Asks PIOs to study RTI law carefully
Irfan Tramboo
Srinagar, Oct 19: After the implementation of the Jammu and Kashmir Re-Organization Act more than 2 years ago, the Government Medical College (GMC), Srinagar has now woken up to implement the Central Right to Information Act, 2005 after the complaints that the controlling officers were providing incomplete or wrong information to the applicants leading to increased first appeals.
As per officials, it was noticed that the controlling officers who received the applications seeking information used to either delay reply or used to furnished incomplete, false information with the result there were increased first appeals filed by the applicants, prompting the authorities to ensure effective implementation of the Central Act.
They said that the Jammu & Kashmir Re-Organization Act, 2019 extended the applicability of the Central Right to Information Act, 2005 to the UT of J&K replacing the Jammu & Kashmir Right to Information Act, 2009 which granted access to seek information held under the control of any public authority only to the residents of the erstwhile state.
“As a matter of consequence, citizens from all over the country have become eligible to seek information from public authorities of UT of J&K under the provisions of RTI Act, 2005,” reads a communication issued by the GMC, Srinagar here.
A communication issued in this regard stated that information sought under RTI Act needs to be provided in the stipulated time frame as envisaged in the provisions of the Act, “however, it has been often observed that the controlling officers to whom the applications stand forwarded for providing of requisite information either exceed the stipulated time frame or provide incomplete/misinformation leading to ?ling of First appeals by the applicants.”
To hold back the increasing tendency towards contravention of the provisions of the Act on part of controlling of?cers, GMC said that it has become imperative to nominate PIOs/APIOs at a subordinate level so that applications received under the Act shall be transferred to concerned PIO’s under section 6(3) of the Act for direct transfer of information to the applicant.
“…And hence, any contravention of the provisions of the Act shall be liable upon concerned PIO & concerned APIO from whom the assistance is sought by P10, as the case may be, which would result in effective implementation of the act under rules,” the GMC said.
In this regard, the GMC has nominated the PIOs, APIOs in consonance with Section 5 (1) of the RTI Act, 2005 for various quarters of the GMC, Srinagar.
For GMC’s Administrative Block, Personnel Officer, GMC, Srinagar has been designated as PIO, while as All Desk Officers/ Sectional Heads have been designated as APIOs; Principal GMC, Srinagar has been designated as First Appellate Authority.
For various departments of GMC, Srinagar, the concerned Head of the Department has been designated as PIO, while as for JK Paramedical & Nursing Council, Controller Examination, JK Paramedical & Nursing Council has been nominated as the PIO.
For the GMC’s Govt College for Nursing, Shireen Bagh, Govt AMT College, concerned Principal has been designated as the PIO, while as for GMC’s Associated Hospitals, concerned Medical Superintendent has been designated as PIO.
For all the GMC Quarters, APIOs will be nominated by the PIO concerned depending on the information sought by the applicant, while the First Appellate Authority remains the same throughout.
Further, GMC has impressed upon all the PIOs nominated that the applications seeking information not held under their control “shall in no case be rejected for acceptance,” instead the said application should be immediately transferred to the concerned PIO of GMC, Srinagar on the same day for necessary action.
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