Lok Sabha Question No. 2812 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-08-02
Subject: Pending RTI Applications
Ministry: PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS
Asked by: NISHIKANT  DUBEY

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS (DEPARTMENT OF PERSONNEL & TRAINING)

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2812

(TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.08.2017)

## PENDING RTI APPLICATIONS

## 2812. SHRI NISHIKANT DUBEY:

Will the PRIME MINISTER be pleased to state:

- (a) the number of RTI applications pending presently department-wise;
- (b) the  number of departments where Information and Facilitation Centre has been set up; and
- (c) the details of recommendations of the expert committee that have been accepted by the Government?

## ANSWER

Minister of State in the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions and Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office. (DR. JITENDRA SINGH)

(a)&  (b):  The  data  regarding  number  of  RTI  applications  pending  department-wise  and  the number of Departments having Facilitation Centres, is not centrally maintained.

- (c): The following recommendations of the expert committee consisting of Shri A.N. Tiwari, former  Chief  Information  Commissioner  and  Dr.  M.M.  Ansari,  Information  Commissioner, Central Information Commission have been accepted by the government:
1. All  the  details  of  the  public  authority  may  be  uploaded  on  its  website.  Access  to information should be made user-friendly for which appropriate information technology infrastructure should be suitably designed, developed and operationalised.
2. All  the  training  modules  for  professional  upgradation  of  employees  should  incorporate matter relating to the virtues of transparency and open government and RTI law.
3. In order to minimise the burden of servicing RTI applications, the public authorities with high public dealings should put in place an effective system to redress the grievances of affected  persons.  At  the  sub-organisational  levels,  there  should  be  cooperation  and coordination between the Central Public Information Officers and the officers responsible for addressing public grievances.
4. In  order  to  reduce  the  number  of  RTI  applications  relating  to  service  matters,  the information relating to recruitment, promotion and transfers should be brought into public domain promptly.

5. The  retention  and  maintenance  of  specific  documents  for  specified  duration  should  be clearly spelt by each public authority in respect of its documents.
6. The  Public  Authorities  shall  constitute  Consultative  Committees  consisting  of  office bearers  of  key  stakeholder,  association  on  rotational  basis  to  have  a  systematic  and regular  interaction  between  the  officials  of  the  Public  Authorities  to  advice  what information to be uploaded as suo motu.
7. 'Information  and  Facilitation  Centres'  (IFCs)  may  be  set  up  in  each  public  authority, where  public  dealing  is  involved  to  educate  the  citizens  about  the  information  / documents available on the website of the department concerned and to provide printed publications to the citizens the categories of information that are frequently being sought under the RTI Act and provide copies of information as per RTI Rules, 2012.
8. In each public authority, a committee of PIOs and FAAs with rich experience of dealing with RTI applications and appeals is set up to identify the categories of information that are  frequently  asked  by  applicants.  Such  information  must  be  disclosed  in  the  public domain to make it more user friendly and should also be reviewed at regular intervals.
9. Information that is proactively disclosed must be properly categorized and organised in such  a  manner  that  it  facilitates  easy  retrieval.  Information  on  the  website  must  be organised in a searchable and retrievable database to enable people to access the records. The Nodal Officer of each Public authority be made responsible for this.
10. Web site, and other medium and publication of each public authority, relating to Section 4  compliance  must  carry  the  date  (where  appropriate  for  each  bit  of  information)  on which the information was uploaded/printed.
11. The  task  of  undertaking  transparency  audits  may  be  given  to  the  respective  Training Institutes  under  each  Ministry/Department/Public  Authority  and  across  the  States  and Union Territories.

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