(a) whether any review has been made to assess the working of
the Right to Information (RTI) Act;
(b) if so, the details thereof and the outcome thereto;
(c) whether the general public is facing undue hardships in
getting the information within the stipulated time frame; and
(d) if so, the mechanism proposed to be developed by the
Government in this regard?
Minister of State in the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions
and Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (SHRI V. NARAYANASAMY)
(a) & (b): A study was conducted through an independent organization to
assess the key issues and constraints in implementation of the provisions of
Right to Information Act, 2005. The study, inter-alia, points out that
awareness about the RTI Act in rural areas is less than in urban areas; awareness
amongst women is much less than men; the gap in implementation of the RTI Act
is because of lack of clear accountability in respect of various functionaries
etc. The study recommended measures for improving awareness on right to
information; improving convenience in filing information requests; improving
efficiency of the Information Commissions, enhancing accountability and clarity
of various stakeholders, etc.
(c) & (d): The RTI Act provides for imposition of penalty on the public
information officer in case the information is not supplied within the
stipulated time frame. It ensures timely supply of information. The Central
Government has issued various guidelines for different stakeholders which have
enabled the information seekers to get information as per provisions of the RTI
Act.