Land of Jewels (Sana Leibak)

Human Rights Group files RTI application: Imphal, Dec 26: The Human Rights Alert has formally approached State Public Information Officer, Department of Home, Govt of Manipur, to share information regarding assistance extended, if any, to villagers affected by the ongoing ‘Operation Samtal-II’ in Chandel district. The petition filed by executive director of HRA Babloo Loitongbam recounted media reports of the security forces’ operation intention to flush out UG elements from its hideouts in Samtal areas. Highlighting that the military action had also resulted in large number of villagers leaving their homesteads for safer zones, the petitioner expressed surprise that till date there is no report of the State Government providing assistance of any kind to citizens affected by the military offensive. Pointing to Constitutional provisions that entail the Government to protect human rights of its citizens, the rights body observed that inaction on the part Government of Manipur on the issu...

Govt official fined under RTI: Imphal, Dec 26: The Manipur Information Commission has for the first time imposed a stiff monetary penalty upon a senior official of the state government for failing to furnish information sought by a member of the public under the provisions of the Right to Information Act. The Information Commission has ordered IAS officer S Budhachandra to pay a total amount of Rs. 9250 as fine within a period of 30 days for his failure not only to furnish the information sought under the RTI Act, 2005, but also to respond to orders issued by the Commission in connection with the matter, while he was serving as State Public Information Officer, SPIO, Directorate of Education (Schools). The order was issued on December 22, in connection with an application made by Prof Akham Biradhwaja Singh to the SPIO, Directorate of Education (s) in October 2006 seeking disclosure of certain information. The Commission, in its order imposing monetary penalty on the officer, noted tha...