CIC asks officers to implement RTI Act in letter and spirit

by Scoop News    March 19, 2011

Srinagar, March 19: Chief Information Commissioner, Jammu and Kashmir State,  G R Sufi has appealed to the people to make optimum use of Right to Information Act 2009. He said any person can seek any information from any department by submitting a simple application with a fee of Rs. 50.

            The Chief Information Commissioner was addressing a press conference at Banquet Hall in Srinagar today. He said if any person is denied any information by any Public Information Officer of any department, he can contact appellate authority. He said people need to be made aware on a large scale basis regarding various provisions of Right to Information Act.

             Sufi also directed the officers to implement the Act in letter and spirit on ground level and also get fully acquainted with the Act as the working knowledge is more important. He also asked them to reply all the pending appliacations soon and said that no excuse henceforth will be acceptable to the Commission.

            The Chief Information Commissioner also appealed to the media to highlight the advantages of the Act and extend their support to the Commission in this behalf. He said the efforts would be made to make this Act a mass movement and appealed to the Officers to go through the Act  thoroughly which would help them in implementing it in the right perspective.

            Later, replying to a question, the Chief Information Commissioner said that since the Commission is in its infancy, all possible measures would be initiated to make it more effective, efficient and transparent.

            Regarding the definition of the Jammu and Kashmir Right To Information Act 2009,  Sufi said that “Public Authority” means any authority or body or institution of self-government established or constituted, by or under the Constitution of India or the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir, by any other law made by Parliament, or by any other law made by the State legislatures and by notification issued or order made by the government.

            Director of Information, Khawaja Farooq Renzushah, Deputy Secretary, Mushtaq Ahmed Wani were also present on the occasion.

             Sufi further said that the common people are not yet fully aware of this Act and the media has to play a great role to get aware the people about the powers of this historical Act and educate them how to apply and the approach to be adopted while applying for any required information. He appealed to the concerned officers to provide the required information within the prescribed time and if there would be any laxity, will be dealt under law.  

            Referring to the role of the government he said the government is required to develop and organize educational programmes as to how the   rights contemplated under the act. He also asked for encouraging public authorities to participate in educational programmes and promote timely and effective dissemination of accurate information by public authority.  Sufi stressed for training public information officers, procedures and relevant training material. He also directed the officers to publish a guide in official language of state in easy and comprehensive form for persons who wish to exercise the rights specified in the act and also publish objects of the act.

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