State Level RTI : Jammu and Kashmir

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State Level RTI : Jammu and Kashmir

Law

The Jammu and Kasmir Right to Information Act 2009 was passed by the State Legislature and it received the assent of the Governor on 20 March 2009. This law replaces an earlier law called the Jammu and Kashmir Right to Information Act passed by the State Legislature on 18 December 2003 and notified in the Government Gazette on 7 January 2004.The Government of Jammu and Kashmir has published the Jammu and Kashmir Right to Information Rules, 2009 on 20th July, 2009.

Notably, due to the special constitutional position occupied by Jammu and Kashmir, the Central Right to Information Act 2005 is not applicable in Jammu and Kashmir. Civil society groups, activists and advocators of transparency and accountability had been advocating for the adoption of a progressive Information Access law in J&K. CHRI has worked closely with government and civil society organizations and activists in the campaign for enacting an Information Access Law in J&K. 
 

Details of Fee & Costs

Application Fee

Rs 50/-, Free for those below poverty line

Mode of payment

Cash/ Indian Postal Order/ Demand Draft/ Bankers Cheque

Additional Fees:

  

A-4 / A-3 size paper copies

Rs 10/-

Legal size paper

Rs. 15/-

Larger paper

Actual cost

Sample or models

Actual cost

Floppy/diskette

Rs 75/-

Compact Disc

Rs. 100/-

Inspection of records

Free for the first hour, and Rs. 15/- for each subsequent hour or a fraction thereof.

Publication & Printed form

Fixed price for such publication or Rs. 2/- per page or photocopy for extract from the publication. No fees shall be charged from people below poverty line.
 

State Information Commission Contact Details

Jammu Office
Wazarat  Road,
Near DC Office Jammu
0191-2520927. 0191- 2520947,
0191-2520937
email: informationcommission@gmail.com
 

Srinagar Office

Old  Assembly Complex ,
Srinagar , Kashmir.
0194-2506661 , 0194-2506662.
email: informationcommission@gmail.com,

