New Delhi,  August 25: "The RTI disposal rate had remained unaffected by the pandemic and was even higher in some months," Union Minister Dr.Jitendra Singh said while addressing a meeting of the CIC and State Information Commissioners. He also added that ever since the NDA Government came into power in 2014, Transparency and Citizen-Centricity became the hallmark of the Governance Model.

 

 

He said that in the last six years, every conscious decision was taken to strengthen the Independence and Resources of the Information Commissions and all vacancies were filled as fast as possible.

 

 

Referring to statistical figures, Singh said that the rate of RTI disposal remained unaffected by the pandemic and from March to July 2020, disposal of cases by Central Information Commission was almost equal to the preceding year. He further said that in June 2020, RTI disposal rate was higher than June 2019 and everyone took note of that adding that this reinforced vigor proved to society and the nation that nothing can deter the working of Prime Minister Narendra Modi Government.

 

Singh also suggested that the Information Authorities should ponder to avoid the avoidable RTIs and emphasized that almost all information today is in the public domain. Furthermore, the Minister also informed that any citizen of India can now file RTI pertaining to matters related to J&K and Ladakh, which was reserved to only Citizens of erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir, before the Reorganisation Act of 2019.

 

It is pertinent to mention here that consequent to the passing of the J&K Reorganisation Act 2019, the J&K Right to Information Act 2009 and the Rules there under were repealed and Right to Information Act 2005 and the Rules there under were enforced from 31.10.2019. This measure was widely hailed by the peopl of Jammu and Kashmir and the Administration of the UT.