Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Sept 2: J&K’s online RTI portal is apparently “restricting” applicants from filing First Appeals before 30 days, a feature that RTI applicants say violates the provisions of the RTI Act, 2005.
Applicants alleged that the portal wrongly displays the message: “First Appeal can only be filed after 30 days or after disposal of RTI application,” which they termed illegal, arbitrary and contrary to the law.
One of the applicants, activist Syed Farhat, pointed out that in cases concerning life and liberty, the law mandates that information be provided within 48 hours and that appeal rights cannot be blocked for 30 days.
“In specific cases Public Information Officers (PIOs) are legally bound to reply within 7 days, and denial or delay gives the applicant the immediate right to file a First Appeal,” he said.
Blocking timely appeals, he said, violates citizens’ fundamental Right to Information.
The applicants maintained that the present ICT design of the RTI portal amounts to a statutory violation, defeats the very purpose of urgent disclosure mandated under the law and undermines transparency and accountability in governance.
In this regard, a formal complaint has been submitted to the concerned authorities and the Government of J&K, urging immediate corrective action.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
