Jammu suffers from last 3yrs for want of CIC,IC - Early Times Newspaper Jammu Kashmir

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Jammu suffers from last 3yrs for want of CIC,IC

8/20/2018 11:52:27 PM

Early Times Report
Srinagar, Aug 20: As State Information Commission (SIC) is once again headless and no Information Commissioner (IC) has been appointed for Jammu bench of SIC, RTI activists have appealed Governor to take notice of the issue and constitute the Information Commission by appointing Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) and one Information Commissioner (IC) for SIC's Jammu office.
J&K State Information Commission (JKSIC) which is constituted under section 12 of JK RTI Act 2009 became headless after Khurshid Ahmad Ganai resigned from the post of Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) few months back after he was appointed as advisor to Governor N N Vohra . Right now there is only one Information Commissioner (IC) namely Mohammad Ashraf Mir who hears appeals and complaints in the Commission at Srinagar and travels frequently to Jammu as well where the position of Information Commissioner (IC) is vacant from October 2015 when Dr S K Sharma retired from the post of Information Commissioner.
Under State RTI law ,J&K State Information Commission (SIC) consists of State Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) and two Information Commissioners (ICs). When Dr S K Sharma retired as Information Commissioner in October 2015 , Government failed to fill this position. It is now almost 3 years the position is yet to be filled by the Government and direct sufferers are people of Jammu.
After Dr Sharma's retirement in October 2015 the then Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) G R Sufi retired in March 2016. The then BJP-PDP Government failed to make appointment of new CIC for many months. Finally the SIC became completely defunct when Kashmir bench Information Commissioner Nazir Ahmad retired in November 2016. After more than 4 months Khurshid Ahmad Ganai was appointed as Chief Information Commissioner on 27th February 2017 thus the commission once again started its operation.
After appointment of Khurshid Ahmad Ganai as CICs PDP-BJP Government appointed another Commissioner Mohammad Ashraf Mir last year in October, but Commisisoner for Jammu was again not appointed. Recently Khurshid Ahmad Ganai resigned from the post of CIC after as he preferred to be appointed as Advisor to Governor.
"As on date State Information Commission ( SIC) has two vacancies of Chief Information Commissioner and State Information Commissioner which need to be filled . In absence of these positions the commission is technically incomplete as State RTI Law says that State Information Commission shall consist of State Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) & two State Information Commissioners (IC) . The appeals and complaints are piling at commissions Srinagar / Jammu office. Information Commissioner Mohammad Ashraf Mir is doing the job all alone which is completely injustice as RTI appellants / complainants have to wait for months before their case is listed for hearing. We appeal Governor to constitute the Information Commission and appoint CIC and IC for Jammu region" said Dr Raja Muzaffar Chairman JK RTI Movement
State Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) and State Information Commissioners (ICs) are appointed by Governor on the recommendation of the committee consisting of
Chief Minister who shall be the Chairperson of the committee, leader of opposition in legislative assembly and a cabinet Minister nominated by Chief Minister. In case where leader of opposition in legislative assembly has not been recognized the leader of single largest group in the opposition in legislative assembly shall be deemed to be leader of opposition.
"As J&K State is under Governors rule from June 19th 2018, the powers vested with CM are right now exercised by the Governor. The state assembly is still not dissolved and cabinet Ministers powers are vested with Advisors of the Governor. In these circumstance J&K Governor has powers to constitute State Information Commission (SIC) and make appoints of Chief Information Commissioner and an Information Commissioner (IC) for Jammu bench of SIC" said Syed Nasarullah Chairman JK Peoples Forum a Srinagar based NGO.

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