Report to suggest measures to improve RTI

DNA: Mumbai: Sunday, 12 October 2014.

Despite it being the most widely used Acts, the RTI Act continues to have low awareness. A report will be out on October 12, also celebrated as the ninth anniversary of the RTI Act, recommends a slew of measures to improve its implementation. Besides awareness, lack of uniform rules across India that aid further implementation and an overhaul of the responsibility of the first appellate authority, are some others.

The report 'Peoples' Monitoring of RTI Regime in India' is compiled by RTI Assessment and Advocacy Group and Samya-Centre for Equity Studies. It is a feedback received from a network of RTI activists, study of various state information commissions and central information commission and focuses on Delhi, AP, Assam, Rajasthan, and Bihar, in particular for data analysis.

As per the findings, 36 per cent in rural and 38 per cent urban areas, have heard of the Act. The report suggested that fictionalise success stories should be popularised and making RTI mandatory in school curriculum.

As per the report, those who wanted to use RTI wanted to do so for grievance redressal. The statistic in the rural areas stood at 80% while in urban areas it was at 95%. "A large part of the information asked under RTI should ideally be given by the government," said Anjali Bhardwaj, study co-ordinator, adding that it was due to this that RTIs were filed.

It also stated that 45% public information officers did not received any training, the first appellate authority stage needed an overhaul of sorts. "We do come across officers, who do not understand the Act, as much as they need to. First appeal stage is a big problem as almost all appeals go to the second appeal stage," said Bhaskar Prabhu, member of technical advisory committee formed by the BMC, to give suo motu information as per sections of RTI. As of now, less than four per cent appeals get justice after the first appeal stage.

The survey also bats for the inconveniences caused to the public information officers. It recommends that the problems can be solved without curbing rights of the citizens. This is possible by reviewing every three months the kind of information people need and putting it up on website.