Admin Depts breach SIC directives on providing information to RTI activists

BIVEK MATHUR

JAMMU: Notwithstanding the fact that the State Information Commission (SIC) has notified the format for providing information to the RTI activists in Jammu and Kashmir, the administrative departments are not adhering to the guidelines, applicants allege.

The activists claim that authorities in the State are till date providing information in different formats.
They said that until July 2017, no standard format was issued by the SIC but on July 25, 2017, set guidelines were issued to all the administrative departments to provide the information to the RTI activists.

“However, till date, the government authorities are not adhering to the guidelines,” many RTI activists told this newspaper.

They said that the SIC has issued the standard format that has also been adopted by the Department of Personnel and Training, Government of India.

Under the standard format, they said the authorities have been directed to reply to any RTI application mentioning the RTI application number, date and date of its receipt by the Public Authority, name, designation, official telephone number and e-mail ID of the PIO.

In case the information requested for is denied, the activists claimed that the administrative departments have been directed to mention the detailed reasons for denial quoting the relevant sections of the RTI Act.

“In case the information pertains to another authority and the application is transferred under Section 6(3) of the RTI Act, details of the Public Authority to whom the application is transferred should be given,” they said.

They said that the authorities are also asked to mention in the reply the number of days mandated to provide the information.

They also said that as per the standard format, the name, designation, address, official telephone number, e-mail ID of the First Appellate Authority should also be clearly mentioned.

“In case the applicant has requested for certified copies of the documents or records, the PI0 should endorse on the document,” they said quoting the SIC directives.

“In case the documents to be certified and supplied are bulky, information on the RTI application should be supplied by a designated PI0 but the certification of the document(s), if need be, could be done by a junior Gazetted Officer,” the SIC directives further read.

The activists claimed that most of the directives of the SIC are till date not being followed by the government authorities owing to which the RTI applicants have to suffer, feel embarrassed.

An RTI activist on condition of anonymity, said, “I filed an RTI application to seek certain details from JKPSC in February 2018. I was denied information, provided only name of the First Appellate Authority, not his contact number, telephone number, email ID despite the fact that the SIC has mandated to provide these details.”

Another activist said he filed an RTI application in February with the Puran Nagar situated office of the KVIB. He said his application was rejected and he was told to file the RTI application afresh with the Exhibition Ground situated office of the KVIB without letting him know the office to file the fresh application with.