Lack of staff has affected functioning: J&K Info Commission

Taking a dig at the government for not providing enough staff to it, the Jammu and Kashmir State Information Commission (JKSIC) has said its working has been affected as some positions have remained vacant and sanction for fresh ones delayed for more than a year.
Sanction of a "bare minimum of 17 posts" was needed to smoothly run the working of all three offices of the Commission -- at Jammu and Srinagar with the central office in Darbar Move, the JKSIC said in its annual report for the 2011-12 fiscal, which was tabled in the state legislature earlier this month.

This sanction was awaited since the last one year, it said.
"As on March 31, 2012, the number of sanctioned posts was 35, out of which 30 posts were filled and remaining posts were vacant. The Commission, in view of administrative dispensation of the state, has to run and maintain three offices. This has resulted in posting of bare minimum staff in three offices, which is not possible to meet out within the existing strength of staff," the report said.
In order to cover the shortfall, the JKSIC had proposed creation of additional 35 posts, however, this requirement was reviewed and limited to 17 posts.

"The Commission proposed creation of additional 35 posts. This requirement was further reviewed and rationalised to a bare minimum of 17 posts needed to be created to smoothly run the working of all three offices of the Commission," it said.

"The sanction of these posts is awaited since last more than a year with the result smooth working of the Commission has got affected and it could not fully organise different sections of the Commission like Registry, Monitoring and Reporting, Legal Cell etc," the report said.
The number of RTI requests received by public authorities here has shown a gradual increase since the inception of the Act in 2009, it also said.

While in 2009-10, 741 RTI applications were received, in 2010-11 the numbers rose to 3,110. In 2011-12 fiscal, the number of RTI applications received by various public authorities climbed to 12,136, with total revenue collection of Rs 5,88,214 by way of RTI application fee and copy charges.