Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 23: State Information Commission (SIC) has granted 20 days time to the Jammu Municipal Corporation for compliance to Section 4 of the J&K Right to Information Act whereby all the public authorities are required to upload all the information on the website for the public information.
The direction in this regard was issued by the Chief Information Commissioner, G R Sufi to the Municipal Commissioner, Soujanya Sharma, who along with Law Officer, Ashish Bhagat appeared before the Commission in compliance to the notice issued under Section 4 of the RTI Act.
“Though the Municipal Corporation has constructed its website, the same is still in infancy stage and information required to be uploaded under Section 4 has not been uploaded fully”, the Commission observed. The Chief Information Commissioner and State Information Commissioner took the Municipal Commissioner through the provisions of Section 4 of the J&K State RTI Act, 2009 which had made it compulsory for all public authorities to upload all the information as listed in Sub Section (i) to (xvii) within 120 days from the commencement of the Act.
“It is now high time that the failure so far committed may be made up and information brought in public domain through the medium of website, otherwise Commission would be constrained to declare the public authority as a deemed PIO who has refused to provide the information”, the Chief Information Commissioner said.
He observed that the reasonable time has already been exhausted by taking five years. “The Municipal Commissioner has, however, informed that certain areas of record like Birth & Death Certificates and Building Permissions have been updated. He has assured the Commission that they will be taking up the matter with the Government for obtaining financial resources for making the full compliance”, the CIC further observed.
The Commission emphasized that the properties, which were constructed unauthorizedly and were demolished by the Jammu Municipal Corporation be also brought on the website with full details. “The JMC should highlight their work of removing unauthorized encroachments and cleaning residential areas by bringing such information on the website which is the essence of the RTI Act”, the CIC said.
Regarding disclosure of information on 17 points and some other points, which were discussed, the Commission granted further time of 20 days to the Municipal Commissioner.
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