3,000 RTI appeals pending in Meerut zone: UP CIC

Times of India: Meerut: Tuesday, September 19, 2017.

During his visit to the city, UP’s chief information commissioner (CIC) Javed Usmani has pulled up all departments for delay in furnishing replies to RTI queries. “Besides, all those who provide misleading information in RTI replies will be punished,” he warned.

In all, 3,000 appeals in RTI are pending in Meerut zone against either unsatisfactory replies to queries or no replies at all within the stipulated period. As many as 800 appeals are pending in Meerut district alone, informed information commissioner Rajkeshwar Singh. The two officials were speaking at a training workshop on Right To Information (RTI) Act held here on Monday. All information officers and appellate authorities of Meerut district were present on the occasion.

Giving directions, Usmani said, “Right to Information was enforced under 19th amendment of the Constitution and it is a fundamental right of a citizen. Hence, our foremost task should be to provide an information to the citizen and not find ways to prevent the dissemination of the that information.”

According to official sources, similar workshops will take place until Saturday in various districts of Meerut zone where information officers and appellate authorities of respective districts will be imparted training on RTI.

Rajkeshwar Singh, however, spelt out the riders also while providing the information. “Although it is imperative for us to provide the required information but at the same time, there is a rider as well. In situations wherein the volume of material required is so huge that it hampers normal function of a public department or engages 75% of staff or equal amount of time then one absolves oneself from providing the details.”

The official also cleared the air over the confusion as to whether private institutions are liable to provide information or not. “Information can be provided about any building with an area of 200 square meters or more and whose map has been approved by the development authority of that district and it becomes responsibility of that development authority to disseminate that information,” he said.

The officials also stated that apart from departments under central and state governments, deemed universities and NGOs also fall within the ambit of the RTI Act.