website: http://jksic.nic.in/

Newsupdates, Activities & Advocacy

  • Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) conducted a three day capacity building training of trainers for civil society representative in Srinagar in collaboration with the J&K RTI Movement from 28th to 31st July, 2011. The training was conducted to build civil society capacity to train people and promote the use of the J&K RTI Act at the community level. The participants were taken through the provisions of the J&K RTI Act 2009 and Rules, and trained to file meaningful and precise information requests under the J&K RTI Act. A resolution was also adopted at the end of the training workshop and sent to the Chief Information Commissioner of Jammu & Kashmir. The resolution adopted enjoyed good media coverage. A report of this training is being prepared and will soon be uploaded on CHRI website.Click here to see photos taken during the course of the training.
  • The General Administration Department (GAD) of Jammu and Kashmir has sent out a circular (no.25/dated 05.06.2009) 'Implementation of Jammu and Kashmir Right to Information Act, 2009' introducing a template of the 'Information Handbook under the Right to Information Act' to facilitate and maintain uniformity of information of the organization that every public authority has to publish within 120 days from the commencement of the Act and disseminate through various means as provided under Section 4(b) of the J&K RTI Act, 2009.
  • The Government of Jammu and Kashmir tabled The Jammu and Kashmir Right to Information Bill, 2009 (the Bill) in the J&K Legislative Assembly on 7th March 2009. The Bill contains provisions that are similar to The Right to Information Act, 2005 (Central RTI Act) enacted by Parliament. The Government has claimed that this Bill is intended to bring the erstwhile law governing people's access to information from public authorities in J&K, on par with the Central RTI Act. The Government of J&K for taking this important step towards fulfilling an electoral promise made to the people of J&K. Before tabling the Bill in the J&K Assembly, the J&K Government advertised the draft Bill in the public domain inviting people to comment on its provisions. Civil society organisations in J&K and elsewhere in India and abroad welcomed this decision as it provided an opportunity for people to participate in the making of a seminal law that aims to transform the fundamental operating principle of Government from obsessive secrecy to compulsory openness. However a reading of the text of the Bill tabled in the J&K Assembly reveals that the Government has ignored almost all the important recommendations made by civil society organisations for strengthening the Bill further. Of the 29 recommendations submitted by CHRI to the Department of Law, only one minor change has been incorporated fully in the Preamble. The public consultation process has been reduced to mere eyewash. CHRI has outlined the major problems with the provisions of the Bill.
  • The J&K Government has drafted a Bill to replace the J&K Right to Information Act 2004 as amended in 2008. This Bill seeks to replace the old law in toto. The draft Bill is closely modeled on the provisions of the Central Right to Information Act enacted in 2005. The text of the Bill tabled in the J&K Assembly on 7th March 2009 indicates that hardly any recommendation made by civil society organisations has been incorporated in the Bill. The public consultation has been reduced to mere eyewash. CHRI has further made 28 recommendations based on the experience gathered regards the implementation of the Central RTI Act in other parts of India. These modifications, if incorporated into law, can secure people's right to information in a more effective manner in J&K.
  • The government of Jammu and Kashmir has prepared a revised Draft Bill on Right to Information Act to bring the State law at par with the Central Right to Information Act 2005. The Draft Bill will be posted on the website of the General Administartion Department for soliciting public opinion, after which the Cabinet will again discuss the draft. The Law Department will issue a notification in this regard to seek public opinion on the Draft Bill. (Source: Greater Kashmir, 20 February 2009)
  • The Government of Jammu and Kashmir tabled a set of amendments to theJammu and Kashmir Right to Information (Amendment) Bill, 2007 on 31st August. The objective of the Bill is to bring the state RTI Act passed by the legislature way back in 2003 at par with the Right to Information Act (RTI Act), 2005 passed by the Union Parliament. The state government pressed for the passage of the Bill and the J&K Legislative Council gave its approval to the amendments. The Bill is soon to be presented to the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir for his assent. CHRI has submitted an analysis of the short comings of the J&K RTI Act and the Amendment Bill to the Governor requesting him to withhold his assent to the Bill. CHRI believes that the Amendments remain inadequate because they do not effectively secure the fundamental right to access information for citizens in Jammu and Kashmir. If the Amendment Bill becomes law, citizens will have inferior rights in matters relating to seeking and obtaining information from the Government as compared to that enjoyed by citizens in other parts of the country.An Urgent Action Appeal has been sent to media,the Information Commissioners and civil society partners. ((11/09/07)
  • The State Government of Jammu & Kashmir has decided to table the Jammu & Kashmir Right to Information (Amendment) Bill, 2007 in the current session of the legislature. The Amendment Bill proposes among other things to set up a State Information Commission which will give decisions within a maximum of 60 days on the complaints and second appeals filed by citizens who have been denied access to information. CHRI has prepared an analysis and submission on the proposed amendments and submitted it to the State Government and legislators. An urgent action appeal is being circulated to urge the State Government to refer the amendments to a Joint Select Committee of both Houses of the State Legislatore for detailed discussions and for holding widespread public consultation.
  • SCOPE (Society for Consumer Protection and Environment) has been advocating with the State and Central Government for the amendment of the Jammu and Kashmir Right to Information Act in light of the more progressive provisions of the RTI Act 2005. SCOPE has written letters to theChief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir and Sonia Gandhi, NAC Chairperson,highlighting deficiencies of the current Act and the need for amendments. 
    For more information: Contact Paul La Porte at SCOPE, 7 Panj Bakhtar Road, Jammu-Tawi, Jammu and Kashmir, Tel: 191 2548534, Email: '; document.write( '' ); document.write( addy_text38820 ); document.write( '</a>' ); //--> or paul.laporte@scopeforchange.org

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