Question : Response to RTI Queries

(a) whether the Government has evolved a mechanism to ensure that handling of RTI queries by respective different offices and their media reporting are maintained transparently and in most professional manner while responding to assorted queries;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether there are instances of political mileage or even bringing disrepute to the Government organisations by fuelling controversies on flimsy grounds;

(d) if so, the details thereof; and

(e) the reaction of the Government thereto along with the steps taken to maintain the credibility of the RTI Act which is an integral instrument in democratic processes?

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): RTI Act, 2005 was enacted to provide for setting out the practical regime of right to information for citizens to secure access to information under the control of public authorities.

Under Section 4 of RTI Act, all Public Authorities have to disclose proactively maximum information through various means of communication, including internet. The Government has taken number of steps to strengthen this transparency legislation. With a view to maximizing suo-motu disclosure by public authorities, Government has from time to time issued guidelines to all the Ministries/Departments impressing upon the public authorities to disclose maximum information proactively so that citizens need not resort to filing of RTI applications to access information available with the public authorities.

(c) to (e): RTI Online Portal (https://rtionline.gov.in) was launched by D/o Personnel and Training to make convenient for citizens to file RTI requests and First Appeals through on-line.
This department has issued guidelines to public authorities to proactively disclose contents of RTI applications received and replies given to enable reduction in generation of new RTI applications on similar issues and give citizens access to the complete information that has been made available to any RTI applicant.


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