Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Nov 9: Jammu and Kashmir Bank Limited has told the High Court that it doesn’t come under the Right to Information Act and can’t nominate the Public Information Officer.
The bank has filed its response before the High Court in response to a petition filed by Advocate Firdous Ahmad Parray seeking direction upon the Jammu and Kashmir Bank to designate the Public Information Officer and furnish information under the provision of the Act.
The Bank in its reply has said that the J&K Bank is not at all financed by the State Government as such the Bank is not obliged under the act to nominate the ‘Public Information Officer’.
The bank further says that it is not public authority under the provisions of the Act. The issue regarding, is J&K Bank is a ‘public authority ‘or not is already pending before the Supreme Court.
The Court sought response from the State Government in a PIL seeking provision of Right to Information Act be enforced on every department to disclose the information within prescribed period.
The Division Bench of Justice Mohammad Yaqoob Mir and Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey directed the Government through Chief Secretary to file the response to the PIL by or before November 23.
The PIL states that under the Section 4 of the RTI Act it is obligatory for every department to disclose information voluntarily within a period of 120 days.
“The information shall be furnished by every Government department, semi Government organization, public sector banks with more than 50 percent Government Share, board or a corporation should proactively or voluntarily give the information”, reads the petition.
It is further stated that the information must be digitized and put on the website of the department with name, designation, powers, duties, responsibilities and salaries of all the officers working in that particular organization should be put on website. It is further said that all the information should be available with the Public Information Officer and there will be no need to submit a written application or pay application fee if the Section 4 of the act is implemented in letter and spirit but this section has not been implemented.
The petitioner also seeks a direction upon the Registrar General of the High Court for taking steps to make the daily orders and judgments available on the official website of the High Court so that orders are easily accessible to people and those associated with the judiciary.
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