Srinagar May 6 (KNS): The Jammu & Kashmir Govt is mulling to provide online RTI application facility along with first appeal to the citizens very soon. This was revealed by the General Administration Department (GAD) in a reply provided to an RTI activist named Syed Adil from Ganderbal.
The RTI Activist Syed Adil who is a senior member of Jammu & Kashmir RTI Movement (Incharge IT cell) had sought information related to online RTI facility from Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeITY) Govt of India in January this year. Adil’s RTI application reads :
“ Whether the Central Government or Jammu & Kashmir Administration proposes to set up Online service of RTI Application in Jammu & Kashmir UT if so, the details thereof. If not, the time by which such facilities are likely to be set up or easily available in the said UT – Jammu & Kashmir as LT LG J&K claimed all offline services have been shut down after 15th January 2023? Whether the Central Government or Jammu & Kashmir Administration has also launched ‘RTI Application Services’ on 15th January 2023 if so, the details thereof”
The Ministry forwarded the RTI application to Department of Personnel & Trainings (DoPT) Govt of India who further forwarded it to General Administration Department (GAD) of J&K Govt.
The GAD vide its RTI reply dated 2.05.2023 told RTI applicant Syed Adil that online RTI filing and first appeal was under active consideration of the Govt.
The response provided by Mohit Raina -Under Secretary who is the designated Public Information Officer (PIO) in GAD reads:
“ It is informed that the matter with regard to registration of Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir with Online RTI portal of Department of Personnel and Trainings (DoPT) GoI , for facilitating the general public to file online RTI applications and first appeals is under active consideration in the GAD in consultation with Govt of India. As soon as the modalities are finalized , the same shall be shared in public domain through designated website www.gad.jk.nic.in “
Meanwhile Chairman J&K RTI Movement Dr Raja Muzaffar Bhat has welcomed this move and hoped that by May end online RTI application filing along with first appeal will be a reality. He congratulated Syed Adil for doing advocacy for online RTI using Right to Information Act (RTI) as a tool. " It is heartening that Adil did this advocacy for online RTI application filing and his tool in this work was the simple application filed under RTI Act " said Dr Raja Muzaffar.(KNS)