Hindustan Times: Chandigarh: Tuesday, June 25, 2013.
The UT
administration's seriousness in implementing the Right to Information Act (RTI)
can be measured from the fact that it has not yet appointed transparency
officers (TO), despite directions by the Central Information Commission (CIC)
in 2010.
For promotion
of institutional transparency within public authorities, the CIC had directed
all public authorities to appoint senior officials as transparency officers for
acting as a bridge between public authorities, people and the commission.
The duties of
a transparency officer include regular monitoring of the decisions of the CIC,
to act as a contact point for central public information officers (CPIO) and
divisional heads in respect of all RTI-related matters, and to constantly stay
in touch with the top management of a public authority about the strategy and
action required to promote transparency within the organisation.
Contacted, UT
adviser KK Sharma said they will take up the issue. However, UT additional
secretary (home and personnel) Prerna Puri was not available for comment
despite repeated attempts. Earlier, departments of the UT administration have
been accused of deliberately concealing and delaying information sought under
RTI.
Due to high
awareness amongst city residents, there has been a steep increase in
applications received by the administration under the RTI Act in the past few
years.
In 2012,
12,954 RTI applications were filed, while the figure for 2011 was 11,031.
UT estate
office, police and the municipal corporation received the highest number of
applications. The administration has generated over Rs. 4 lakh by way of
charging processing fee.
Criticising
the UT, city-based RTI activist RK Garg said that CPIO's concerned had found
ways to deliberately delay or not provide information under RTI. “Departments
have learnt convenient ways of throttling the RTI Act by stonewalling the
information,” he said.
Giving
examples, Garg maintained that he had sought information from the malaria
control wing in November 2012, and the health department and the municipal
corporation in April 2013, but is yet to get a reply. He alleged that in one of
the cases, the police department had refused to give information pertaining to
police welfare society despite orders from the appellate authority.
He said the
appointment of transparency officers would go a long way in the effective
implementation of the RTI Act and bring more transparency in the functioning of
government departments.
Role of
transparency officer
1)
To
set up facilitation centres within the premises of public authorities
2)
To
act as a bridge between public authorities, people and the Central Information
Commission
3)
Digitalisation
of documents and records
4)
Oversee
and help implement functions laid down under section 4(1) (a) and 4 (1) of the
RTI Act
5)
Responsible
for operating a user-friendly website for information related to the public
authority concerned
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