Karnataka - Bangalore

Officials averse to giving data, says Information Commissioner

BANGALORE: Karnataka Information Commissioner K.A Thippeswamy has said the implementation of the Right to Information Act, 2005, has not been a smooth affair and there was a growing aversion among the pubic authorities to providing information sought by citizens on public issues.

Speaking at a function organised to mark the completion of three years of RTI Act, Mr. Thippeswamy said the Commission had been facing several bottlenecks and difficulties in disposing of applications. The people were unaware of the existence of the Act and in rural areas the authorities had not been provided with basic facilities to comply with the requirements of the Act. The State Government was yet to publish a comprehensive list of public authorities, public information officers, assistant public information officers and appellate authorities.

The Centre enacted the Right to Information Act on October 11, 2005, and during the last three years the Act had been debated widely and used by lakhs of people.

The four-member commission, including the Chief Information Commissioner, had been receiving nearly 1,500 applications a month from citizens seeking information on various issues. However, still some legal hurdles came in the way of effective implementation of the Act.

The Commission had recommended to the Government to enact a Karnataka Records Act for management and maintenance of records, including transfers of officials, the Commissioner said.

Stating that the Centre had agreed to fund construction of the building and other infrastructure of the Commission, Mr. Thippeswamy called upon the government officials to be more pro-active in providing information to the applicants.

Several surveys and studies done by organisations such as Consumer Rights Education and Awareness Trust (CREAT) and Public Affairs Centre, both in Bangalore, have found that public authorities had not displayed details of the officers in charge of the RTI Act.

Besides, knowledge among the officials about the RTI Act was itself under question, said Y.G. Muralidharan of CREAT.

There was a general feeling that citizens were using RTI only to harass the officials. The working of the Information Commission was another area which needed serious attention and the Commission was not regularly updating its website, he said.

The CREAT, in collaboration with Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, New Delhi, conducted the programme.

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