Early Times Report
Jammu, Jan 20: The State Information Commission (SIC) has directed the Public Information Officer (PIO) of Police Headquarters (PHQ) to provide copies of merit list to an information seeker under RTI Act. The merit list of constables selected some time back was earlier denied when it was sought under RTI law. The case finally landed before State Information Commission (SIC) who directed the PHQ to provide this information. Details available with ET reveal that one Shabir Ahmad Lone on filed an application on 5.3.2018 with the PIO, PHQ, J&K, seeking information regarding General Merit List of candidates for the post of Constable IR 16-20 Bn belonging to Kupwara, Leh, Kargil and Ramban District. PIO, PHQ vide his communication dated 12.05.2018 followed by another communication dated 02.06.2018 informed RTI applicant that the said information cannot be provided to the appellant because of being huge and voluminous and instead asked the appellant to inspect the records. Aggrieved by the response of the PIO, information seeker filed first appeal with the First Appellate Authority (FAA) PHQ Srinagar on 22.05.2008. Due to the lukewarm response from the FAA, the appellant filed 2nd appeal before State Information Commission (SIC) on 11.06.2018. The appeal came up for hearing before the Commission on 13.11.2018. The appellant was present during the hearing. Nissar Ahmad, Dy SP, APIO, PHQ was also present.
On the intervention of the Commission, the appellant submitted that he will be satisfied if he is provided with the merit list of District Ramban only. APIO / Dy SP PHQ submitted before SIC that the PHQ will have no objection to provide the merit list of District Ramban only to the appellant. Hearing in the matter was adjourned with a direction to the PIO, PHQ to furnish copy of merit list for the post of Constable, IRP 16-20 BN for the Ramban district only to the appellant within a period of 10 days from the date of receipt of this order.
The appeal again came up for hearing before State Information Commission on Dec 21st 2018. The PIO, PHQ was present during the hearing. The appellant, who was present in the Srinagar office of the Commission, was heard through voice call as there was some technical fault in video conferencing machine. The appellant submitted that the PIO has furnished to him the merit list of only selected candidates for the post of post of Constable IR 16-20 Bn for the District Ramban. The SIC disposed of appeal with a direction to the PIO to collect the merit list of all candidates who applied for the post of Constable IR 16-20 Bn from District Ramban and furnish the same to the appellant within a period of 10 days from the date of receipt of this order. |
