CIC takes serious note of 'Lackadaisical Approach' of JU towards RTI Act

 

CIC Cautions Jammu University in its dealing with RTI Applications

 

CIC takes serious note of Lackadaisical Approach of JU towards RTI Act

 

Jammu, 02/June/2022:  Taking serious note of lackadaisical approach of Jammu University in processing and disposing of  applications under Right to Information Act received from citizens, the Central Information Commission (CIC)  has asked the  Jammu University to be cautious in future.

While deciding second appeal of RTI activist Raman Sharma against the Jammu University wherein the appellant has alleged that Jammu University had  not provide him any information despite lapse of stipulated period of time.

In his appeal, before the commission Sharma had stated that he had submitted his RTI application dated 11-02-2020 under a proper receipt from the postal department   but as he was not supplied any information or intimation by the Public Information Officer  of the Jammu University within 30 days, therefore on 23/06/2020 he then filed a 1^st  Appeal before the first Appellate Authority (within Jammu University) but there also he did not get any appropriate response therefore he preferred his second appeal before the Central Information Commission on 10/08/2020.

During proceedings before the Central Information Commission on 31/05/2022 via video conference, the Jammu University (respondent)  was represented by Dr Imran Farooq, who is designated Public Information Officer-II.

During the proceedings Dr Imran informed the commission that there are two Public Information Officers in the Jammu University and the said RTI application of the appellant Raman Sharma has not been received by either of them. Dr Imran also submitted before the commission that the appellant did not submit any fresh RTI application as was asked by the First Appellate Authority.

The Chief Information  Commissioner YK Sinha disagreeing with the arguments of the Public Information Officer of the Jammu University admitted the appeal and stated that contention of the Respondent (PIO) that the RTI application was not received by them is ‘unfathomable’ as the dispatch receipt  of the  RTI application was annexed with the Second Appeal.

Thus the  Chief Information Commissioner directed the PIO_II of the university to ensure that a point wise response in accordance with provisions of the RTI Act is provided to the appellant by 30/06/202 under an intimation to the Commission as well.

In his three pages order the CIC also asked the PIO to remain cautious while dealing with RTI Applications and second appeals in future, since excuses such as non receipt of RTI application is not acceptable when the appellant has annexed copy of receipt.

The commission in its written order also noted  that if such a lackadaisical approach is encouraged then the purpose of the RTI Act 2005 will be defeated.

 

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Jammu Development Authority is entangled in Over 500 Court Cases, reveals RTI

 RTI Reveals JDA is entangled in 542 Court Cases

 Jammu, 15/Apr/2022: Established for  Preparation of Master Plan, Planned development of the Local Areas of Jammu and for providing housing accommodation to economically weaker sections and low income groups,  the JDA, Jammu Development Authority has entangled itself in legal battles as it has become party to over 500 court cases.

Jammu Development Authority, the government body responsible to ensure proper development of Jammu district and building law enforcing agency is presently facing 542 court cases including cases in  High Court and Supreme Court of India.

The information has been provided by Ajay Raina (KAS) Public Information Officer of the JDA under the Right to Information Act.

In reply to RTI application of Jammu resident Raman Sharma regarding the pending cases in different courts wherein   JDA   has been arrayed as appellant or respondent , the JDA vide its letter no JDA/AO/RTI/265/15 dated 04/Apr/2022 has stated  that there are 542 court cases wherein JDA has been arrayed as party in the cases.

In its reply, Ajay Raina, Accounts Officer and  Public Information Officer of Jammu Development Authority has informed that there are 136 Cases Pending in Subordinate Courts, 404 in Honourable Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court and 02 cases pending in Supreme Court wherein Jammu Development Authority has been arrayed as party in these court cases.

RTI application seeking this information related to court cases was filed in the first week of February 2022 with the JDA and as per law, the information  should have been provided to the applicant within 30 days that is  in the month of March 2022, but in the present case the Public Information Officer has provided information to the applicant  after a long delay which is clear violation of the Right to Information Act 2005.

JDA Dumbs RTI Plea Seeking Info About Land Encroached by Mafias

 Jammu, 24/March/2022: Contrary to its claims of transparency and action against Land Mafias,  Jammu Development Authority, JDA  has failed to provide information about the total  land belonging to JDA is under occupation of Land Mafias and so far vacated and retrieved by it. 

Jammu resident Raman Sharma had filed an application dated 31/January/2022  under Right to Information Act with the JDA along with requisite fees as Indian Postal order  bearing number 57F 913108 , the information seeker in his plea had sought details about the total land owned by JDA,  land under occupation of Land Mafias and also the detail of land so far retrieved and vacated by JDA from Land Mafias during the past 6-7 years.

The  RTI application was sent by way of Speed Post under receipt having no. EE894488167IN dated 31/01/2022.

As per the postal department online tracking system, this RTI plea was delivered to Jammu Development Authority on 01/Feb/2022 and under section 7(1) of the Right to Information Act  2005, the Public Information Officer of the JDA was legally bound to provide this information or reject it within 30 days i.e.  on or before 02/March/2022 but as per the statement of the Information Seeker the JDA has not provided any information or intimation to the applicant about his RTI application so far and has preferred silence.

Citing section 7(2) of the RTI Act 2005, the applicant informed  that wherein the PIO fails to give decision on an RTI application within 30 days time limit, it is deemed refusal and this deemed rejection of information  by JDA is illegal and arbitrary and he would contest it before the appropriate authority.

The information seeker further  disclosed that the other queries in his RTI application include seeking the detail of total number of cases pending against the Jammu development authority in Subordinate Courts of district Jammu, before the Honourable High Court and Honourable Supreme Court of India.

