RTI IN JK
Srinagar, Dec 19: The Governor’s office will now onwards have a first appellate authority and public information officer which is a significant step towards implementation of the Right to Information act in Jammu and Kashmir.
 In order to ensure compliance of the act within his office, the governor, N N Vohra, designated first appellate authority and public information officer under JK RTI Act 2009.
 An official handout on Saturday said Vohra has designated the deputy secretary in the Governor’s Secretariat, Pankaj Magotra as the Public Information Officer.
 “The Principal Secretary to the Governor Raj Kumar Goyal has been designated as the First Appellate Authority, in the Governor’s Secretariat, under the aforesaid Act,” said an order issued by the Governor’s Secretariat in Jammu.
 Vohra directed the designated Public Information Officer and the First Appellate Authority in the Governor’s Secretariat to strictly ensure compliance of the provisions of the J&K Right to Information Act and the time-bound disposal of valid applications received under the law.
 As per the RTI act, each public authority had to designate one PIO and few assistant PIO officers within 100 days of enactment of the Act. But, according to RTI Movement Convener Dr Muzaffar Bhat, most of the constitutional bodies have not designated PIOs or first appellate authorities.
 Dr Bhat told Greater Kashmir that Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, Legislative Council and JK High Court are yet to designate PIOs or first appellate authorities under section five of JK RTI Act.
 Hailing the order, Dr Bhat said Governor has taken lead in ensuring compliance within his office.
 Elaborating on the PIOs in departments, he revealed that 90 per cent departments in the civil secretariat have designated PIOs but have not designated the appellate authorities.
 According to him, except the election department, all other departments have PIOs.
 ‘There is no list of the first appellate authorities available on the GAD website and most of the department have not designated first appellate authorities,” he added.

Lastupdate on : Sat, 19 Dec 2009 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sat, 19 Dec 2009 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sun, 20 Dec 2009 00:00:00 IST