ITANAGAR, 17 Dec: The All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU) has called for proper implementation of the e-filing mode of complaints and appeal in the state as well as online Right to Information (RTI) link portals for the citizens.
In a representation addressed to the chief secretary, the apex student body on Tuesday expressed dismay over the poor implementation of the e-filing portal launched by the state administrative reform department (ARD), saying that “the available source online RTI link portal provided by the ARD is not properly operational and defective causing technical error.”
In the representation, AAPSU RTI secretary Kurung Dolo cited the judgement of the Supreme Court of India in the matter of “Kishan Chand Jain vs Union of India & Ors,” wherein the apex court stated that “access to information is integral to securing the right to information, which is a necessary concomitant of right to equality under Article 14, the freedom
of speech and expression under Article 19(1) (a) of the Constitution and the right to life under Article 21. Accordingly, we direct that all SICs across the country must provide hybrid modes of hearing which shall be at the discretion of the applicant, or case may be, the appellant. The links for availing of the option must be stipulated in the daily cause list of the information commission across the country. This shall be operationalised no later than by 31 December, 2023.”
Dolo, while informing that the government of Arunachal Pradesh had launched an RTI online application portal through the ARD on 18 May, 2014 for the convenience of the citizens, claimed that “the e-filing portal has not been properly implemented as the available source online RTI link portal provided by the ARD is not properly operational and defective, which causes technical error; as such the true sense of implementation of e-filing, portal as directed by the apex court is technically and practically ineffective.”
“Moreover, it has been more than 12 months of the order passed by the apex court and the poor implementation for providing the option of hybrid mode of hearing and e-filing seeking information and availing information in the official portal is just a myth and eye wash for the applicant and citizen as a whole, as the appellants cannot file or seek any information from the portal provided. As such the applicant seeking information at the official government launched portals does not operate or provide information properly, thereby the applicants are facing hurdles.
“The portal provided by the authority concerned does not serve the purpose of e-filing due to poor technical services, showing different technical issues while entering in the portal page for filing any application and submission of RTI request from the portal/RTI link provided, ultimately harassing the applicants and citizens,” Dolo claimed.
The AAPSU has appealed to the authorities to look into the matter and initiate appropriate actions to direct the ARD/state or service provider to comply with the order of the Supreme Court.
