Nagaland Information Commission launches Hybrid Mode of Hearing

January 19, 2024 12 Views No Comment

Kohima, January 19 (MExN): The Nagaland Information Commission (NIC) in a big push towards Right to Information (RTI) launched the Hybrid Mode of Hearing at the New Nagaland Commission Complex, Kohima on January 18. The launch was done by the Chief Information Commission I Meyionen Jamir

A DIPR report stated that the Commission stressed the importance of technology in ensuring access to justice by providing a hybrid mode hearing to all litigants for the hearing of complaints and appeal which shall be at the discretion of the applicants/appellants. It is also to provide e-filling of complaints and appeal in a streamlined manner to every litigant.
The NIC has now two studios for conducting virtual/online hearing of appeal and complaints through video conferencing which will facilitate applicants/appellants/ complainants, especially from remote areas to participate in hearings without the need of traveling to Kohima or NIC and at the comfort of their homes.

The applicants also have the option to attend the hearings of the Commission either by physical appearance or by virtual hearing using mobile applications like Google Meet, Zoom, Cisco WebEx, Bharat VC etc.

Besides, applicants have the freedom to utilise the video conference studios which are readily available in the office of the National Information Centre in all the District Headquarters. Also under the direction of the Supreme Court, a facility for online filling of second appeal and complaints to the Commission is now made available under the e-service portal (previously known as e-district project) by registering in the portal at http://service.nagaland.gov.in.

The Commission has also compiled the e-mails and mobile numbers of the FAAs PIOs and APIOs of all the Public Authorities in the State. It will give alerts to the FAAs and the PIOs as when second appeal and/or complaints are filed online to the Commission on the above given portal/link. While filing online second appeals or complaints, the applicant also need to upload their RTI application or first appeal mandatorily and care should be taken to file or submit to the rightful public authority.

“The above facilities are now available in the Commission and the citizens have the option to choose physical or virtual mode.

However, it is made clear that the physical filing of second appeals and complaints are not done away with but continue to exist along with the virtual mode,” the report stated.

The virtual hearing of the second appeal with the office of Deputy Commissioner Zunheboto facilitated the launching of the Hybrid Hearing in Nagaland.