Re: Welcome DoPT circular to upload RTI response on website: More required to reduce RTI petitions (see attachments)
REJIMON C K
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Welcome DoPT circular to upload RTI response on website: More required to reduce RTI petitions (see attachments)
It refers to Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT) issuing circular to upload RTI petitions and responses on websites of public-authorities. Many public authorities like Railway Board were already doing so, with few cases of reported misuse. In handling RTI workshops, it was brought to notice that at times postal-envelopes with RTI responses returned undelivered because no such address/addressee existed. But simultaneously first appeal also reached which could be possible only on going through RTI response on website by ‘non-existing’ petitioner! However rare cases of misuse must not become hurdle in reforms.
DoPT must concentrate on use of section 4(1)(b) of RTI Act and its circular dated 15.04.2014 about sue-motto disclosure. Administrative and monetary punishments should be there on concerned ones still not caring about sue-motto disclosure even after nine long years of introduction of RTI Act in the country.
Every public-authority must compulsorily have a portal like www.pgportal.gov.in where members of public may made submissions in 4000-charcter limit with special characters not barred providing registration-number to be resolved in a time-bound period.
To avoid RTI Act being misused for fun, publicity etc, RTI fees should be raised uniformly to rupees ten with provision to provide first twenty copied pages free-of-cost where presently many public-authorities and states including several High Courts having RTI fees of even rupees 500 by misusing sections 27 and 28 of RTI Act. Waiver of RTI fees and copying charges already exists for persons below poverty line, even though big contractors misuse it by getting RTI petitions filed in name of labour below poverty-line.
Union government should take strict-most action against officers of Hyderabad and Nashik security printing-presses who declined to accept request of postal-department (on CIC-recommendations) to issue RTI stamps stating shortage of paper. It is ridiculous that postal-authorities spend rupees 37.45 (now even more) on handling a postal-order as per fiscal-year 2011-12 to recover RTI fees of rupees ten. RTI stamps must be issued at the earliest in interest of all concerned and to save revenue on high cost of handling postal-orders.
SUBHASH CHANDRA AGRAWAL
(Guinness Record Holder & RTI Activist)
1775 Kucha Lattushah
Dariba, Chandni Chowk
DELHI 110006 (India)
Mobile 9810033711 Fax 23254036
E-mail subhashcha...@gmail.com
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25.10.2014
DOPAT/E/2014/02723