Times of India: Nagpur: Tuesday, 6Th May 2025.
In a major push for transparency, the Maharashtra State Information Commission (SIC) directed all public authorities in the state to proactively disclose all Right to Information (RTI) applications received and the replies provided on their respective websites. The directive, issued under Sections 19(8)(a)(iii) and 25(5) of the RTI Act, 2005, by the State Chief Information Commissioner Rahul Pande, also mandates that the disclosed data be made searchable using keywords to ensure easy access for citizens.
Citing the growing number
of RTI applications and appeals pending across various SIC benches and the
burden they place on public authorities, Pande stressed the need for
institutional reforms to promote voluntary disclosure. "If RTI replies are
uploaded in the public domain and made searchable, citizens would not need to
file repeated applications for the same information," he stated in the
official order.
The commission observed that several departments face mounting workloads due to frequent and often repetitive RTI requests. It noted that many of these could be avoided if earlier replies were readily available in the public domain. "Excluding exempted matters, if information is kept in a searchable public database, it will greatly reduce redundancy," the order said.
The commission also recalled an earlier circular issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) of the Central Govt in April 2013, which instructed all public authorities to publish RTI applications, responses, and appeals proactively. "The intent of Section 4 is to reduce the necessity of filing individual RTI applications by increasing transparency in public offices," the DoPT circular noted.
Pande emphasized the preamble of the RTI Act, which envisions empowering citizens, promoting transparency and accountability, and reducing corruption by making govt functioning more open. "To operationalise this vision, all public authorities must ensure that information under the RTI Act barring exempted items is accessible without the need for formal applications," he directed.
The directive requires all departments to publish RTI data along with keyword-based search options on their websites, allowing citizens to find information efficiently. The chief secretary has been asked to circulate the directive across all govt departments for immediate compliance. With this move, the SIC aims to strengthen the foundational principles of democratic accountability and citizen empowerment.
In a major push for transparency, the Maharashtra State Information Commission (SIC) directed all public authorities in the state to proactively disclose all Right to Information (RTI) applications received and the replies provided on their respective websites. The directive, issued under Sections 19(8)(a)(iii) and 25(5) of the RTI Act, 2005, by the State Chief Information Commissioner Rahul Pande, also mandates that the disclosed data be made searchable using keywords to ensure easy access for citizens.
The commission observed that several departments face mounting workloads due to frequent and often repetitive RTI requests. It noted that many of these could be avoided if earlier replies were readily available in the public domain. "Excluding exempted matters, if information is kept in a searchable public database, it will greatly reduce redundancy," the order said.
The commission also recalled an earlier circular issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) of the Central Govt in April 2013, which instructed all public authorities to publish RTI applications, responses, and appeals proactively. "The intent of Section 4 is to reduce the necessity of filing individual RTI applications by increasing transparency in public offices," the DoPT circular noted.
Pande emphasized the preamble of the RTI Act, which envisions empowering citizens, promoting transparency and accountability, and reducing corruption by making govt functioning more open. "To operationalise this vision, all public authorities must ensure that information under the RTI Act barring exempted items is accessible without the need for formal applications," he directed.
The directive requires all departments to publish RTI data along with keyword-based search options on their websites, allowing citizens to find information efficiently. The chief secretary has been asked to circulate the directive across all govt departments for immediate compliance. With this move, the SIC aims to strengthen the foundational principles of democratic accountability and citizen empowerment.
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