Srinagar, Sep 29: The Government on Thursday admitted that illegal appointments were made in departments due to which information sought from them has not been furnished fully.
 Responding to a query in Legislative Council, Minister for Finance Abdul Rahim Rather said that cabinet sub-committee has sought information from departments about number of daily wagers engaged after 1994.
 “There is difficulty in seeking information from departments as I presume they (daily wagers) were engaged illegally. Despite cabinet order in the year 1994 daily wagers were engaged,” he said.
 There are clear Government instructions to departments, he said, not to engage daily wagers.
 “We can engage casual and seasonal labours but not daily wagers. Government has authorized Power Development Department, PWD, School Education, Rural Development to engage casual or seasonal labors on need basis,” he replied.
 Replying to a query whether cabinet sub-committee has been constituted for regularization of the casual labors, he said that departments have been advised to furnish details of these engagements.
 However, MLC Rafiq Shah interrupted him saying when Government says nobody is being appointed how are the casual labours being appointed.
 The Minister said that there is nothing wrong in receiving application as Finance department has given right to some departments to engage casual and seasonal labors. “The Cabinet sub-committee advised departments to furnish details so as to enable the committee to go into the extent or magnitude of the problem relating to casual workers only; financial, legal, and administrative that may arise in the regularization of such temporary workers and work out an appropriate policy in this regard. Since information has been found inadequate the departments were requested to furnish references of offices who engaged these casual labours,” he replied to MLC Bashir Ahmad Magray.

‘Disposal of RTI applications delayed’
The Government on Thursday acknowledged some delay in disposal of application seeking information under the Right to Information Act 2009 in J&K.
Responding to a query in Legislative Council seeking details of the number of applications received till August this year, Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather informed 560 applications were disposed with delays.
The total number of applications, he said received by the Public Information Officers (PIO) this year till August has been 7328.
“6184 RTI applications have been disposed of within statutory period this year by various departments. Only 584 are pending for disposal with PIOs,” he stated in a written reply on behalf of Chief Minister.
He said that 306 cases are pending for disposal with State Information Commission. “In eleven cases fine, penalty or caution has been issued by Chief Information Commission,” he stated.

Lastupdate on : Thu, 29 Sep 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Thu, 29 Sep 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Fri, 30 Sep 2011 00:00:00 IST