Chief minister Omar Abdullah on Friday launched Jammu and Kashmir’s online Right to Information portal, ending a 12-year wait as petitions before the lieutenant governor’s administration gathered dust for years.
“In a case of better late than never, the citizens of Jammu and Kashmir have, at last, got their own RTI portal,” Omar said in a social media post.
An official spokesperson said the launch marked a significant step towards enhancing transparency and accountability in governance. The launch was attended by deputy chief minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary, other ministers and officers.
In his address at the meeting, Omar emphasised its transformative potential in simplifying the RTI application process for citizens. “This initiative will provide easy access to government information under the RTI Act, empowering citizens with a faster, more transparent and cost-efficient mechanism,” he said.
Omar also urged the authorities concerned to ensure widespread publicity of the initiative so that citizens across Jammu and Kashmir become aware of its benefits. The National Informatics Centre (NIC), Jammu and Kashmir, launched the portal.
“This transition enables citizens to submit RTI requests, track their status, and receive responses electronically, eliminating the needfor physical visits to government offices,” the spokesperson said.
“The portal integrates 61 government departments, 272 nodal officers/public authorities, 720 first appellate authorities and 3,419 central public information officers and public information officers,” he said.
The Centre launched its RTI portal in 2013 and immediately directed all states to do so.