GreaterKashmir.com: Srinagar: Monday, February 27, 2012.
Disappointed over non-implementation of the Right to Information (RTI) Act in letter and spirit by Jammu and Kashmir Government, the Chief Information Commissioner recently summoned the state Chief Secretary asking him to pass strict instructions to all the administrative heads to make the voluntary disclosures forthwith. This was for the first time that the top bureaucrat was summoned by the Commission after its constitution last year.
Informed sources in the Civil Secretariat disclosed that CIC, GR Sufi summoned Chief Secretary Madhav Lal, few days back and took up with him the issue of failure of government departments to make pro-active disclosures a mandatory function as per the RTI Act.
As per the section (4) of the JK RTI Act, the public authorities are supposed to make pro-active disclosures about their organizations/departments.
Although it couldn’t be confirmed, what transpired between the two, but sources revealed that CIC asked CS to pass directions immediately to the government departments on making pro-active disclosures forthwith.
Insiders in the State Information Commission (SIC) told Greater Kashmir that CS was summoned after “he did not respond to the repeated communiqués from the Commission on the issue”.
“We had written umpteenth letters to the state government including CS to make pro-active disclosures, but they did not respond to a single communiqué,” they said.
A copy of the letter, bearing number SIC-J/15/2009-II, dated: 15/06/2011 shot by the Secretary SIC to the Special Secretary to CS also points to the failure of the government departments in disclosing the information suo-moto.
“Ever since the Commission was setup in October 2009, the matter has repeatedly been brought to the notice of the Government for impressing upon the public authorities to implement the mandate enshrined in Section 4(b) of the J&K Right to Information Act, 2009 to facilitate suo-moto disclosure of information about their organizations so that it can be easily accessed by the stake holders and the end users. However, inaction on the part of public authorities over last two years has by and large resulted into lack of desired compliance with Section 4 (a) & (b) of the Act,” the letter reads.
They also revealed that administrative departments were legally bound to disclose the information voluntarily, by hosting it on their websites, within 120 days after RTI Act was enacted in 2009.
“But they are yet to disclose the said information in public domain,” they said, adding 95 percent government departments have failed to make suo-moto disclosures about their works and employees.
“Home, Police, J&K Public Service Commission, JKPCC, JKPDC, J&K Board of School Education, SSRB, State Vigilance Organization, Crime Branch, Directorate of Health Services Kashmir /Jammu, Directorate of Rural Development Kashmir/Jammu are among the defaulting departments,” sources said.
When contacted, Commissioner Secretary, General Administration Department (GAD), Sheikh Mushtaq did not respond to repeated calls from this reporter.
Informed sources in the Civil Secretariat disclosed that CIC, GR Sufi summoned Chief Secretary Madhav Lal, few days back and took up with him the issue of failure of government departments to make pro-active disclosures a mandatory function as per the RTI Act.
As per the section (4) of the JK RTI Act, the public authorities are supposed to make pro-active disclosures about their organizations/departments.
Although it couldn’t be confirmed, what transpired between the two, but sources revealed that CIC asked CS to pass directions immediately to the government departments on making pro-active disclosures forthwith.
Insiders in the State Information Commission (SIC) told Greater Kashmir that CS was summoned after “he did not respond to the repeated communiqués from the Commission on the issue”.
“We had written umpteenth letters to the state government including CS to make pro-active disclosures, but they did not respond to a single communiqué,” they said.
A copy of the letter, bearing number SIC-J/15/2009-II, dated: 15/06/2011 shot by the Secretary SIC to the Special Secretary to CS also points to the failure of the government departments in disclosing the information suo-moto.
“Ever since the Commission was setup in October 2009, the matter has repeatedly been brought to the notice of the Government for impressing upon the public authorities to implement the mandate enshrined in Section 4(b) of the J&K Right to Information Act, 2009 to facilitate suo-moto disclosure of information about their organizations so that it can be easily accessed by the stake holders and the end users. However, inaction on the part of public authorities over last two years has by and large resulted into lack of desired compliance with Section 4 (a) & (b) of the Act,” the letter reads.
They also revealed that administrative departments were legally bound to disclose the information voluntarily, by hosting it on their websites, within 120 days after RTI Act was enacted in 2009.
“But they are yet to disclose the said information in public domain,” they said, adding 95 percent government departments have failed to make suo-moto disclosures about their works and employees.
“Home, Police, J&K Public Service Commission, JKPCC, JKPDC, J&K Board of School Education, SSRB, State Vigilance Organization, Crime Branch, Directorate of Health Services Kashmir /Jammu, Directorate of Rural Development Kashmir/Jammu are among the defaulting departments,” sources said.
When contacted, Commissioner Secretary, General Administration Department (GAD), Sheikh Mushtaq did not respond to repeated calls from this reporter.
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