Saroj Razdan
Jammu: The Jammu and Kashmir’s bureaucracy worked effectively on every front all these years post transformation to UT status barring few functional shortcomings, its RTI Act functionality being one such area which has been hit badly in terms of its worth and working.
With department heads being casual in this approach and administration in general not prioritizing this as key area, the UT is witnessing drastic decline in filing of RTI applications by the people.
One of the flip side of J&K’s transformation from state to UT status is functioning its well defined RTI Act of 2009 getting impacted and substituted by Central RTI Act of 2005 which after getting special status is now in place, rather applies to entire J&K with the provisions and mode of functionality mentioned under the law. Under the Central Law the applications get addressed by Chief Information Officer who works from outside J&K, even though every department has its own information cells and Chief Information Officers who act as liaising channels.
“There used to be a proper system of addressing RTI applications and appellants would feel satisfied with time bound replies and hearing process under J&K’s own RTI Act functioning until 2019….but now everything has changed” said a senior officer in the civil secretariat recalling speedy disposal of applications in the twin offices –one at old secretariat Srinagar and Wazarat Road in Jammu. J&K’s Information Commission is now closed since 2019 and all UTs including J&K cannot have independent Information Commissions.
The RTI functionality has been affected not just by change of offices and CIC, but more so due to lackadaisical approach of babus in the UT itself. They care a less, rather least bothered to make it a crucial area in pulling up the departments to upload the information on their websites, a basic requirement under the Act. RTI appeals and applications go to CIC and even if the latter gives directions to PIOs, information officers, the replies are seldom seen or in rare cases. Sluggish functionality of RTI applications is mainly attributed to lack of information available on webistes or reluctance of the authorities to share the details of information especially in matters of funds spent on purchases and the expenditure incurred on various heads. RTI applications are seen mostly on these issues but they rarely get response, leave alone satisfactory and fair reply.
The officer further said there is a normal requirement GRF(General Finance Rules) for self disclosure of details on this front but the department heads do not bother to make it public, a reason where even information officers face impediments in collecting the details.
With an elected government now in place, will the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah be able to push priority direction to departments and Information officers to revive efficacy and speedy disposal of RTI applications…?
