Date:26/05/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/05/26/stories/2006052605710500.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Anantapur

Right to Information Act faces teething problems

Staff Reporter

Lack of understanding among officials, lack of awareness among seekers

Commission received 60-70 genuine complaints sieved out of total 450.
Information pertaining to 17 items under Section 4(I-Bi) to be given within 30 days to seekers

Fine of Rs 250-25,000 on not parting with information to be levied

ANANTAPUR: Implementation of the Right to Information Act is still facing teething problems in most of the departments due to lack of understanding among the officials and lack of awareness among the information seekers, State Information Commissioner R. Dileep Reddy said.

He visited a few offices like Zilla Parishad, District Police Office, Municipal Corporation and Revenue Divisional Office here on Thursday to find out about the implementation of the Information Act. He observed that manuals on the information to be given were not being maintained at all or they were not proper in all the offices.

Autonomous body

Talking to mediapersons later, he stated that the four-member State Information Commission was a quasi-judicial and autonomous body and it would act independently and transparently.

The Commission had so far received about 450 complaints and appeals and about 60 to 70 were genuine.

They had instructed passing of information in 12 cases and the concerned officials were sought for explanation in other cases where information was denied.

He said any information pertaining to 17 items mentioned under the Section 4 (I-Bi) of the Information Act had to be given to information-seekers within 30 days of request. He made it clear that no specific draft was required for seeking information and application could be made on a white paper also. Even the police department had to give every information except the one pertaining to cases under investigation to information seekers, the Information Commissioner stated.

The Commission would recommend action against wilful denial of information by the officials. They could also be fined from Rs. 250 to Rs. 25,000, he noted. Information pertaining to violation of human rights could also be sought.User guide available in every office to give proper guidance for availing the Information Act, he stated.

In a review meeting with the district officials the Information Commissioner suggested a directory of PIOs (Public Information Officers) and APIOs along with their telephone numbers be prepared and placed on district website. He also preferred a separate monitoring cell on the implementation of the act.