Early Times Report
Jammu, Sept 30: As Government has failed to train its officers on disposal of RTI applications, the Public Information Officers (PIOs) continue to commit blunders and thus reject RTI applications in complete violation of J&K RTI Act 2009.
Details available with Early Times reveal that one Haq Nawaz Nehru a resident of Nehru Chowk Doda filed an RTI application with the PIO, Executive Engineer, Irrigation and Flood Control Division, Doda on 27.11.2018 seeking information with regard to site plan, estimates of a quarter constructed at village Sharool Mandole several decades back.
Information seeker attached an Indian Postal Order (IPO) Rs 10 with RTI application and the IPO was marked in favour of "Accounts Officer, Irrigation & FC Division Doda". Since there was no post of Accounts Officer in his office the PIO / Xen Irrigation & FC Division, Doda rejected the RTI application and returned the same to the applicant on 15.12.2017 after a lapse of 17 days .
After subsequent appeals, State Information Commission (SIC) ruled, " Executive Engineer (Xen) or any other officer cannot reject the RTI application on the ground that there is no post of Accounts Officer in his / her organization. Chapter 3 and Rule III of J&K RTI Rules 2012 makes it clear that Postal Order has to be addressed to Accounts Officer only and not the PIO . Govt must amend the rules and incorporate terms like Assistant Accounts Officer (AAO), Accountant or even Chief Accounts Officer or Director Finance".
"This is not the fault of information seeker. SIC should have mentioned this in its order and taken strong notice of this legal issue. The fault again lies in lack of training and awareness of RTI law " said Dr Raja Muzaffar Chairman & Founder of J&K RTI Movement. |
