DNA: Mumbai: Tuesday, February 23, 2016.
The
government has yet to draw lessons and understand the need for systemic changes
required in its machinery due to which RTI applicants have to resort to filing
applications, prominent RTI activist Shekhar Singh had said in Mumbai on
February 13.
The 'RTI
guru', as Singh is described by some in the RTI activist fraternity, was in the
city to deliver a lecture at Mumbai University and meet activists on issues
pertaining to RTI applications.
"Nowhere
in the world and in India is there a system wherein governments can draw
lessons from RTI applications that are filed. In India, governments state and
central have yet to make an initiative to understand, from numerous RTI
applications that are filed, on why these are made and the systemic changes
required (in their machinery) to deliver the information for which RTI
applications are being filed," said Singh, a pioneering activist who
fought for the RTI Act at the Central government level.
He added,
"As per our data, almost 49% of the information sought is of the nature
that can be declared suo motu by public authorities."
Singh also
said, "Information commissions and the civil society should come forward
to appoint an agency to study the applications. The civil society could also
push for compensation from the government if an applicant seeks information
that should have been given suo motu."
Public
authorities could be pushed to draw up a list of documents that are exempted
and put up all other information online, he said. "That way, 95% of the
data will be available online. The naming and shaming of departments and
authorities that are not transparent should be done every year," Singh
said, adding, "if governments do not change, people are condemned to
filing RTI applications."
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