Nov. 8, JAMMU: The Central Information Commission (CIC) has instructed the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir’s Public Authorities to voluntarily post information about various government programs on their websites in an effort to foster accountability and transparency. Furthermore, the transparency watchdog has emphasized the importance of making available to the public the distribution of funds, their use, and the work done so that information seekers can evaluate it quickly.
“In the interest of transparency and accountability, information related to Government schemes like Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Generation Act (MGNREGA), Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY), Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna (PMAY), and all health related schemes etc., which is permissible for disclosure under the RTI Act, 2005, should be voluntarily disclosed by the Public Authorities in the public domain,” the Central Information Commission noted in addressing a number of Second Appeals filed by the appellants after they were denied information by the Public Information Officers (PIOs) of various departments of the Government of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
While exercising appropriate caution and rigorous adherence to the provisions of Sections 8 and 9 of the RTI Act, the Public Authorities should make sure that the maximum amount of information is disclosed suo motu on their individual websites in accordance with Section 4 of the RTI Act. The CIC went on to state that any information that is covered by one of the exemption clauses must be removed using the severability clause outlined in Section 10 of the RTI Act.
It is important to note that while Section 8 of the Right to Information Act, 2005 states that there is no duty to provide any citizen with information pertaining to personal information whose disclosure has no connection to any public activity or interest or which would result in an unjustified invasion of their privacy, Section 4 of the Act outlines the obligations of the Public Authorities to disseminate information and make it available to the public.
According to Section 9 of the Act, a Central Public Information Officer or a State Public Information Officer, as the case may be, may deny a request for information if doing so would violate copyright that belongs to someone other than the State, without affecting the provisions of Section 8.
The RTI Act’s beloved goal of an open government can only be achieved if all public authorities follow proactive disclosure guidelines. The Central Information Commission has stated in various orders issued to the Public Authorities of J&K that Section 4(2) of the RTI Act requires every Public Authority to provide as much information suo-motu to the public at regular intervals through various means of communications, including the internet, so that the public need not resort to the use of the RTI Act.
In the interest of the general public, the Commission has also instructed Public Information Officers (PIOs) to make sure that information about the distribution of funds under various schemes, how they are used, and the developmental projects that are carried out are voluntarily posted on websites.
Additionally, the CIC noted that “public authorities should voluntarily disclose information in the public domain, such as appointment orders, notices of advertisements, and lists of public officials, especially those pertaining to government development schemes as requested in various RTI applications and which are permissible for disclosure under the RTI Act, 2005.”