Government Shelves Jammu_Poonch Railway Line Project, Railway Board terms It ‘Financially Unviable’

 

RTI Reveals

Government  Shelves Jammu_Poonch Railway Line Project, Railway Board terms It  ‘Financially  Unviable’

Jammu, 17/March/2022: Government of India has shelved the prestigious Jammu Poonch Railway Line project for which the final survey report was submitted in year 2018 with an estimated cost of rupees 22,771 crore for laying Broad Gauge (BG) rail line connecting Jammu with  border district Poonch via Rajouri.

The information in this regard has been shared by Ministry of Railways Government of India in response to two different Right to Information applications by a Jammu based information seeker Raman Sharma.

In  response to the RTI pleas of the applicant,  Railway Board vide its Letters dated 07-March-2022 and 15 March 2022,  signed by Pankaj Kumar, Director Projects and Central Public Information of Railway Board has stated that the Survey for new railway line between Jammu to Poonch having length of 223 K.M was completed in 2017-18 but the project could not be taken forward being ‘ financially unviable’. The signed reply by the CPIO  further states that the survey has been shelved with the approval of the Railway board.

While responding to another query of the applicant  regarding any other proposal as on date  pending with the ministry of Railways for providing and Laying Rail Line between Jammu to Poonch, the Railway Board officer replied in negative and stated that presently there is no proposal under consideration for this line.

It is pertinent to mention here that Connecting border districts of Rajouri and Poonch with Jammu has been a decades old pending demand of social and political organization of these border districts.

 

https://theprint.in/india/jammu-poonch-railway-line-project-shelved-for-being-financially-unviable/877813/

https://infra.economictimes.indiatimes.com/amp/news/railways/jammu-poonch-rly-line-project-shelved-for-being-financially-unviable/90302414

No Proposal from J & K Pending for Including any Community in ST Status: MoTA in RTI Reply

 

No Draft from J & K Pending for Including any Community in ST Status:  MoTA in RTI Reply 

Jammu, 31/Dec/2021: The Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs has stated that as on date no proposal is pending in the Ministry from the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir for including any Community in Schedule Tribe Status.

The written  information from the ministry has come in response to an RTI Application filed by a Jammu based RTI activist.

Earlier an application under Right to Information Act was submitted by RTI activist Raman Sharma with the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, government of India through online application dated 25^th Dec 2021 seeking information regarding total number of applications of different communities belonging to Jammu and Kashmir pending with government  of India for their inclusion in Schedule Tribe Status.

The ministry of Tribal Affairs vide online RTI registration no MOTLA/R/E/21/00671 dated 28/12/2021 provided the information to the information seeker Sharma and stated that  “As on date  No proposal is pending in the Ministry from the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir ”

JKIMPA Organizes RTI Training Session

 

Jammu, 15/July/2021: Jammu and Kashmir Institute of Management, Public Administration and Rural development(JKIMPA & RD)  campus in Jammu today organized an interactive session on Right to Information Act for Senior Assistants . Over eighty officials of the J & K  UT government from different departments belonging to Jammu division attended the program.

The RTI training program is one of the various initiatives taken up by the IMPA as per the instructions of Saurabh Bhagat, Director General, JKIMPA to provide training to the officers & officials of the J & K   government for their overall  capacity building and to familiarize them with different laws to bring more synergy and professionalism in the governance system.

The training session on RTI Act is held under the supervision and guidance  of Prof. Reva Sharma, Director Training(Jammu). During the event, Manju Kapoor, Course Coordinator welcomed the participants and also threw light on preamble and  basic principle of the Right to Information Act that is to bring transparency and accountability in the governance system, she also asked the participating officials to utilize the expertise of the visiting faculty and go through the course material provided to them which is again prepared by the subject experts. Raman Shama, RTI Practitioner also held interactive session with the trainee officials  and explained different sections and provisions of the Transparency law. During the session, Course Coordinator and guest faulty also replied various queries of the trainees related to the RTI Law.

J & K Bank Rejects RTI Plea

 

J & K Bank Refuses To Share Information about total Employees Appointed during Last 5 years

 

Jammu, 13/July/2021: Jammu and Kashmir Bank in response to an RTI application has refused to share information regarding  total strength of its employees as on date, the bank has also  denied information about the total number of employees appointed by it  bank during the last 5 years.  

 

Citing exemption under Right to Information Act, The Public Information office of the J & K Bank rejected the RTI pleas vide letter no. 1097 dated 06/July/2021 and  stated “desired information cannot be provided as the same is exempted under section 8(1) (J) of the RTI Act 2005 ”  .

 

The rejection order of the bank has come after one page RTI application by RTI activist Raman Sharma dated 19/June/2021, wherein the applicant had sought  8 points information including total number of permanent and contractual employees working in  the bank as on date, total number of appointments both permanent and on contractual basis made by the bank  during the last 5 years i.e. from 01/Jan/2016 to till date.

The other query of applicant Raman was about total number of permanent and contractual appointments of employees made by the bank with and without issuing advertisements and public notices.

Expressing displeasure over rejection of his RTI application, the applicant informed that he would adopt due legal procedure of appeal  as available under RTI Act 2005 against the rejection order of the Public Information officer of the J & K Bank Limited. He also said all the sought information was quite genuine and in larger public interest and added that instead of rejecting this kind of information the bank was under obligation to proactively disclose maximum  part of this information under section 4 of the RTI Act.

COPY OF RTICOPY OF RTI  REJECTION LETTER  BY JK BANK