CIC asks CPIO's to discharge their duty with full awareness that they are the petitioners facilitators

[karira]

In a recent order, CIC has asked CPIO to be the petioners (applicants) facilitators:

http://cic.gov.in/CIC-Orders/AT-22042009-07.pdf

Commission would expect that CPIOs discharge their duty as transmitters of information to the applicants with the full awareness that they were also required to be the petitioners’ facilitators ⎯ their friends and guides. Section 7 of the RTI Act casts this obligation / duty on CPIOs. It is, therefore, important that wherever it becomes necessary to return a petition to the applicant due to certain deficiencies, CPIO should attempt to have that deficiency suitably corrected rather than use it as reason for denying or withholding information. A constructive and facilitative approach to the request for disclosure of information goes a long way in building trust between the petitioners and the public authority. CPIOs, therefore, shoulder an important responsibility and it is expected that they rise up to it.