| Denies information about its own functioning | | Custodian of RTI, SIC violates Act itself | | Arun Singh
Jammu, Aug 22: Explicitly violating the norms it stands guarantee to, the State Information Commission (SIC) has failed to provide information sought by an information seeker with regards to the SIC itself per the provisions of Right To Information (RTI) Act.
State Information Commission that is responsible for ensuring accountability on part of the PIOs of various departments and insuring that relevant information was provided to the seeker within stipulated time has faltered when information regarding its own working was sought.
Raj Kumar an information seeker had filed an RTI under receipt number EE875264590 with PIO of SIC on June 20, 2013 to know about the status of various complaints already filed with SIC, but did not receive any information regarding it till date. In RTI application, Raj Kumar had asked the SIC about the penalty notice which was issued to former PIO of Jammu University under complaint No. SIC/Comp/ Nov 6/ 2011 on May 22, 2013 in which PIO had not responded to SIC even after the lapse 15 days, that SIC had ever listed case against him then seekers should be provided written information. He further had asked in his compliant to provide information about a case referred by Central Information Commission (CIC) to State Information Commission under Diary No. 67712 on May 23, 2011 that why the same has not been listed till date.
After receiving cold response from SIC, information seeker moved complaint to first appellate authority on July 19, 2013 but again he did not receive any reply then seeker filed second appeal on August 19, 2013, receipt number 1617 response is still awaited. He alleged that denying information by SIC was an apparent attempt to shatter the spirit of information seekers and to shield some influential people.
"Chief Minister Omar Abdullah always boasts of bringing transparency in Government functioning through Right To Information RTI which is proving totally rhetoric as the officials at the helms of affair are violating the norms by denying information and redressing various complaints filed with SIC against PIOs of various departments," he added. |
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