Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, Jan 2: A significant implication of the Central RTI Act having been extended to the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh is that now even the non-residents, who do not belong to Jammu & Kashmir, will have the right to file an RTI application in Jammu & Kashmir in a matter or issue pertaining to J&K government or J&K Public Authority.
Earlier, the non-residents or non-State Subjects did not have the right to file such an RTI application in the erstwhile State of Jammu & Kashmir .
This was disclosed here today by Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh after a meeting with Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) of India, Sudhir Bhargava who called on him, on the eve of the expiry of his CIC term next week.
Dr Jitendra Singh, who is also the Minister In-charge DoPT (Department of Personnel & Training), the nodal Ministry for Central Information Commission, informed that the final modalities of the working of the Central RTI Act and Information Commission in Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh will be worked out in the near future, after due consultation with the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.
Chief Information Commissioner updated the Minister about the recent activities of the Central Information Commission, including the status of the Central RTI Act having been extended to Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh after the creation of these two Union Territories.
While the Central RTI Act was enacted in 2005, the erstwhile State of Jammu & Kashmir did not implement it on the plea of Article 370 and instead enacted its own “J&K RTI Act”.
Sudhir Bhargava who is completing his term as Chief Information Commissioner next week also updated Dr Jitendra Singh about the remarkable progress made in the clearance of pendency of RTI applications.
Pertinent to mention that following the Parliamentary Amendment in the RTI Act brought by the DoPT last year, the applications have been invited for filling up of available vacancies of Information Commissioners, as per the new terms and conditions.
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