A set of new entrepreneurs launches business ventures to help RTI applicants

Economic Times: New Delhi: Saturday, 23 August 2014.

With more and more people using the Right To Information Act to ensure government redresses their grievances, a set of new entrepreneurs have emerged to tap the market by starting ventures that help RTI applicants to file applications and also follow it up.

The online apps offer services like filing application, tracking it and filing complaint with the information commission hasslefree. These ventures which started a few years back are fast gaining popularity.

All that you have to do it is submit personal details like name, contact number, address an queries online. Thereafter, a team of experts will work on the requirement and frame the questions as per the RTI Act to minimise possibility of its rejection and post it to the concerned public authority. Most of these agencies charge anything between Rs 75 to 150 per application. They also provide personal tracking number to track the application until its disposal.

As per the RTI act, a citizen can file an application in a prescribed format for seeking information from any public authority by paying a Rs 10. However, due to lack of awareness, people often seek assistance of lawyers and RTI activists. While the Union government has launched an online portal for filing RTIs with certain central government departments, no such facility is available for state government departments. Nevertheless, last year, about 50 lakh RTI applications were filed across the country.

Bangalore based OnlineRTI, which claims to have received about 33,450 RTI applications since its formation last year, is run by a team of 14 professionals.

"Since this is the only tool for many to resolve their problems such as passport delay, land dispute, pension, provident fund refund and others, we see a huge demand for our services," said Pradeep Bhatt, an IITian and cofounder of the portal. The portal expects to receive one million applications in coming three years, he added.

Many other portals are providing similar services. An online app called RTINation.com which charges Rs 150 per application claims to have filed over 10,000 applications. Similarly, another online portal RTIanonymous allows applicant to file applications anonymously. There are also portals which provide free services. For instance, RTIindia.org run by Hyderabad based RTI expert CJ Karira provides a platform for RTI applicants to seek assistance and discussing happenings in the transparency law. "About 150 members are signing up every week and at present we have more than 4lakh members," said Karira.

Yet another non-profit venture - govwatch - launched on this Independence Day intends to help people who want to file anonymous public interest RTI on issues like black money, benami property transactions or report corporate malpractice. "At present we are running the site on internal fund but as we grow big in future, we would be looking for donations to expand our operations," said Manan Pandya, a Bangalore based IT professional and founder of govwatch.in.