RTI pleas are on panchayats

[karira]

As reported in navhindtimes.com on 28 August 2008:
Navhindtimes.com - News and Features from Goa, India

RTI pleas are on panchayats


PANAJI � Panchayats seem to be the focus of the applications received under the Right to Information Act, 2005. Of 3877 applications received last year, 1705 applications sought information relating to panchayats with sources maintaining that this year too the trend seems to be similar.

The RTI Act is a law enacted by the Parliament giving citizens access to records of central and state governments and applies to all states and Union territories except Jammu and Kashmir. This state is covered under a state-level law.

Under the act the citizen making the request is not obliged to disclose any information except his name and contact particulars.

The Act specifies that citizens have a right to request any information (as defined), take copies of documents, inspect documents, works and records, take certified samples of materials of work and obtain information in form of printouts, diskettes, floppies, tapes, video cassettes or in any other electronic mode or through printouts.

At least 216 applications sought information on the transport department, 204 applications were on the public works department and 174 applications on the collectorate.

There were only 80 applications seeking information on the town and country planning department.

This year the commission received around 150 complaints and appeals put together. Last year 70 complaints were received by the panel, of which 53 were disposed of, while 102 appeals were received, of which 82 were disposed of.

The Act provides for setting out a practical regime of right to information for citizens to secure access to information under the control of public authorities in order to promote transparency and accountability in the working of every public authority, the constitution of a Central Information Commission and state information commissions and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.

In pursuance of section 15 of the act the state government constituted the Goa Information Commission consisting the state chief information commissioner and one state information commissioner vide notification dated March 2, 2006.

Section 26 of the Act lays down the various steps to be taken up by the state government for the implementation of the RTI Act. The steps include the development and organising of educational programmes to teach the public, in particular from the disadvantaged communities, how to exercise the rights under this act, to encourage public authorities to participate in the development and organisation programmes referred to in clause (a) and to undertake such programmes themselves and to promote timely and effective dissemination of accurate information to the public authorities about their activities.

Under the Act, all authorities covered must appoint their public information officer and any person can submit a request to the PIO for information in writing. The PIO is obliged to provide information to any citizens who requests information under the Act. If the request pertains to another public authority (in whole or part) it is the PIO�s responsibility to transfer/forward the concerned portions of the request to a PIO of the other within five days.

In addition, every public authority is required to designate assistant public information officers to receive RTI requests and appeals to be forwarded to the PIOs.

The Act specifies the reply is to be given within 30 days of receipt and if the request has been made to an APIO, the reply is to be given within 35 days of receipt.

If the PIO transfers the request to another public authority (better concerned with the information requested), the time allowed to reply is 30 days but computed from the day after it is received by the PIO of the transferee authority.

Information concerning corruption and human rights violations by scheduled security agencies (those listed in the Second Schedule to the Act) is to be provided within 45 days but with the prior approval of the Central Information Commission.

However, if life or liberty of any person is involved, the PIO is expected to reply within 48 hours.