Ignoring rti query? Be ready for a pay cut

[karira]

As reported by Matang Seshagiri , The New Indian Express Saturday Aug 2 ,2008 , BangaloreEdition.

IGNORING RTI QUERY? BE READY FOR A PAY CUT

Babus and Information officers, better take the RTI applications seriously ..Else settle for a poor pay hike.

In what could change the way the Govt officials share information with public ,the Karnataka Information Commission(KIC) has asked the Government to link performance appraisals of officers to their attitude towards implementing the RTI Act.

In its First ever report to the Government , the KIC has recommended that specific Columns be included in the annual Confidential Reports of officers to show how they treat applications under RTI Act. " The self assessment report of the Public Information officers must include information regarding the number of RTI applications received by them and their disposal." The report submitted to the Govt states.

As part of its maiden annual report laid in both houses of the state legislature , the KIC has called for several stringent action against officials who deny the public their right to know.With increasing number of Information officers reporting that important records sought by the applicants have gone missing , the commission has called for brininging in a comprehensive legislation to regulate the management , administration and prevention of public reports.

"We have noted that maintenance and management of records in all govt offices have been neglected for a long time. Many officers are making fraudulent claims that permanent records relating to lands have gone missing.To tackle the Menace of missing public records we want the state to implement a legislation similar to the Public records Act 1993 with provision to take punitive action against those indulging in unauthorized destruction of records ." A KIC official said .

As the police are not Registering FIRs wherever any public record or document has gone missing ,the Commission has asked the government to direct that loss of govt records be treated as theft or criminal breach of trust." The police must record an FIR and start investigating in all reported cases involving loss of importance public records." the report states.

[vijendra singh]

Such best steps for improving the implementation of RTI Act are certainly welcome & must be implemented in all govt offices without fail.