(a) the average time taken to furnish information under the Right to Information (RTI) Act to applicants by the RTI Cells in the Ministries/Departments;
(b) whether there are large number of complaints regarding non-furnishing of information to RTI applicants in given time during the last two years and the current year;
(c) if so, the details thereof; and
(d) the steps taken by the Government for prompt reply and strict compliance of stipulated time-frame by all Ministries/ Departments?
Minister of State in the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions and Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office. (DR.JITENDRA SINGH)
(a): No such data is maintained. However, it is mandatory for all Public Authorities to supply information within the stipulated time period as provided in the Right to Information Act, 2005.
(b) & (c): As per data base managed by National Informatics Centre(NIC), the figure for complaints in the Central Information Commission during the last two years and the current year are -
Year Number of complaints
2013-14 4641
2014-15 4866
2015-16 (upto 17.12.2015) 2123
(d): The Right to Information Act, 2005 has an inbuilt mechanism to ensure that the applications under the Act are disposed of in time. Section 20 of the RTI Act, inter-alia, provides for imposition of penalty of Rs.250/- each day for not furnishing information within the time specified under sub-section (1) of Section 7, subject to the condition that the total amount of such penalty shall not exceed Rs.25,000/- and/or disciplinary action against a Public Information Officer for malafidely not furnishing information in time.
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