(a) whether the Government has brought about awareness and publicity campaign among the people with regard to the Right to Information Act;
(b) if so, the details thereof during the last two years;
(c) whether the Government has taken any action against any official for not complying with Right to Information Act;
(d) if so, the details thereof, department wise; and
(e) the extent to which Right to Information Act could be made effective by taking the said action?
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) & (b): The Government has taken steps for awareness and publicity campaign about RTI amongst citizens on demand side and to build the capacity of Government employees to provide more satisfactory reply to RTI applications on supply side, through training, on-line certificate courses, and publication of guides on the Right to Information Act.
Awareness Generation/publicity campaign has been undertaken through electronic media in Hindi and regional languages and through regional and national workshops.
The awareness and publicity campaign has also been carried out through centrally sponsored scheme namely ‘Improving Transparency and Accountability in Government through Effective Implementation of Right to Information’. RTI spots were broadcast during 2013-14 and 2014-15 through All India Radio and private FM channels in Hindi and ten regional languages. RTI spots were broadcast during 2015-16 through All India Radio in Hindi and ten regional languages. Further, audio visual spots on RTI were telecast over Doordarshan in Hindi and ten regional languages during 2013-14 and 2014-15.
Contd…..2/-
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(c) to (e): The Right to Information Act, 2005 already provides for imposition of penalty and recommendation of disciplinary action by the Central Information Commission/State Information Commission, as the case may be, against the Public Information Officer who has knowingly given incorrect, incomplete or misleading information under the RTI Act. The Central Information Commission/State Information Commissions have been imposing such penalties and also recommending disciplinary action against such Public Information Officers.
Department-wise details of the penalty are not maintained centrally. However, during the last three years the details of penalty imposed by the Central Information Commission are as under:
Year Penalty imposed (numbers)
2012-13 87
2013-14 138
2014-15 17
01.04.2015 to 30.11.2015 39
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