The News Now: Srinagar: Tuesday, 16 July 2024.
The Central Information
Commission (CIC) has taken decisive action against the Labour and Employment
Department of Jammu & Kashmir for its prolonged silence on an RTI request.
The Central Information Commission (CIC), in a decision has mandated the Public Information Officer (PIO) of the Labour and Employment Department of Jammu & Kashmir to furnish relevant information to Meenakshi Kotwal, who had filed an RTI application seeking updates on her medical claim reimbursement cases and the action taken on her representation forwarded by the State Medical Officer.
Ms. had initially filed her RTI application on January 20, 2023, requesting detailed information on two key points: the action taken by the Labour Commissioner on her representation and the status of her medical claim reimbursements submitted on various dates in 2020 and 2022. Despite these submissions, no response was received from the PIO, prompting Ms. Kotwal to file a first appeal on April 10, 2023, which also went unaddressed.
Dissatisfied and seeking redress, Kotwal approached the CIC with a second appeal. During the hearing on July 11, 2024, both the appellant and the respondent failed to attend despite being duly notified. In the absence of both parties, the Commission could not verify whether any response had been provided by the PIO to the RTI application.
Based on the available records, the CIC observed a prima facie case indicating that no reply was given within the stipulated timeframe. Consequently, the Commission has directed the PIO to deliver the requested information free of cost to Ms. Kotwal within 15 days and submit a compliance report to the Commission.
Additionally, the CIC expressed strong disapproval of the PIO's absence during the hearing and instructed the PIO to submit a written explanation justifying the delay in responding to the RTI application. The PIO has been given 30 days from the receipt of the order to submit the explanation, along with any supporting documents and a copy of the RTI reply if already provided.
Failure to comply with these directives could result in the initiation of action under Sections 20(1) and 20(2) of the RTI Act against the PIO, as warned by the Chief Information Commissioner, Shri Heeralal Samariya.
The Central Information Commission (CIC), in a decision has mandated the Public Information Officer (PIO) of the Labour and Employment Department of Jammu & Kashmir to furnish relevant information to Meenakshi Kotwal, who had filed an RTI application seeking updates on her medical claim reimbursement cases and the action taken on her representation forwarded by the State Medical Officer.
Ms. had initially filed her RTI application on January 20, 2023, requesting detailed information on two key points: the action taken by the Labour Commissioner on her representation and the status of her medical claim reimbursements submitted on various dates in 2020 and 2022. Despite these submissions, no response was received from the PIO, prompting Ms. Kotwal to file a first appeal on April 10, 2023, which also went unaddressed.
Dissatisfied and seeking redress, Kotwal approached the CIC with a second appeal. During the hearing on July 11, 2024, both the appellant and the respondent failed to attend despite being duly notified. In the absence of both parties, the Commission could not verify whether any response had been provided by the PIO to the RTI application.
Based on the available records, the CIC observed a prima facie case indicating that no reply was given within the stipulated timeframe. Consequently, the Commission has directed the PIO to deliver the requested information free of cost to Ms. Kotwal within 15 days and submit a compliance report to the Commission.
Additionally, the CIC expressed strong disapproval of the PIO's absence during the hearing and instructed the PIO to submit a written explanation justifying the delay in responding to the RTI application. The PIO has been given 30 days from the receipt of the order to submit the explanation, along with any supporting documents and a copy of the RTI reply if already provided.
Failure to comply with these directives could result in the initiation of action under Sections 20(1) and 20(2) of the RTI Act against the PIO, as warned by the Chief Information Commissioner, Shri Heeralal Samariya.
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