Budget allocations for RTI and Implementation Guidelines

[karira]

DoPT has announced a specific Budget and Implementation Guidelines for "Strengthening, Capacity Building and Awareness Generation for effective implementation of the RTI Act.

The Budget allocations are:

2008-09 Rs. 8.07 Crores
2009-10 Rs. 14.03 Crores

Total: 22.10 Crores.

The Budget will be used for:

1. Strengthening and Capacity building: This includes strengthening of the SIC's through IT enablement, Video Conferencing with districts, digitization of appeals/complaints, MIS for appeals/complaints and a "online" filing mechanism for appeals and complaints. It also includes a small component for propagation of RTI .
2. Training: This budget will be used for supporting training institutes to undertake training of all stakeholders, translation and publication of guidelines in local languages and capacity building for staff of CIC, SIC and DoPT.
3. Propagation of RTI : Awareness generation through Audio-Visual media and DAVP, advertisements in rural post offices and on other postal media.
4. Education: Reading material for RTI through NCERT, printed material for students and teachers, National and Regional workshops by DoPT, surveys and studies on implementation of RTI by DoPT

The full Guidelines are attached to this post.

[taurus]

This is a welcome move. But more emphasise should be laid on strengthening the SIC/CIC. They should be provided with more facilities for quick and efficient disposal of appeals and complaints. Whereever this could be done by technology, that should be provided. Where technology cannot help manpower should be provided.

[karira]

As reported by Mathang Seshagiri in expressbuzz.com on 24 November 2008:
And now, file RTI pleas online

And now, file RTI pleas online

BANGALORE: Exercising your right to know has just got easier. The Centre has launched a multi-crore, user-friendly scheme that aims to connect all district headquarters with State Information Commissions through video conferencing, introduce the Right to Information Act in school textbooks and use postcards to create awareness about the all-empowering legislation.

The Department of Personnel and Training will anchor the scheme on capacity building and awareness generation for effective implementation of the RTI Act during the Eleventh Five Year Plan. All State Information Commissions will be granted up to Rs 30 lakh for setting up video conferencing facility between district headquarters, dak digitisation for easier management of appeals and complaints and online complaint appeal mechanism. Recently, the Central Information Commission launched an online system for submission of appeals and complaints under RTI Act.

“The Karnataka Information Commission had already taken up disposal of cases at the district level. The information commissioners travel to different districts every month and hear cases pertaining to local public authorities. With this poor people need not come to Bangalore during an appeal or a complaint . We have received the guidelines from the Centre.

A high level committee (see box) has already been constituted under the chairmanship of chief secretary to monitor the progress in effective implementation of the scheme,” K A Thippeswamy, information commissioner, KIC, said.

Help by post

DoPT will choose select training institutes to conduct workshops and take up creation and translation of guidelines into regional languages.

Department of Posts will be roped in for extensive use of post offices to promote RTI among rural people. All village post offices will display information posters on the provisions of the Act and post cards will carry advertisements about the Act.

The department will coordinate with the National Council for Education Training and Research (NC ERT) to formulate reading material for students and teachers.

The Centre has already approved Rs 26.68 crore for training, propagation of RTI and education
.
High-level panel on RTI

The state government has constituted a high-level committee under the chairmanship of chief secretary Sudhakar Rao to monitor the progress in implementation of the Right to Information Act and organise mass awareness programmes in the state. The 10-member committee has additional chief secretary, State Chief Information Commissioner K K Misra, director general and inspector general of police, principal secretaries of revenue, finance and DPAR (Janaspandana Cell) departments and secretaries of education, DPAR and information and tourism departments. The Karnataka Information Commission secretary will provide the data on pendency and on other issues pertaining to implementation of the Act.

[shehla]

i havent seen much being done in MP. tHERE IS HARDLY ANYTHING DONE IN THE NAME OF AWARENESS BY THE INFORMATION COMMISSION

[karira]

Originally Posted by shehla

i havent seen much being done in MP. tHERE IS HARDLY ANYTHING DONE IN THE NAME OF AWARENESS BY THE INFORMATION COMMISSION

Actually, under Sec 26 of the RTI Act, it is the obligation of the "appropriate government" (State or Centre) to conduct awareness about the RTI Act.

Please read the online RTI Act here: act.rtindia.info

In MP, there must be a "Nodal Department" for RTI . Generally it is the General Administration Department (GAD). You can file a RTI application with them to find out what programmes have they conducted, the budget available, the actual amount spent, etc. for creating RTI awareness.

Unfortunately, that is the situation in all States and even the Centre.
In fact, the amount spent on Publicity/Awareness of RTI by the Centre is actually less than the amount of penalty recovered from PIO 's by the CIC !!!