RTI activists demand better implementation of Act in UP
Neha Shukla, TNN | Jul 17, 2012, 03.14PM IST
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/RTI-activists-demand-better-implementation-of-Act-in-UP/articleshow/15016952.cms
LUCKNOW: The poor implementation of the RTI Act in UP is a matter of
concern. As many as 500 RTI users expressed their opinion on the poor
state of the Act and on ways to improve its implementation during a
five-day campaign organised by the RTI activists that ended on Sunday.
On the concluding day, RTI activists from all over the state organised
a protest at Vidhan Sabha to highlight the plight of the RTI users and
the failure of RTI Act.
It was on July 11 that the activists had launched a signature campaign
to mop up public opinion on the half-hearted implementation of the Act
in the state.
The campaign had got more than 500 signatures of RTI users from across
the state. The opinions submitted by the RTI users show that most of
them had problems dealing with the Public Information Officers (PIOs),
who, in turn, did not have full understanding of the Act.
The Act provides that if a PIO receives an RTI application concerning
any department other than his, he should transfer the application to
the concerned department. However, many of the users shared that their
applications were sent back to them, and they were asked to re-send
their applications to the departments concerned.
The users have also shared their opinions extensively on the first
appeals authority.
As per the Act, the first appeals authority, who are senior most
officers in the department, should dispose of the appeal in the
presence of the appellant. But, in UP, the first appeals authority is
hardly active.
In whatever little number of cases they act, the appellant is hardly
called to appear in person for the hearing into the matter. The
activists had decided to submit the collective opinion and their
charter of demands to the governor, chief minister and the leader of
the opposition.
"We have spoken to the governor and chief minister's office and also
the leader of the opposition, they have assured to listen to us," said
the activist Urvashi Sharma.
The RTI Act came into effect on September 14, 2005. It was on March
22, 2006 that the UP State Information Commission (UPSIC) started
functioning. The commission, since then, has got a huge pendency of
RTI applications to clear.
The people who have been associated to the commission have also sent
in their opinions. They have demanded a separate budget for the
commission so that it can act fast and provide timely disposal of RTI
matters.
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