Question: Period within which information seeker will get the information

[Rajesh Moza]

Act says that PIO can supply information within 30 days and in case information is not provided the information seeker shall appeal to appeallate authority under Section 19. Meaning wastage of another 30 days. My question is even if PIO delebrately avoid to provide information within 30 days, he cannot be questioned. Practically an information seeker gets information within 60 days and not within 30 days. Can you throw light on this.

Rajesh Moza

[wagh7]

Rajesh Moza sir,

The first period is 30 days in normal case (48 hours in Life and liberty case), If any PIO is not replying within 30 days/48 hours, it does not mean that the matter is left as it is, any body including applicant can ask for reasons and applicant can ask for some action on PIO while going for Ist appeal.

[mauryavip]

in many cases, the AA has also ignored the appeal or gave unsatisfactory reply. It required the info-seeker to go to CIC/SIC which has taken another many months. But in many cases the CIC/SIC has penalized the PA/AA/PIO too so that they learn a message of not taking the RTI Act 2005 so lightly. In this way the PA's are also in a period of learning and doing accordingly. As soon as the RTI Act spreads its meaning among the general public, PAs and info-seekers, we should have a hope that the PIOs/AAs and PAs will not ignore RTI applications in near future.

[colnrkurup]

Mr.Rajesh,
The 30 days prescribed is the maximum period. Please note the wording in the Act "....as expeditiously as possible, and in any case within thirty days of the receipt of the request....." The PIO may provide the information immediately. I had an incident where the information (photostat copy of a letter) provided to me by hand in 10 minutes. Kindly recollect the scenario, prior to the enactment of the RTI Act. Firstly provision of information was a taboo under the sheild of Official Secrets Act. Secondly the PAs could ignore the request for information with no accountability. Don't you consider this an achievement ?