Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 11: “Though J&K Right to Information Act is in operation during the last five years yet users and implementers are by and large showing their reluctance and ignorance to know how to use and pursue the right to information”.
This has been observed by Chief Information Commissioner G R Sufi in an appeal filed by Assistant Professor of University of Jammu in a case of alleged sexual harassment by a senior University teacher.
“The appellant’s attention is invited to provisions of Section 6 and 7 of the State RTI Act, 2009. Had she not received complete and correct information in response to her first RTI application, she should have preferred first appeal before the FAA and then moved to this Commission if aggrieved with the FAA’s order”, Mr Sufi said.
“The Commission is constrained to observe that the J&K State RTI Act, 2009 is in operation since more than five years but users and implementers are by and large showing their reluctance and ignorance to know how to use and pursue the right to information”, the CIC said.
He requested to the public authorities and users of this Act particularly those users who are qualified to teach and practice law to appreciate the provisions of the J&K State RTI Act, 2009 along with J&K RTI Rules, 2012 if they want to reap the fruits of J&K State RTI Act, 2009, a revolutionary and public friendly legislation empowering the people to be stakeholders in the governance of the State.
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