RTI query guides Omar to reduce his chopper dependence

21/12/2013

JAMMU: RTI being potent tool to fight corruption and achieve a certain level of transparency and a resultant accountability to some degree, its impact can be gauged from the fact that the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah has reduced his chopper dependence appreciably; thereby reducing the burden on the state exchequer and resultantly having saved expenditure on this account to the tune of 40 per cent, the Jammu and Kashmir Government's Civil Aviation Department (CAD) has revealed in a RTI query filled by Balvinder Singh convener Sangarsh RTI Movenment. This after seeking guidance from a 2011 RTI query media exposé and the resultant outrage, it seems the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has learnt his lessons well and succeed in taking a positive measure.
Pertinently, when Omar Abdullah, while addressing the valedictory session of the annual convention of CIC in Delhi in the month of September this year shared this positive measure which, according to him, he took as a curative step towards reducing burden on the states' public exchequer on account of spending on chopper sorties (which had even invited public outrage) and simultaneously talked about the positive role of RTI regimen in disciplining public figures, Balvinder Singh RTI activist from the State who was also present in the said meeting, after coming to Jammu, filed another RTI application to ascertain the veracity of Omar's claims and to know about the latest position, the reply provided reduction of 40 per cent expenditure on chopper rides.
In order to obtain perfect comparative, I asked for the information for the same specific period which he had obtained last time. This Time RTI reply revealed the reduction of 40% expenditure on chopper's ride. This time, the total expenditure during the period between March 15, 2012 to September15, 2013 comes to around Rs 4.35 crore. Whereas the total expenditure during the corresponding period between March 1, 2009 to September 30, 2010 was to the tune of Rs. 7.45 crore. The reply also revealed that Hon'ble CM stoped claiming TA/DA after the filling of Mr Singh's First RTI application in the year 2011, where previous RTI reply showed Him Taking Rs. 1.63 lacks as TA/DA expenses, this clearly elucidating the impact of RTI instrument on the person of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. Whereas the amount spent on fuel by Civil Aviation Department during the period between March15, 2012 to September 15, 2013 for purchase of fuel for travel of Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir amounts to Rs. 67.81 lacks. The amount spent on salaries of the pilots has also come down to around Rs. 1.53 crore from 2.20 crore. Amount spent on repair and maintenance too has come down appreciably to Rs. 96 lacks from whooping 3.84 crore during last corresponding period of my query.

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