| Make promotion, transfer orders public: SIC to DSEJ | | | Early Times Report
Srinagar, June 23: The State Information Commission (SIC) has issued direction to Director School Education Jammu (DSEJ) for making all the promotion and transfer orders of staff members of education department public through its official website.
Details available with Early Times reveal that an information seeker namely Vilakshana Singh advocate filed an application under J&K RTI Act 2009 before PIO in the office of Directorate of School Education Jammu (DSEJ) , seeking details about promotion and transfer of masters of some distrcts in Jammu division. The PIO, Directorate of School Education Department, Jammu failed to provide information within stipulated time in respect of RTI application filed on 09-12-2015.
Appellant Vilashkana Singh submitted before SIC that information sought in respect of points 3-6 should otherwise be available in the Directorate of School Education, Jammu as the masters are promoted and transferred by Director, School Education and not by Chief Education Officers. Appellant has made a prayer that PIO be directed to provide complete information in respect of points 3-6 and penalty be imposed on him for causing delay in providing incomplete information. Appellant has also prayed that Director, School Education, Jammu be directed under Section 16(9)(a) of the J&K RTI Act, 2009 to keep a record of the place of postings of Masters and other employees who are promoted and transferred by the order of Director, School Education, Jammu.
The Joint Director/FAA, Directorate of School Education, Jammu, Personal Officer/PIO, Directorate of School Education, Jammu and the appellant Vilakshana Singh were heard by SIC via video conferencing from Jammu office of the Commission on May 31st 2016 .
Appellant Vilashkana Singh submitted that in respect point 3, information for Samba and Poonch Districts have not been provided to him. PIO informed that information from Samba District have been collected and shall be provided to the appellant at the conclusion of hearing. As regards to information of Poonch District, FAA submitted that it shall be provided within one week. Appellant however submitted that there were discrepancies in the information.
SIC in its order ruled, "Commission has taken a serious note that in-spite of two adjournments, PIO has not provided complete information. Therefore, PIO, Directorate of School Education, Jammu is directed to provide said informationwithin 10 days. Commission agrees with the plea of appellant that information in respect of points 3-6 should have been in the Directorate of School Education, Jammu, as promotions and transfers of masters are made by the Directorate of School Education, Jammu and not by the CEO's. Ordinarily such type of information should be placed in the public domain as it gets covered under the provisions of Section 4 of the Act. Also suo moto disclosure of information with regard to promotions and transfers would reduce the workload of public authority. In view of the above, Director, School Education, Jammu is directed to put in public domain all promotion/transfer orders, which are done within the ambit of Directorate of School Education, Jammu within one month and a compliance report be filed to the Commission accordingly. Registry to mark copy of this order to Commissioner/ Secretary, Education Department, Civil Secretariat, J&K". |
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