Where should the buck stop? Is RTI Act limited to Grievance redressal like getting passport, voter ID, EPF?

**Dr. Pathak** · 01-02-2010, 01:35 PM

Where should the buck stop? Is RTI Act limited to Grievance redressal like getting passport, voter ID, EPF?

How do we use it constructively, say to help Government in formulating newer policy, or doing gap analysis on ongoing projects e.t.c.

What are your view points?

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**drsunilpshenoy** · 01-02-2010, 05:00 PM

As far as i understand, the RTI is not a grievance redressal act. It is meant for securing Information on any action or inaction by government machinery. The fact that grievances often get redressed by placing officials in a difficult situation is a collateral advantage of the Act. Please correct me if i am wrong.
Any wrong action committed by an official if proved by information secured under the Act would help in improving administration provided the higher ups are inclined to act on the complaint. In India, in the present scenario, we can keep going higher and higher, keep giving RTI applications at each level to goad them into action until we finally encounter the rare honest official who wishes to do something but whose hands are tied by his political master. Nonetheless, RTI Act is the best bet at present to expose corruption. Information Commissions should be more strict and penalties should be more than the paltry amounts imposed, that too sparingly at present.

**fightin498a** · 01-02-2010, 05:31 PM

Sponsorer

Well, I look at the RTI Act in two ways...

Firstly, it's purely an act to help the Stupid common Man in getting the information from the government authorities that can elevate him from his stupidity.
Secondly, the same Stupid Common Man can unearth the information buried under tones of files, and bring many facts to the forefront which could even show the inherent stupidity of the govt. authorities.

By using the RTI Act for the above two purposes, it's but inevitable that a lot of grievances are resolved for the Stupid Common Man.
So evidently, grievance redressal is just a byproduct of the actions taken by the Stupid Common Man according to the Act!

**Bimal Kumar Khemani** · 01-02-2010, 05:32 PM

Originally Posted by kushal

Where should the buck stop? Is RTI Act limited to Grievance redressal like getting passport, voter ID, EPF?

How do we use it constructively, say to help Government in formulating newer policy, or doing gap analysis on ongoing projects e.t.c.

What are your view points?

The buck does not stop here. Let us use RTI in case we do not get proper information, we sould fight to get the PIO penalised. In case the penalty is imposed than we should write the Appropriate authority to evove CONDUCT OF SERVICE RULES against the PIO to get him suspended and we start doing it, just imagine the scenarion which would emerge, there after.

**fightin498a** · 01-02-2010, 05:42 PM

Having said that, I come to the Question asked here.
Even if the Buck should stop somewhere, the time for it to stop is not even close yet. There are still a lot of hurdles within the act itself, that needs to be ironed out first to make it even 50% effective of what it's intended to be.

One of the example of such hurdles, I can give, is the rampant misuse of the powers given in Section 28 of the Act. Look at the immensely prohibitive rules made by most of the State High Courts! Do you think they're even close to the spirit of the original RTI Act with the citizen-repelling rules they've made?
e.g. have a look at the RTI rules made by the Karnataka HC and the Orissa HC. Both these courts have made it extremely painful and expensive, if not virtually impossible, for the common citizens to get any information from any courts in the state.
Can anyone correct them?

**vijaynaru** · 01-02-2010, 06:42 PM

The whole system is corrupt.I am in the process of filing RTI application in regard to the misuse of Laws by the Police and Income Tax autorities.

I am working with NGO Save Indian FAmily, Gender Human Rights Society, Save Family Foundation and we have achieved a great success agains the women (particularly wives) who are misusing the 498a.

I filed one RTI To police asking me to provide the amount of Rs. as claimed to be spent on the marriage as it is observed that parents of brides are basically spending huge amount and not paying anything in income tax.

We are shocked to find the reply of some districts that above 2.5 Lacs of cash transaction has been taken place. Whereas as per Inocme Tax Act no transaction above 20 000/- is permissible as per act.

But the hurdle is our Information Commissioner sitting in the CIC has lack of courage like that of Hon'ble Wajahat Habibullah.

I had a look on the book published by V.K,Puri on RTI Digest , but it is totally in favor of PIOs, AAs etc whereas there is one more book in the market which is written by Dr. Neeraj Kumar on RTI Act by Bharat Publication , that book really is worth buying.

The reluctance of the PIOs and AA is very high in providing the informaiton even when they have been fined , showcaused , but they are making every effort to frustrate the applicant.

But lets not get tired by their efforts which they want.