Hyderabad: RTI applications written off

Deccan Chronicle: Hyderabad: Saturday, February 03, 2018.

Public information officers are trying to brush aside Right to Information applications by questioning the purpose of filing them, or asking applicants to withdraw them.

An applicant has complained against the TS home department for the practice, saying: “Public information officers, especially from the police department, contact the applicants and ask them to withdraw their RTI applications or first appeal.”

He said most RTIs, which have to be addressed by the PIOs, are pending with the public relations officers (PROs).

Mr Rajiv Tiwari had filed an RTI with the home department seeking information on action taken against police officers suspended due to criminal misconduct.

He said, “I received a call from the home department questioning the purpose of my RTI and was asked to withdraw it. Officers verbally shared paltry information.

“There has been no further response.” Mr Tiwari said the officials also asked him if he was associated with an NGO or an organisation. “In the case of an independent RTI activist, the application is ignored conveniently,” he said.

Other state government were also reluctant to give information and allow the term of the first appeal to lapse. Applicants said the GHMC and the revenue department, apart from the home ministry, ignored the applicants by circulating the applications within the departmental wings.

Some first appeals have been pending for more than a year, when the timeframe as per the RTI Act is 30 days.

Another applicant, Mr Akash Patel from Rein Bazaar, said, “The applications are sent to the department concerned but are forwarded to the PRO stating that the information is not available. It is circulated within the department and there is no track of the file.

“Applicants have to wait for a month and again file a fresh appeal.” Mr K. Anup, an RTI applicant from Erramanzil, said the Delhi government had warned officials over the mismanagement of RTI applications.

No such direction has been given from the government here to its agencies, Mr Anup said.

“The Delhi government has asked the heads of all departments and autonomous bodies to visit the online RTI portal daily, preferably as the first task of the day, to avoid any delay in replying to applications, he said.

No such direction has been given from the government here to its agencies, Mr Anup said.

It should be noted that RTI applicants could complain directly to State Information Commissions or Central Information Commission if they do not get any reply from either the PIO or the Appellate Authority within a stipulated timeframe.