Applicants need not to travel outside to pursue cases: Dr Jitendra
Seeks outstanding UCs of grants released to SIC
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, May 14: Finally, Central Information Commission (CIC) will start hearing Right to Information (RTI) cases of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and Union Territory of Ladakh from tomorrow and has asked both the UTs to expeditiously iron out the administrative and technical issues expeditiously to ensure smooth implementation of the Central Law.
Moreover, to facilitate the CIC in smooth disposal of the cases the Government of UT of Jammu and Kashmir has asked all the Administrative Secretaries to furnish the Action Taken Report vis-a-vis appointment of Central Public Information Officers (CPIOs) and First Appellate Authorities (FAAs) besides updating the departmental websites as the directions in this regard were issued in the month of January this year.
EXCELSIOR in its edition dated May 3, 2020 had exclusively reported that Central Information Commission will shortly start taking up 2nd Appeals and pending cases of newly carved out Union Territories for disposal as per the provisions of the Right to Information Act, 2005.
The revelation about hearing of cases by the Central Information Commission from tomorrow was made by the Union Minister of State in Prime Minister’s Office, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Dr Jitendra Singh after a meeting with the Chief Information Commissioner Bimal Julka, who called on the Minister to update him on the issue.
“On behalf of the CIC, Senior Information Commissioner D P Sinha has been entrusted the responsibility of the RTI cases from the two Union Territories”, the Union Minister said, adding “the applicants from J&K and Ladakh can file RTI applications from home and no one will have to travel outside the UTs for filing or for hearing or at any stage of the entire process”.
He further said, “the applicants from both the UTs can file the first appeal before the local designated officers and can avail the facility of on-line hearing from the home for the second appeal before the CIC”. Moreover, the RTI applicants can file their application on-line anytime during the 24 hours and from anywhere including from home.
The Union Minister said that any citizen of the country can now file RTI pertaining to the matters related to J&K and Ladakh Union Territories, which right was earlier reserved only for the State Subjects or domicile citizens of the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir as per the provisions of its own RTI Act before August 2019.
He disclosed that till May 10, 2020, 111 second appeals and fresh complaints from the UT of J&K had been registered in the Central Information Commission consequent to the J&K Reorganization Act, which became applicable from October 31, 2019.
“Training of Central Public Information Officers and First Appellate Authorities is being planned and registration/alignment of Public Authorities of UTs of J&K and Ladakh on RTI online portal of DoPT is also being taken up”, the Union Minister said.
Meanwhile, Central Information Commission has asked the Chief Secretary of J&K UT BVR Subrahmanyam and Commissioner Secretary General Administration Department of UT of Ladakh to sensitize the CPIOs to iron out administrative/technical issues so as to facilitate smooth hearing of cases pertaining to these UTs.
Early this month the CIC had asked the administration of both the Union Territories to take steps for strict compliance to each and every provision of the Act in order to ensure utmost transparency in the functioning of all their departments. The Commission had also sought list of Central Public Information Officers (CPIOs) so that hearings of 2nd appeals may be resumed by the Commission.
Moreover, the CIC has taken up the issue of outstanding Utilisation Certificates in respect of grants sanctioned for the Information Commission of the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir with the Chief Secretary of J&K Union Territory.
As per the communication of the Central Information Commission, the copy of which is available with EXCELSIOR, an amount of Rs 4 lakh was released to the J&K Information Commission. “However, Utilization Certificates/vouchers to the tune of Rs 1,20,922 have only been received and an amount of Rs 2,94,085 remains unutilized which includes interest also”, the communication said.
The Chief Secretary of J&K UT has been asked to submit the outstanding UCs/vouchers as expeditiously as possible as the J&K State Information Commission is not in existence now following repeal of J&K State Information Act as per the provisions of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act, 2019.
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