New Delhi: Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh on Thursday said that the Central Information Commission (CIC) would start hearing Right to Information (RTI) Act applications of applicants from the UTs of J&K and Ladakh from tomorrow.
He said this by after meeting the Chief Information Commissioner Bimal Julka, who called on the Union Minister here. The Minister said that applicants from J&K and Ladakh can file RTI applications from home and no one has to travel outside even for appeals to the CIC. “This will usher in a new culture of “Justice from Home”, said Singh.
“Applicants from both the UTs can file first appeal before the Officers designated by them and can avail the facility of hearing from home for 2nd appeal before the CIC. Moreover, the applicants can file RTI anytime through the online mechanism” a PIB spokeperson said.
The Minister also informed that any citizen of India can now file RTI pertaining to matters related to J&K and Ladakh, which was reserved to only citizens of erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, before the abrogation of Article 370 last year.
J&K Right to Information Act 2009 and the rules were repealed and Right to Information Act 2005 and the Rules there were enforced from October 31 last year.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 taken by the offices of Ministry of Home Affairs, DoPT and Central Information Commission.
He informed that till May 10, 111 second appeals/complaints (fresh cases) from J&K have been registered in the CIC consequent to the Reorganisation Act, 2019.
“Training for 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 with DoPT,” he said.
At present, all information commissioners are hearing cases and CIC headquarters are functioning with 33 percent official staff. Senior Information Commissioners are hearing cases from the office over video conferencing, it added.
CIC to begin hearing RTI cases from J&K, Ladakh today added by Press Trust of India on
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