Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 22: The State Information Commission today directed the Board of Professional Entrance Examination (BOPEE) to comply with the provisions of the J&K RTI Act, 2009 and take immediate steps in this regard.
In a formal direction issued to the BOPEE Chairman Prof R D Sharma, the SIC has taken strong note of the fact that despite being a public authority, the Board was neither complying with the provisions of J&K RTI Act nor disseminating the mandatory information as a suo-moto disclosure under the Act.
Asking to take immediate steps for complying with Section 4(1) of the J&K RTI Act, 2009, the Commission has also directed the BOPEE to submit a compliance report in this regard within seven days or face action under various provisions of the law.
Pertinent to mention that in pursuance to Section 4 of the RTI Act, every public authority has to publish particulars of its organization, functions and duties, procedure followed in the decision making process, directory of its officers and employees, the particulars of facilities available to citizens for obtaining information, the names, designations and other particulars of the Public Information Officer, etc. Further, in pursuance of Sub-Section 2 of Section 4, the public authority has to take steps for providing information suo-moto to the public.
While going through the website of the BOPEE, it is evident that despite being a public authority, it has neither complied with the above provisions of the J&K RTI Act, 2009 nor has it disseminated the mandatory information as a suo-moto disclosure under the Act, observed the SIC in its order, issued today by Registrar G Q Bhat.
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