State officials give info-seekers little cause for hope
The Right to Information Act (RTI) of 2005 has empowered
citizens across the country. In Orissa, however, government departments are dragging their feet on RTI applications. And in some cases they have even asked the applicants to pay money to get information.
On February, 2009, an applicant, Sanjiv Das, wanted to know the exact amount provided by the government to the Integrated Tribal Development Authority. In its response, ITDA asked the applicant to deposit Rs 2,090 as stationery fee. Interestingly, this amount included the wages of a typist. The rules clearly stipulate that wages of a government typist cannot be taken into account while estimating the cost of responding to an RTI application.
In another case, on August 30, 2006, one Sarat Rout had applied for specific details regarding transfer of nurses to the department of family and welfare between 2003 and 2006. When the reply reached him on December 10, he was in for a shock. The department asked him to fork out Rs 56,000 as photocopying charges. Needless to say, Rout did not pay up and so he never got the information he had sought.
Worst of all, the Orissa Information Commission did not take any steps to penalise the departments concerned for their violation of the provisions of the RTI Act despite its attention being drawn to the two above cases.
Meanwhile, a study undertaken by PRIA, a national-level civil society organisation, has revealed that the Orissa Information Commission hasn’t exactly covered itself in glory. It has been accused of incompetence and malfeasance on every front.
The study is both comprehensive and focused in respect of RTI in Orissa and covers the period from 2005 to the end of 2008. It has revealed that departments of the state government are hell-bent on giving the RTI Act a quiet burial.
Sarat Rout, who claims to be the highest user of RTI in Orissa, says: “By charging huge amounts in the name of photocopying and stationery fees, the state government departments are evading dissemination of necessary information sought by a petitioner under the Information Act 2 (H-A). There are so many cases that tell us how the negative attitude of the government departments is proving to be an impediment. And above all the Orissa government has failed to punish the guilty officials.”
RTI activist Chittaranjan Behera points to a recent survey carried out by a social organisation, which reveals that the performance of 80% of Orissa government departments is between 0 and 5 per cent on the RTI front.
“Some departments are wilfully providing wrong information. And the guardian of this Act, the Information Commission, is in deep slumber,” he says.
The Right to Information Act (RTI) of 2005 has empowered
citizens across the country. In Orissa, however, government departments are dragging their feet on RTI applications. And in some cases they have even asked the applicants to pay money to get information.On February, 2009, an applicant, Sanjiv Das, wanted to know the exact amount provided by the government to the Integrated Tribal Development Authority. In its response, ITDA asked the applicant to deposit Rs 2,090 as stationery fee. Interestingly, this amount included the wages of a typist. The rules clearly stipulate that wages of a government typist cannot be taken into account while estimating the cost of responding to an RTI application.
In another case, on August 30, 2006, one Sarat Rout had applied for specific details regarding transfer of nurses to the department of family and welfare between 2003 and 2006. When the reply reached him on December 10, he was in for a shock. The department asked him to fork out Rs 56,000 as photocopying charges. Needless to say, Rout did not pay up and so he never got the information he had sought.
Worst of all, the Orissa Information Commission did not take any steps to penalise the departments concerned for their violation of the provisions of the RTI Act despite its attention being drawn to the two above cases.
Meanwhile, a study undertaken by PRIA, a national-level civil society organisation, has revealed that the Orissa Information Commission hasn’t exactly covered itself in glory. It has been accused of incompetence and malfeasance on every front.
The study is both comprehensive and focused in respect of RTI in Orissa and covers the period from 2005 to the end of 2008. It has revealed that departments of the state government are hell-bent on giving the RTI Act a quiet burial.
Sarat Rout, who claims to be the highest user of RTI in Orissa, says: “By charging huge amounts in the name of photocopying and stationery fees, the state government departments are evading dissemination of necessary information sought by a petitioner under the Information Act 2 (H-A). There are so many cases that tell us how the negative attitude of the government departments is proving to be an impediment. And above all the Orissa government has failed to punish the guilty officials.”
RTI activist Chittaranjan Behera points to a recent survey carried out by a social organisation, which reveals that the performance of 80% of Orissa government departments is between 0 and 5 per cent on the RTI front.
“Some departments are wilfully providing wrong information. And the guardian of this Act, the Information Commission, is in deep slumber,” he says.
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