Monday, July 29, 2013

Nagaland: increase in RTI applications

Morungexpress: DIMAPUR: Monday, July 29, 2013.
Since the inception of the Nagaland State Information Commission (NIC) on March 14, 2006, the number of applications, complaints and appeals filed before the commission under Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005, has shown a gradual increase over the years.
Beginning with 46 RTI applications received by NIC in the first year (2006-07), the number of RTI applications showed a positive growth trend each year. During the 2011-12 period, the number of applications rose to 2206.
According to NIC’s ‘Annual Report 2011-2012’, year-wise break up of RTI applications received from 2006-07 to 2012-12 are as follows: 2006-07 (46 RTI applications), 2007-08 (187), 2008-09 (399), 2009-10 (590), 2010-11 (1105) and 2011-12 (2206).
This indicates an increase of 80% to 100% in the number of RTI applications each subsequent year. District-wise RTI applications received by the NCI in the last seven years places Mokokchung district at the top the RTI graph with 340 RTI applications and Longleng at bottom with 15 applications.
From 2006 to 2010, the directorates received the highest number of RTI applications. However, from 2011 onwards, the district offices received the highest number of applications, indicating that RTI awareness has reached the grass root level, the report stated.
Among the number of RTI applications received by various State public authorities and departments from 2006-07 to 2009-10, the Transport department leads the chart with 430, followed by Rural Department (214), School Education (165), Health& Family Welfare (112), Police (107) and Food & Civil Supplies (99).
In contrast, departments and public authorities like Art & Culture, Border Affairs, Science & Technology, Nagaland Hotels Limited, NKVIB and Land Resources Development have received nil applications during the same period.
Of the total 52 complaints received by the commission under Section 18 of RTI Act, 2005, all the complaints were disposed and there is no pendency till date, the NIC report stated. Likewise, of the total 41 appeals received by the commission under Section 19 of the RTI Act till 2012, all were disposed.
The total fees, cost of information and penalty collected by NIC from 2006-07 to 2011-12 stood at Rs. 37, 073; Rs. 1,09,086 and Rs. 2,53,250 respectively, summing up a total revenue of Rs. 3,99,409.
Nagaland State Information Commission is headed by a Chief Information Commissioner and two State Information Commissioners. Besides, there are 163 first appellate authorities (FAA), 583 public information officers (PIO) ad 499 assistant public information officers (APIO) to assist the commission in disposing with the growing numbers of RTI applications.