Imphal Jul 1 UNA : India government could not provide concrete information regarding the implementation of provisions of the agreement signed between government of India and the Maharaja of Manipur in 1949 regarding the merger of Manipur into Indian union.
Any of the ministry concerned of the government of India could not provide the information he has sought through the RTI even though the Central Information Commission (CIC) has directed to provide the information within a stipulated time given by the CIC, alleged the appellant Dr Th Suresh .
The RTI activist from Manipur Monday announced that he would knock at the door of the Supreme Court for justice against Union government unable to provide the information he has sought under the Right to Information Act (RTI).
Dr Th Suresh Singh, a resident of Imphal’s Keishamthong Leirak said that he had applied to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and Union home ministry seeking information regarding steps taken up by the government of India for fulfilling the obligation contained under Article VIII(3) of the agreement signed between the Governor General of India and the Maharaja of Manipur on March 21, 1949 under RTI Act.
As per the Article VIII (3) of the agreement, government of India would provide jobs to the youths of Manipur from time to time.
If the government of India implemented this provision of the agreement, Suresh applied for providing information with specified steps taken up by the government of India for employment of Manipuris in various branches of public services as per a provision of the agreement with the details of the employment of Manipuris in those public service branches.
As he could not get the information for his applications filed to the PMO and MHA on May 8, 2012, he appealed to the Central Information Commission (CIC) on August 10, 2012 who directed the concern ministries to provide the information within a month time.
However, instead of getting the information he has sought, he got a copy of the merger agreement of 1949, however, not the specified information regarding the implementation of the Article VIII (3) of the agreement.
In an intimation received by the RTI activist from the CIC, New Delhi, the information which the appellant sought was not available with any of the concern department which the CIC has directed to provide.
Even the Union ministry of home affairs, in reply to the information sought, stated that “there was no intention to hide any part of information available with the Central Public Information Officer (CPIO) of ministry of home affairs as the specified information required by the appellant is not available with the concerned CPIO.”
Not satisfied with the reply received from the concerned authorities of the Union government, Dr Suresh said that he would file a petition to the Supreme Court within this current month for justice in this regard.
BJP has agreed to provide all necessary assistance to proceed with the court proceedings he said.
Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/india-government-fails-to-provide-information-on-implementation-of-merger-agreement/
