Early Times Report
Srinagar, Apr 1 : A Division Bench of Jammu and Kashmir High Court today issued a notice to respondents on a Public Interest Litigation, seeking directions for implementation of the Right to Information Act in its totality. The Division Bench comprising Justice Hasnain Massodi and Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur issued the notice to government through Chief Secretary, Secretary State Information Commission, Registrar General of the High Court and Chairman Jammu and Kashmir Bank and directed them to file reply within three weeks. The PIL, filed by a practicing lawyer advocate Firdous Ahmad Parray, mainly seeks the implementation of section 4 of the RTI Act, which is considered sole of the Transparency Law.
In order to curb the menace of corruption in the state and to bring transparency and accountability in the system, the state legislature promulgated the RTI Act, 2009, the petitioner said.
"Under section 4 of the Act (supra), it was obligatory upon every department to disclose information voluntarily within a period of 120 days from the enforcement of the Act on 20.03.2009," the petitioner said.
The information, he said, shall be furnished by every Government department, semi Government organization, Public Sector bank with more than 50% government share, board or a corporation. The petitioner also seeks direction to every department to have a monitoring cell responsible for the dissemination of the information. The petitioner also seeks the issuance of the directions to the departments to constitute a committee from time to time so that further steps are taken to words dissemination of information. State Information Commission, the petitioner further prayers, should be directed to take necessary steps for implementation of the RTI Act by conducting programmes such as workshops trainings, seminars and conferences. The petitioner in the ends seeks directions to the Director Information, Government Broadcasting Agencies to broadcast programme in order to make general public aware about the RTI Act. |
