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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | RTI watchdog CIC asks government to place files on web by Shantanu Nandan Sharma

RTI watchdog CIC asks government to place files on web by Shantanu Nandan Sharma

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published Published on Oct 24, 2011   modified Modified on Oct 24, 2011

Six years after the Right to Information Act was passed by Parliament, the government has made no progress in computerisation of its records, a promise it made in the law itself. Amid growing complaints from departments that most of their time is spent in handling RTIs, the Central Information Commission has now reminded the government to do a status check of the implementation of the RTI Act and computerise all non-sensitive files to reduce the load of RTI applications. 

"The government promised it would computerise the files, but where is the action? If the files and file-noting are computerised and duly catalogued, the number of RTI applications will actually come down. Only those files which contain sensitive subjects and are exempted under the RTI Act should not be put on the web," said Satyananda Mishra, Chief Information Commissioner, who is the final authority in any RTI dispute. 

According to Mishra, the government still stores its files in storerooms and the process of computerisation has not even begun. But Section 4(1) of the RTI Act says records would be computerised "within a reasonable time and subject to availability of resources". 

Recently, prime minister also called for a relook at certain grey areas of the RTI Act as the increasing load of RTI applications is believed to have decreased the productivity of the government. In 2010-11, about eight lakh RTI applications were filed in public authorities coming under the Central government. If RTIs filed in state governments are included, the total number was about 20 lakh. It is estimated that the number of RTIs may go up to one crore in the next five years. 

Despite the level of voluntary disclosure including salary, property details of officials are being uploaded by ministries, the pressure of RTI applications has actually gone up. The pressure is expected to come down only after all non-sensitive files are placed on the web. There is a list of items which is exempted by the RTI Act. A file noting on deployment of forces in Indo-Pak border, for example, cannot be disclosed under RTI. 

But faced with a series of scams, the government is not willing to disclose all files in one go. "How do you expect the government to disclose all files and file-noting from the time of Jawaharlal Nehru? You will be careful in non-inclusion of any sensitive issues, but even then there are chances of making major goof-ups and controversies. That will open a Pandora's box," a central government secretary said on the condition of anonymity. 

According to the central secretariat manual, every file has a shelf life. Confidential files are shredded and burnt under the supervision of a designated officer, but non-sensitive records are sold as wastage products after inviting tenders.


The Economic Times, 24 October, 2011, http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/rti-watchdog-cic-asks-government-to-place-files-on-web/articleshow/10468594.cms


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