Pune Mirror: Pune: Monday,
April 28, 2014.
The search
procedure for circulars on the official website of the Right to Information
(RTI) Act (http://rti.gov.in) has recently been re-jigged. However, it doesn't
look like it's been changed to simplify the process.
On the
contrary, a new search engine has been put in place that makes it mandatory for
visitors to know the specific date, topic, category and sub-category in order
to track a particular circular. Also, information like mode of payment for RTI
fees, circulars, advertisements and office memorandums, that were up front as
per their date of issuance from the year 2005, have gone missing.
Irked, RTI
activists are up in arms against this change and claim that it is being
purposely done during the elections as political parties do not want the RTI
Act to flourish in this country. City-based RTI activist Vihar Durve claimed
that earlier, all circulars issued were displayed according to date.
"This is
an attempt to harrass those who need to look for a particular circular by
asking them to fill all the search sections mandatory in order to retrieve
information," Durve said.
"With
the new system in place, you need to know the exact date, topic, category and
sub category in order to find the circular. Considering the level of literacy
in this country, who will know all details?" he demanded. "We are all
stake-holders and they should have asked before making these changes. All
political parties have opposed the RTI Act.
This shows
that they are against it and, considering this change, we have reason to
suspect that it is a result of political conspiracy." City-based RTI
activist Vijay Kumbhar claimed that this change amounts to criminalisation of
governance as the information, which was earlier available easily, has
unnecessarily been made complicated to discourage those who wish to seek it.
As an
example, Kumbhar cited a search for property owned by a particular person. As
of today, this search option has been disabled. "There is definitely a
purpose behind making the information, which is otherwise available online,
complicated." When asked about the change, Shailesh Gandhi, former Central
Information Commissioner (CIC), claimed that many times, while making one
change, three other things go wrong in the case of government websites.
Admitting to
not having seen the changes personally, he said, "However, if they have
launched a new information management system, they should also make available
search circulars by date as data management system often gives you an option to
search by using a multiple tag option."
"In 99
per cent cases, if such flaws are pointed out, they are corrected," he
added. Durve has written a letter to Director of Information Rights, seeking a
change in the present system.
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