Thousands of RTI Cases Pending in Kerala

After so many years of the implementation of Right to Information Act most Government agencies in the State are yet to make voluntary disclosure of information, which is one of the key ingredients of the Act aimed at bringing in transparency.

According to the Act, all Government departments and public sector undertakings are supposed to publish details like employees’ names, designation, qualification and salary, fund utilisation and status of projects on their websites. Even nine years after the implementation of the Act, only a few departments have published these details, that too after repeated directives from the State Information Commission.

“Many officials complain they were burdened by a large number of applications. It’s true that a good number of RTI applications pertain to personal matters. But had all Government agencies published basic details on the websites and kept updating them, their work would have been easier”, said State Chief Information Commissioner Siby Mathews.As of now about 8,875 RTI cases are pending, of which 2,423 are appeals.

“The law only makes the Public Information Officer (PIO) answerable for any delay in giving information sought under the Act, whereas no action is taken against any lapse from the first appeal authority (usually the immediate superior of PIO). Hence many first appeal authorities do not seriously consider appeals against PIOs,” said Siby Mathews.

Src- http://www.deccanchronicle.com/141013/nation-current-affairs/article/8-875-rti-petitions-pending-kerala

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