Srinagar: J&K RTI Foundation on Sunday welcomed the appointment of APIO’s/PIO’s/FAA’s and suo-moto disclosure of information by Jammu and Kashmir Bank Limited which was brought under RTI on June 17.
Chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Right to Information Foundation, Er. Irfan Banka, while congratulating and welcoming the J&K Bank’s move said: “Section 4 of J&K RTI Act 2009 says that every public authority shall publish within one hundred and twenty days certain information, suo-motu, at regular intervals through various means of communications, including internet, so that the public have minimum resort to the use of the Act to obtain information.”
He said the Bank has published information on its website under the link https://www.jkbank.com/others/common/rtibank.php displayed at the footer of the website which is not so prominent to the viewers and must be put at the top of website under headings. He said Information related to STRUCTURE OF RTI IN J&K BANK UNDER JAMMU AND KASHMIR RIGHT TO INFORMATION ACT, 2009, MANAGEMENT/ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE OF J&K BANK, and J&K BANK FUNCTIONS/DUTIES has been put on the website within just a week’s time after the bank was brought under RTI which is really appreciable and will reduce the number of RTI applications by a good percentage.
“The Bank has designated 812 APIO’s, 11 PIO’s and 11 FAA’s within one week only which could serve as an example for other government departments, and infact for the SAC itself, who are yet to appoint PIOs/FAAs and/or disclose suo motu information as per section 4 of the J&K RTI Act.” He congratulated the interim Chairman and MD Mr. R.K. Chibber and requested him to direct all the Public Information Officer’s to render reasonable assistance to the persons seeking information as per law and pin the detail’s of APIO’s/PIO’s/FAA’s to the notice boards of the branch offices.
“The team of J&K Bank dealing with the RTI should go through the guidelines of DoPT Government of India wherein a detailed procedure for implementation of the act and especially section 4 has been given for public authorities.”
Sheikh Maqbool who is Spokesperson of J&K RTI Foundation said, “Most of the information related to the Jammu and Kashmir Bank can be put through a search engine on the website of J&K Bank as the bank is completely digitalized”.
