Times of India: Nagpur: Tuesday,
February 14, 2017.
The BJP-Shiv
Sena government in the state has directed various departments and agencies to
effectively implement RTI Act in the state. On February 1, Maharashtra general
administrative department (GAD) issued a circular directing all departments to
implement recommendations made by State Information Commission (SIC) during the
last 10 years.
The circular
specifies 15 new measures that would will help in effective implementation of
RTI Act. One of them is conducting a test for the employees on provisions of
RTI Act. After media criticism about delay in getting information under the RTI
Act, the Union Centre appointed all 10 central information commissioners. In
the state, too, all eight posts of commissioners have been filled.
"This is
a new precendent. Since enactment of RTI Act in 2005, Central Information
Commission (CIC) never witnessed full strength. In January this year, state
government too appointed all posts of information commissioners," says RTI
activist Avinash Prabhune.
According to
Prabhune, SIC publishes annual report regarding implementation of RTI Act in
the state and it has given about 60 recommendations between 2006 and 2013. It
appears earlier governments had mostly ignored them. Now the state government
has directed the officials for proper and timely disposal of RTI appeals by
giving full details of first appellate authority and timely transfer of RTI
application to authorities' holding information.
The
departments have also been asked to nominate senior officers having experience
as first appellate authority and there should be proper reasoning while
claiming exemption from providing information or rejecting RTI application.
The circulat
says there should be proactive disclosure of information as per Section 4 of
RTI Act. Free of cost information up to 50 pages should be provided to BPL
category applicant. It will help in avoiding misuse of RTI under the garb of
BPL category. Earlier, no money was to be charged from BPL applicants.
The officials
have also been asked to take up computerization and indexing of records at
government offices for fast dissemination of information.