NEW PARKING SLOTS IDENTIFIED IN JAMMU

Officers’ Apathy reduced Online J & K Grievance Cell to a Joke : RTI Activist

Jammu, 19/July/2020 : Disappointed with the apathy of officers of Jammu and Kashmir administration who are responsible to response and act on the complaints received from citizens trough online portal of Jammu and Kashmir government , RTI Activist Raman Sharma alleged that deliberately the attempts are being made to reduce the online grievance cell to a joke to discourage common people so that they  do not resort to file written complaints and  officers are not made accountable.

Raman informed that though as per the Standard Operating   Procedure adopted by the J & K government the heads of the departments are instructed by the government to respond and take action on the complaints received through online portal “Azaz-e-Awam”  jkgrievance.in  within 15 days.  

Citing his own complaints filed through online portal, he said that he had filed two complaints with the grievance cell vide no. 999001418390 dated 14/June/2020 and complaint no 999001392817 dated 13/May/2020 and till date no action is being taken on his complaint. He further informed that both these complaints pertains to very important subjects one related to finance department and other related to allegations of discrepancy in allotment and construction of community and individual bunkers in district Poonch wherein millions of rupees have been given by Ministry of Home Affairs, government of India.

J & K Liquor Policy 2020_21

Roll out of Excise Policy 2020-21 approved

Annual License Fee, Additional License Fee introduced to optimize revenue

SRINAGAR, JULY 17:  The Administrative Council (AC), which met here under the chairmanship of Lieutenant Governor, G C Murmu, approved the roll out of Excise Policy for the year 2020-21 and implementation of policy measures to improve transparency and objectivity related to renewal, cancellation, transfer of licenses and penalties.

The new policy aims to rationalize the number of taxes, duties and other levies to optimize revenues for common good, and bring about greater social consciousness about the harmful effects of consumption of liquor and alcoholic beverages.

The policy envisages checking bootlegging of Bottled in Origin (BiO) brands from neighbouring states, besides providing choice of brands and a level playing field to those in the business.

Under this year’s policy, the Department has specified fixed number of licenses/ licensed zones for Ex-servicemen, specially-abled persons, SC/ST/OBC and people belonging to economically weaker sections as per the criteria to be notified separately.

Further, the License Fee structure has also been revisited in the Draft Policy. A fixed component of ‘Annual License Fee’ has also been introduced, whereas, the existing per bottle license fee has been revised on higher side as ‘Additional License Fee’.

The Excise Policy for the year 2019-20 was extended till June, 2020 in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic and now stands expired.

Complaint filed Against DC Office Poonch for non Compliance of RTI Act:

No  Proactive Disclosure Under RTI Act  

Complaint filed Against DC Office Poonch

Jammu, 15/July/2020: A complaint under section 18 of the Right to Information Act 2005 has been filed with the Central Information Commission  against office of the Deputy Commissioner Poonch for its failure to make proactive disclosure of Information which is compulsory to be made under section 4(1)(b) of the RTI Act 2005.

RAMAN

In his complaint before the CIC dated 14/July/2020 vide diary no 677786, RTI activist Raman Sharma has submitted that DC office Poonch, the respondent Public Public Authority was under legal obligation as per section 4 of the Right to Information Act to pro-actively disclose certain kind of information but unfortunately for the reason best know to the respondent (DC Office), no such information was made available pro actively for the public and people have to resort to file individual  RTI applications to even get this information which otherwise should have already been in public domain and innocent citizens are compelled to spend money and time to get this information.

In the        complaint it     is      further stated         that the Respondent P.A also have   its    dedicated website   " POONCH.NIC.IN “ but there also no information as mentioned under section 4 is published which is clear violation of the Right to Information Act 2005.

Seeking directions for the DC office Poonch, the RTI activist have requested the CIC to direct the respondent to  take necessary action and suo-moto disclose all mandatory information as required under section 4 of the Right to Information Act 2005 on its official website  and apprise the honourable CIC about the action taken thereof along with a copy to the complainant.

 Sharma also informed that Right to Information Act casts an obligation on the Public Authority  to publish pro actively information under section 4(1)(b) within 120 days from the enactment of this act and as the Right to Information Act 2005 is applicable in  the Union Territory of J & K right from 31^st October 2019 after repeal  of its previous Jammu and Kashmir Right to Information Act 2009 thus DC Office Poonch should have disclosed this information on its own. 

The complaint also highlights   the inaction on the part of the respondent Public Authority that did not act as per the mandate of the RTI Act and called it as deliberate attempt of the respondent Public Authority to seize lawful right of the citizens of India.

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