| In 19 months, J&K RTI portal logs over 65000 applications, 9000 first appeals | | | Early Times Report
JAMMU, Sept 2: The online RTI portal for Jammu and Kashmir has received more than 65,000 RTI applications and 9,000 first appeals in 19 months since its launch, highlighting the increasing use of online mechanisms by citizens across the Union territory for accessing information, officials said.
The figures were disclosed by the General Administration Department (GAD) in response to an RTI application filed by Jammu-based RTI activist Raman Kumar Sharma.
According to the official reply issued on August 27, the J&K RTI online portal was officially launched on January 10, 2025, to facilitate citizens in filing Right to Information (RTI) applications online.
"According to the available records, the portal received 65,243 RTI applications between January 10, 2025, and August 26, 2026," the GAD said, adding that 9,033 first appeals were also received during the same period.
The J&K portal was launched by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in 2025 whereas the Central online portal has been operational since 2013.
On queries about the number of public authorities, central public information officers (CPIOs) and first appellate authorities onboarded on the J&K portal, the GAD said the applications are transferred to the National Informatics Centre (NIC), J&K, under Section 6(3) of the RTI Act, 2005, for furnishing the requisite information.
The department said the procedure for onboarding public authorities, CPIOs or first appellate authorities is in consonance with the relevant provisions of the RTI Act, 2005.
The GAD said a list of public authorities and details of nodal officers are available on the RTI portal.
Sharma said the substantial number of applications received within a relatively short period highlighted the increasing reliance of citizens on the online RTI system.
He demanded the inclusion of more public authorities on the RTI portal, including officials at the district, tehsil and block levels.
Sharma cited the example of the education department and said while PIOs at the directorate level in both Kashmir and Jammu divisions are available on the RTI portal, the offices of chief education officers are unavailable.
He said the same is the case with the district offices of the police department and the rural development department.
"The GAD must ensure a clear, transparent policy for onboarding new authorities instead of giving vague replies or transferring queries to the NIC," Sharma said.
He also appealed to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to intervene and expedite the process, especially for grassroots-level offices, so that the common man can benefit from the transparency promised by the RTI Act. (Agencies) |
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