GreaterKashmir.com: Srinagar: Tuesday, May 28, 2013.
G R Sufi
J&K's first CIC (Chief Information Commissioner) in a special lecture organised by Kashmir
University’s Academic Staff College, on Monday apprised academicians from various colleges and Universities from within
and outside the state about the role of RTI in a society.
Sofi while
speaking at the Valedictory function of the
month long Refresher Course in Basic and Applied Sciences- organized by
Academic Staff College, which concluded
today said, “Usage of RTI is gaining ground in Kashmir but its usage should not
only be confined to a particular section of the society but it should be the
right of every individual of the society.”
Talking about
the role of RTI in making citizen the most powerful entity in a democratic
setup, Sufi said: “RTI has made the public authority accountable and
transparent before the citizens. It has empowered a citizen and a citizen has
not to wait for five years to judge the elected person, he can verify the works
of the elected persons on day to day basis by making use of the act ,” he said.
Giving the
academicians an overview of the act, Er
Nazir Ahmad State Information Commissioner said RTI is an endeavour to
promote transparency and contain corruption. “JK RTI act was enacted in 2009 to
make public authority subservient to people. People have the right to seek
information that is held by the public authority and it’s the duty of the
Public Information Officer (PIO) to disseminate the required information within
a specific period of time,” he said. “If someone is denied information, he/she
can directly appeal to the State Information Commission.
Speaking on
the occasion, Director Academic Staff College Kashmir University Dr Farooq
Fayaz also informed the teachers about the use of RTI. "Before any common
person makes use of the act, it becomes obligation for a teacher to use the act
with an intention to make society better," he said.
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