Indian Express: New Delhi: Tuesday, November 04, 2014.
The Supreme
Court on Monday directed the central government to take a call on accepting
Right To Information (RTI) applications through online mode and furnish
information accordingly using electronic means.
A bench
comprising CJI H L Dattu and A K Sikri asked the authorities to expeditiously
decide on a representation filed by Madhya Pradesh-based lawyer Rajeev Agrawal.
“It appears
the petitioner has filed the representations with the authorities. It seems, as
of now, no decision has been taken. We direct the respondents to take a
decision within three weeks,” said the bench. The bench told Agrawal’s lawyer
Amit Kumar that it will wait for the government to take a decision and hence,
his PIL should be treated as a representation.
The plea
sought directives to all states and union territories to create “centralised
RTI websites for submission of RTI requests” and allow online filing of appeals
and payment of fees in respect of every public authority of the government
under the transparency law.
It also asked
for constituting “call centre as voice facilitation centres for filing RTI
applications and appeals over the phone.” The petition referred to certain
provisions of the RTI Act which provide that a person can make a request “in
writing or through electronic means” for getting information from authorities
under the Act.
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