The Hindu: Alok Deshpande: Mumbai: Monday, December 03, 2018.
Citizens seeking data from the government under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, can now simply land up at the concerned office on Monday afternoons and study the relevant files, as per a fresh decree from the Devendra Fadnavis administration.
Apart from smoothening access to information, the move is also expected to help curb the rising number of pending appeals with the Maharashtra State Information Commission from applicants against departments denying or withholding information. By the end of September 2018, 39,709 appeals and complaints were pending since 2014.
“To reduce the number of first and second appeals, all government offices ranging from district level to lower level, and municipal corporations, municipal councils, and zilla parishads will make files available for applicants to inspect between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. every Monday,” said a directive issued by the State government.
In case there is a public holiday on Monday, information can be accessed on the next working day.
Former Central Information Commissioner Shailesh Gandhi termed this is an useful order for citizens and suggested that people carry a copy of the official order the first time they visit government offices, because there is going to be denial from officials initially.
“Once more people keep insisting, the officers will have to buckle under the pressure,” he said, adding that the order should help reduce the number of pending appeals and complaints.
“RTI applications have been on the decline for the last two years. Because, a citizen finds that the system is obscuring and blocking the information. Then they get tired and don’t have time and energy to follow up,” explained Mr Gandhi.
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