The Asian Age: New Delhi: Tuesday,
August 09, 2016.
The Kejriwal
government has urged public employees to take a test on the Right to
Information Act, 2005, in November.
Eight hundred
employees of various government departments, including the ones not under the
purview of the AAP government like the Delhi police and the New Delhi Municipal
Council, had applied for the voluntary test last year. Only over two-fifths of
the applicants, however, took the one-and-a-half-hour test. Under the scheme of
Self Learning of the RTI Act, 2005, introduced in the year 2010, all staff
members working in the Delhi government departments and local bodies can sit
for the test. According to the government, separate test papers will be set for
lower division clerks and Group D employees, upper division clerks and
assistants, and superintendents and above.
According to
the city government, complaints of non-compliance by the users of the RTI Act
reveal that various government departments or organisations are not complying
with the provisions laid down by the transparency law. A recent government
circular has urged public offices to ensure maximum turnout for the
comprehension test. All those scoring 50 per cent and above will be awarded
with cash prizes of Rs 600 to Rs 1,500. The candidates who secure top three
positions in different categories will be given an additional cash award.
The circular
issued on Sunday July 7 said: “A need has been felt to enhance awareness among
public information officers working in the offices under the Government of
National Capital Territory of Delhi.” Applicants have until September 30 to
apply for the test, which is likely to be held in November. Last year, a
chemistry lecturer scored a lowly 44 marks in the “superintendents and above”
category and a junior clerk had aced the test by scoring 90 marks in the “lower
division clerks and Group D” category.
.JPG)
.JPG)
