Chief information commissioner Suresh Joshi said there was no need to wait for 30 days, the maximum limit specified under the act, to respond to an RTI query.
Maharashtra’s top information official has said public undertakings must answer queries posed by the public under the Right to Information (RTI) Act within seven to 15 days.
At his annual review meeting with secretaries, commissioners,
and managing directors of public-sector undertakings, chief information commissioner Suresh Joshi said there was no need to wait for 30 days, the maximum limit specified under the act, to respond to an RTI query. “The RTI Act is like the chariot of Lord Jagannath,” Joshi said. “It needs to be pulled purposefully by everyone.”
Joshi said the act had “percolated” well in the state and there was no reason why information could not be shared in seven to 15 days. Maharashtra had the most RTI applications, 4.18 lakh, in 2008. The estimate for 2009 is 4.5 lakh.
The meeting was held in seven sittings spread over a fortnight ending January 15 to collect data for the annual RTI performance report to be submitted to the state legislature.
Among the suggestions at the meetings were an emphasis on presentation of information and the need for voluntary disclosure. “By now officials know what people are looking for,” Joshi said.
The departments were told to adopt the proformas (style) in which applicants seek information in case their presentation was better. Heads of department were advised to vet the information before releasing it.
While section 4 of the RTI Act stipulates that there should be suo moto disclosure of information, the large number of applications is seen as proof that departments keep information under wraps. “I have asked secretaries and senior officers to vet the information and put it on notice boards in a lucid and simple manner so that the number of applications is reduced,” Joshi said.
The info tsar was most disappointed with the functioning of the first appellate authority. “There is a need for people at the deputy collector and commissioner level who can give better reasoned orders suggesting fines,” he said.
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