CIC visits Repository

Sees Archival Mess, Interacts With Officials

FAHEEM ASLAM

Srinagar, Mar 16: In a significant move, J&K’s first Chief Information Commissioner, GR Sufi, Wednesday inspected Kashmir Repository at Old Secretariat here to examine the condition of the archival material there.
The development comes barely a fortnight after this newspaper reported that Kashmir’s rich archival material, which includes some confidential records and reports, was in a shambles as it had not been properly indexed and preserved. At around 4 PM today, the sources said, Sufi visited the Archives Department building and interacted with the officials there. “He expressed shock over the condition of the building, which is in a dilapidated condition,” they said.
Sources said the officials informed the CIC that the state government was not paying adequate attention towards the department.
“An official also pointed out that none of the ministers, except Late Ghulam Nabi Lone, (then minister of state for health in PDP-led coalition government) has ever paid a visit to the Kashmir Repository,” they said.
While Sufi inspected some of the documents, the sources said, he expressed anguish over the department’s failure to document the Kashmir archives in the Repository and put them on a website. “It is a mandatory requirement under the J&K Right to Information Act, 2009, that the documents be made available on the website,” Sufi told the officials.
Section 4 makes it mandatory for a public authority to maintain all its records duly catalogued and indexed in a manner and the form which facilitates the right to information under this Act and ensure that all records that are appropriate to be computerised are, within a reasonable time and subject to availability of resources, computerised and connected through a network all over the country on different systems so that access to such records is facilitated. Another provision in the same section says all the materials shall be disseminated taking into consideration the cost effectiveness, local language and the most effective method of communication in that local area and the information should be easily accessible, to the extent possible in electronic format with the Central Public Information Officer or State Public Information Officer, as the case may be, available free or at such cost of the medium or the print cost price as may be prescribed.
Some of the officials also pointed out that the department was suffering as they were not given a chance to prove their mettle. A few among them also pointed to “shortage of funds” that the department is facing, which is ultimately affecting different works.
“There was a threadbare discussion on various issues. It was also discussed that the civil society, particularly historians and researchers need to get involved in preservation of these documents by pressuring the state government about the issue,” the sources said.
On March 4, this newspaper had reported the shabby condition of the Kashmir Repository housing some of the vital documents about Kashmir, including Maharaja Hari Singh’s records. The confidential records and reports were gathering dust in the Repository, located inside the dilapidated building of the Department of Archives at Old Secretariat here. The documents have been bundled in scarf like material, with silver fish and bird droppings consuming them.
Earlier GR Sufi had sought a report from the Director Archives, in which the officials have responded with the issues facing the department.
When contacted, GR Sufi, said: “I made a brief visit to the department and interacted with the officials there.”

Lastupdate on : Wed, 16 Mar 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 16 Mar 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Thu, 17 Mar 2011 00:00:00 IST



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