The Shillong Times: Shilong: Sunday,
October 23, 2016.
Many
activists in the State who have unearthed several scams using the Right to
Information (RTI) tool feel that the government should make the process online
along with the usual practice of submitting RTIs before the Public Information
Officer.
CSWO
president Agnes Kharshiing said many times, they are not given complete
information and RTI applicants have to run from one government office to the
other to file RTI.
“Sometimes
the PIOs say the application fee has to be paid through challan but as per the
Act, the application fee has to be paid in cash,” she said, adding that the
online process, besides the existing system, would be helpful.
In many
instances, the Public Information Officer refuses to receive the RTI
application and asks applicants to go to different offices for the same.
RTI activist
Angela Rangad also narrated similar experience and said sometimes applicants
face problems in filing RTI.
The Right to
Information Act, 2005, mandates timely response to citizens’ requests for
government information and the tool has
been effectively used by NGOs and individuals in Meghalaya to bring several
shortcomings and scams in the public domain.
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