Economic
Times: New Delhi: Monday, 13 July 2015.
To check
wasteful duplication of effort while responding to RTI queries, the Centre has
asked all departments to do an analysis of information sought often by
applicants and suo-motu make such details public.
The move
comes following a recommendation by a Parliamentary Standing Committee in this
regard.
"The
Committee feels that all ministries, departments or organisations themselves
must encourage suo-motu disclosure of relevant information. The Committee
suggests the publishing of RTI requests and their replies on the websites of
the departments so that duplicity of requests is avoided.
"All
departments must make an analysis of information which is sought most often
from applicants and provide it on their website as suo-motu disclosure,"
Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and
Justice had said in its report.
The
Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Thursday wrote to all ministries
seeking "strict compliance" of the Committee's recommendations.
The DoPT has
been asking all central government departments to suo-motu make public
governance-related information being held by them.
"Despite
directions, not all ministries have followed it. Some ministries have started
putting RTI queries and their response on their websites. Action will be taken
if they do not start doing it," a senior DoPT official said.
The DoPT had
earlier this month asked all departments to put information related to
employees' transfer and posting in public domain promptly to reduce the number
of RTI applications.
"Access
to information should be made user-friendly for which appropriate information
technology infrastructure should be suitably designed, developed and
operationalised," it had said.
The Right to
Information (RTI) Act guarantees time-bound response to citizens' queries on matters
of governance.
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