Samachara Hakku

Samachara Hakku Chattam (RTI)

Submitted by udayakumar on Mon, 05/03/2010 - 16:42

Right to Information Act 2005 is a landmark legislation passed by the Government of India. It is one of the most powerful tools for ushering in Good Govenance. The Act came into force on the 12th October, 2005 (120th day of its enactment on 15th June 2005).

Government of Andhra Pradesh has constituted State Information Commission consisting of Sri C.D.Arha, IAS, (Rtd.,) as State Chief Information Commissioner, and Sri A. Subba Rao, Sri R. Dileep Reddy and Sri K. Sudhakara Rao as State Information Commissioners vide G.O.Ms.No.505, GA (I&PR.II) Department, Dated: 12.11.2005.

It is sad to know that still the Government Departments are ignoring RTI Act. It is clearly mentioned that all departments must publish the particulars of the organization, it’s functions and duties, this information is still not readily available. See the Section 4 (1) (b) of RTI and try to find out whether this information is there in the Government Department that you are visiting!

What the Section 4 of RTI says?

4. (1) Every public authority shall—

a) maintain all its records duly catalogued and indexed in a manner and the form which facilitates the right to information under this Act and ensure that all records that are appropriate to be computerised are, within a reasonable time and subject to availability of resources, computerised and connected through a network all over the country on different systems so that access to such records is facilitated;

b) publish within one hundred and twenty days from the enactment of this Act,—

  (i) the particulars of its organisation, functions and duties;

 (ii) the powers and duties of its officers and employees;

 (iii) the procedure followed in the decision making process, including channels of supervision and accountability;

(iv) the norms set by it for the discharge of its functions;

(v) the rules, regulations, instructions, manuals and records, held by it or under its control or used by its employees for discharging its functions;

(vi) a statement of the categories of documents that are held by it or under its control;

(vii) the particulars of any arrangement that exists for consultation with, or representation by, the members of the public in relation to the formulation of its policy or implementation thereof;

(viii) a statement of the boards, councils, committees and other bodies consisting of two or more persons constituted as its part or for the purpose of its advice, and as to whether meetings of those boards, councils, committees and other bodies are open to the public, or the minutes of such meetings are accessible for public;

(ix) a directory of its officers and employees;

(x) the monthly remuneration received by each of its officers and employees, including the system of compensation as provided in its regulations;

(xi) the budget allocated to each of its agency, indicating the particulars of all plans, proposed expenditures and reports on disbursements made;

(xii) the manner of execution of subsidy programmes, including the amounts allocated and the details of beneficiaries of such programmes;

(xiii) particulars of recipients of concessions, permits or authorizations granted by it;

(xiv) details in respect of the information, available to or held by it, reduced in an electronic form;

(xv) the particulars of facilities available to citizens for obtaining information, including the working hours of a library or reading room, if maintained for public use;

(xvi) the names, designations and other particulars of the Public Information Officers;

(xvii) such other information as may be prescribed; and thereafter update these publications every year