Times
of India: Mumbai: Thursday, 30 October 2014.
Maharashtra
has recorded the maximum use of the sunshine Right to Information (RTI) Act,
2005. The state has received the highest number of queries under RTI and its
rate of disposal is also the highest. In 2012, 6.8 lakh queries were received,
and in 2013 the number rose to 7.5 lakh.
Between 2012
and November 2013, 73,968 RTI complaints and appeals were received across the
state. During the period, 61,442 cases were disposed of. State information
commissioners have also imposed a penalty in 844 cases for not providing
information in time. The penalty imposed collectively amounts to Rs 94.2 lakh.
In 106 cases, the commissioners also ordered compensation to be paid, which
collectively amounted to Rs 4 lakh.
The pat on
the back comes from the RTI Assessment and Advocacy Group and Samya-Centre for
Equity Studies that released their report 'People's Monitoring of the RTI
Regime in India 2011-13' on October 12. According to the report on the state
RTI website, total pending cases as on September 2014 stood at 29, 556.
State chief
information commissioner Ratnakar Gaikwad has a record of clearing more than
750 appeals per month. Earlier, the central information commissioner Shailesh
Gandhi had a record of clearing 500 appeals in a month. Gaikwad said with eight
offices for appeals, pending cases were quite low. "Recently, I also
helped clear a large number of appeals in Pune. The problem area is Amravati
division where the chief information commissioner has been in coma since 10
months. I have written to the governor asking him to appoint a new
commissioner," he said.
Gandhi said
the state had a far better track record than most other states and also the
Centre. "Two recent resolutions on taking Anti-Corruption Bureau out of
RTI Act's purview and allowing only those queries that are in public interest
are bad. Another worrying sign is public information officers are not as
forthcoming with information as they were seven years ago.''
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