Manipur still lacks transparency: rights activist Joykumar

Pothashang News Service: Imphal, November 29, 2018: Human rights Activist Wahengbam Joykumar Singh says Manipur State still lacks transparency alleging that there has been no response to the RTI he had sent to Ukhrul DC seeking detail information for the compensation sanction to the Mapithel Dam affected villagers, till date.

Joykumar, in a news conference held at Manipur Press Club, Majorkhul, Imphal today said he had filed the RTI on December 21, 2015 to the SPIO/DC, Ukhrul seeking information on seven points under Section – 6 (1) of the RTI Act, 2005.

However, the case was disposed without giving out the details information of the filed RTI stating the reason as due to threats from third party, he added.

So far no corrupted persons have been given befitting punishment by the law of the land in connection with corruption charges. What is the main reason behind?” Joykumar questioned.

 Joykumar said, countless number of complaints has been filed against those corrupted persons, however, no charge sheet has been taken up to punish those involved in the corruption cases in the state.

As no punishment has been awarded to these corrupted persons, they continue to indulge in corruption intentionally. In Manipur there is ‘lack of transparency’, he added.

Questioning, when will Manipur become a transparent and corruption free state, Joykumar said, disposing information of a RTI in the name of threats is against the RTI Act, these threats is not given to the RTI filer but to the one who is trying to hide and execute works in hidden and these threats should be faced by the government or the concern department, not the RTI complainants.

Seeking the details information for the RTI he had sent to Ukhrul DC at the earliest, Joykumar said, the Information Commission needs to work sincerely with transparency.