Technical glitch renders J&K RTI portal defunct, chokes information
Srinagar, Jul 9: At a time when the government is promoting use of Right to Information (RTI), as a tool to promote transparency and accountability for better governance, frequent tech glitches in the J&K Online RTI Portal is causing widespread concern.
Several RTI applicants and RTI activists, with whom Greater Kashmir spoke with, said that while filing RTI applications, many times the RTI portal website displays errors due to one or other reasons, making it difficult for applicants to file their RTI applications promptly.
As per RTI activist MM Shuja, in order to ensure transparency and accountability for good governance, authorities should make it convenient for the general public to file RTI. “We often find the portal rendered dysfunctional by tech glitches, which hampers the smooth filing of RTI applications. Efforts must be made to make this site functional round the clock. In the digital era, when all areas of life are dominated by digitisation, it is imperative to make the RTI portal up and running,” said Shuja.
Earlier on Wednesday, Azad Parwaz, a lawyer and general secretary north Kashmir, Youth PDP took to social media highlighting the erratic functioning of the RTI portal. “The JK Online RTI Portal, launched by the CM @OmarAbdullah with much praise, worked well for a while but has now been down for a long time. This is a serious blow to transparency and people’s right to know. It’s clear the government is taking public accountability for granted. Such long silence and inaction show how little they care once the cameras are off. Citizens deserve answers, not just photo ops,” Parwaz wrote on X.
Apart from RTI activists, common people are also irked by the repeated technical errors shown by the RTI portal.
Mehraj Ahmad, a private teacher from Handwara, said that although the form on the RTI portal gets filled and submitted but its further processing fails. “I often face issues while submitting RTI applications on the portal. Although the form gets filled and submitted, the request fails afterward with an error message saying ‘this site can’t be reached’,” said Ahmad. “As a result, the application does not go through, and we don’t receive any confirmation,” Ahmad further said. Meanwhile, MM Shuja also suggested that in government departments, only gazetted officers should be designated as Public Information Officers (PIOs) for prompt replies of RTIs within the stipulated time. He said non-gazetted Public Information Officers (PIOs) are helpless to get replies to RTIs from their seniors. “I raised the issue last year with the Chief Secretary also, during a meeting convened by him,” Shuja said.
He also suggested revamping the websites of all government departments to enable them to get information without filing a physical RTI. “The names and mobile numbers of officers on the sites have not been updated even after their transfer or retirement from service. Landline numbers given on the websites are not working. Due to the non-availability of the Information Commission in J&K, aggrieved applicants have no option but to file their cases at the Central Information Commission (CIC) Delhi, where Second Appeals are being heard at least after six months to one year,” said Shuja. For redressal of grievances, the government should reconstitute the Information Commission or special benches for Second Appeals every month in Kashmir Valley as well as in Jammu Division, he added.
Repeated calls and text messages to Minister for Information Technology Satish Sharma for his comments on the issue went unanswered.
