-calling-himself-sp-worker-threatens-whistle-blower/386134/

Lucknow, Dec 4 (IANS) A woman RTI activist Tuesday alleged having
received a death threat from a man who claimed to be a senior leader
of the Samajwadi Party's (SP) Gujarat unit. A party official said they
would probe if there was any such leader while police said they would
take action.

Right to Information (RTI) activist Urvashi Sharma told IANS that she
received the threat call on her cell number around 11 a.m. Tuesday.

The whistle blower who has been relentlessly pursuing cases against
corruption, specially in social welfare and women welfare departments,
says the caller identified himself as Hari Bhai Yadav and asked her to
stop filing complaints and RTI pleas.

"Neta-ji (party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav) bahut naraaz hain tumse,
utha li jaogi" (Mulayam Singh is very angry with you. You will be
kidnapped)," the man said, according to Sharma.

"This man gave me death threats and threatened me with dire
consequences if I do not stop my fight againt corruption," Sharma said
while fearing for the safety of her life and the family.

Talking to IANS, the caller initially said the call to Sharma was
"made by mistake" and then sought the matter be dropped.

Identifying himself as an SP leader, he said: "There was no point
taking the matter further." He said he will talk to Lucknow DIG to
"settle the matter", and hung up.

Arvind Yadav, personal secretary to Mulayam Singh, told IANS that he
did not know of any such person and would check from the party.
Condemning the call, he said the woman should inform police and seek
security.

Informed of the threat call, Lucknow's Deputy Inspector General of
Police (DIG) Navneet Sikera said the case would be taken up at the
highest priority.

"The law will deal with this man once an FIR is lodged," he assured.

Meanwhile, Sharma said she apprehends that the phone call was made on
behalf of a senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) official,
against whom she has recently sought a probe.

"I am sure it is this official who is after all this," she alleged,
adding the official is the same who was last year sent back to the
state cadre UP prematurely from the union government on charges of
"anti-national activity and corruption".

Sharma said she also faxed copies of her letter seeking probe into the
threat call to Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and Chief Secretary Javed
Usmani.

IANS 2012-12-04 16:16:06

http://www.vancouverdesi.com/news/man-calling-himself-sp-worker-threatens-whistle-blower/386134/