From tomorrow, CIC to hear RTI applications from Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir

“Lest there should be any room for any misgiving,’’ Singh said that “the applicants from J&K and Ladakh can file RTI applications from home and no one will have to travel outside the UT for filing or for hearing or at any stage of the entire process’’. In fact, this will help the the two UTs of J&K and Ladakh to usher in a new culture of “Justice from Home”, he said.

The applicants from both the UTs can file the first appeal before the local designated officers and can avail the facility of online hearing from home for the second appeal before the CIC, he said. Moreover, the RTI applicants can file their application online anytime during the 24 hours, day or night, and from anywhere including from home, he added.

The Minister also informed that any citizen of India can now file an RTI pertaining to matters related to J&K and Ladakh, which was earlier reserved only for domicile citizens of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir which had its own RTI Act before August 2019.

Consequent to the passing of the J&K Reorganisation Act, 2019, the J&K Right to Information Act 2009 and the Rules there under were repealed and Central Right to Information Act 2005 and the Rules there under were made applicable from October 31 last year.

Singh stated that concerted efforts for smooth transition from the J&K RTI Act 2009 to the Central RTI Act were undertaken taken by DoPT ( Department of Personnel & Training) and Central Information Commission, in consultation with the union Ministry of Home Affairs.

He also informed that till May 10 this year, a total of 111 second appeals/complaints ( fresh cases) from the UT of J&K had been registered in the CIC consequent to the Reorganisation Act, 2019. Training of CPIOs and FAAs is being planned and registration/alignment of Public Authorities of Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh on RTI online portal of DoPT is also being taken up, he added.

Despite the lockdown situation, at present, all the Information Commissioners are hearing cases and the CIC headquarters are functioning with 33 per cent official staff. Senior Information Commissioners are hearing cases from the office over video conferencing, he added.