STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday launched the Jammu & Kashmir Right to Information (RTI) Online Portal at the Civil Secretariat, marking a significant step towards enhancing transparency and accountability in governance.
The launch event was attended by Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary, Cabinet Ministers Sakeena Itoo, Javed Ahmad Rana, and Javed Ahmad Dar. Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister Dheeraj Gupta, administrative secretaries and senior officers were also present.
In his address, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah congratulated the officers involved in developing the portal, emphasizing its transformative potential in simplifying the RTI application process for citizens.
“This initiative will provide easy access to government information under the RTI Act, empowering citizens with a faster, more transparent, and cost-efficient mechanism,” he stated.
The Chief Minister also urged the concerned authorities to ensure widespread publicity of the initiative so that citizens across Jammu & Kashmir become aware of its benefits.
Developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) Jammu and Kashmir, the portal introduces a shift from manual to online RTI applications. This transition enables citizens to submit RTI requests, track their status, and receive responses electronically, eliminating the need for physical visits to government offices.
Earlier, Secretary General Administration Department (GAD), M. Raju, delivered a presentation on the portal’s features, highlighting its accessibility, convenience, speed of processing, cost efficiency and role in promoting accountability.
He outlined the portal’s key functionalities, including its user-friendly interface, streamlined RTI workflow, and robust documentation features.
A unique feature of the portal is the issuance of a registration number to applicants via SMS and email for future reference, enabling easy tracking of RTI applications.
The portal integrates 61 government departments, 272 nodal officers/public authorities, 720 First Appellate Authorities (FAAs), and 3,419 Central Public Information Officers (CPIOs) and Public Information Officers (PIOs), ensuring comprehensive coverage and making the citizens informed about the activities of the Government.
Meanwhile, Balvinder Singh, a prominent RTI activist in Jammu and Kashmir, has lauded Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for launching the much-awaited online RTI portal.
Singh highlighted that the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019 led to the replacement of the State RTI Act 2009 with the Central RTI Act 2005.
While welcoming the integration with the central framework, he expressed concerns over certain gaps in the Central RTI Act. Notably, he pointed out the absence of a fixed timeframe for disposing of second appeals, unlike the 60-day period mandated by the now-abolished State RTI Act.
Balvinder recalling his own participation in the RTI Conference organized by the Central Information Commission (CIC) on September 3, 2013, Singh commended Omar Abdullah’s unwavering support for transparency.
During the valedictory session, Abdullah, the then Chief Minister of State, had openly criticized political parties for their double standards on transparency, stating, “It’s a little strange. We want transparency for others but not for ourselves.”
Abdullah further emphasized in the conference that transparency should be the guiding principle across all spheres of governance, including politics and administration, to ensure the rule of law and justice prevail.
Singh also expressed his disappointment with the central government, which, despite championing RTI while in opposition, has failed to uphold its principles. This concern was validated by the Supreme Court on January 7, 2025, which criticized the prolonged delay in appointing Information Commissioners to the Central Information Commission (CIC) and State Information Commissions (SIC). The apex court directed the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) and state governments to set clear timelines for filling these critical vacancies.
Balvinder Singh expressed his gratitude to the Chief Minister for fulfilling a long-standing demand of both RTI activists and citizens by introducing the online RTI portal.
He described the initiative as a significant reform aimed at enhancing transparency, promoting accountability in governance, and simplifying the process of filing RTI applications across Jammu and Kashmir.