Lok Sabha Question No. 646 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-12-02
Subject: Awareness of RTI
Ministry: PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS
Asked by: SAKUNTALA LAGURI, PRATAPRAO GANPATRAO JADHAV

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 646

(TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.12.2015)

## AWARENESS OF RTI

## †646. SHRIMATI SAKUNTALA LAGURI: SHRI PRATAPRAO JADHAV:

Will the PRIME MINISTER be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has brought about awareness and publicity campaign among the people with regard to the Right to Information Act;
- (b) if so, the details thereof during the last two years;
- (c) whether the Government has taken any action against any official for not complying with Right to Information Act;
- (d) if so, the details thereof, department wise; and
- (e) the extent to which Right to Information Act could be made effective by taking the said action?

## 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 Government has taken steps for awareness and publicity campaign about RTI amongst  citizens  on  demand  side  and  to  build  the  capacity  of  Government  employees  to provide more satisfactory reply to RTI applications on supply side, through training, on-line certificate courses, and publication of guides on the Right to Information Act.

Awareness  Generation/publicity  campaign  has  been  undertaken  through  electronic media in Hindi and regional languages and through regional and national workshops.

The  awareness  and  publicity  campaign  has  also  been  carried  out  through  centrally sponsored  scheme  namely  'Improving  Transparency  and  Accountability  in  Government through Effective Implementation of Right to Information'. RTI spots were broadcast during 2013-14  and  2014-15  through  All  India  Radio  and  private  FM  channels  in  Hindi  and  ten regional  languages.  RTI  spots  were  broadcast  during  2015-16  through  All  India  Radio  in Hindi  and  ten  regional  languages.  Further,  audio  visual  spots  on  RTI  were  telecast  over Doordarshan in Hindi and ten regional languages during 2013-14 and 2014-15.

(c) to (e):    The Right to Information Act, 2005 already provides for imposition of penalty and  recommendation  of  disciplinary  action  by  the  Central  Information  Commission/State Information Commission, as the case may be, against the Public Information Officer who has knowingly  given  incorrect,  incomplete  or  misleading  information  under  the  RTI  Act.    The Central  Information  Commission/State  Information Commissions  have been  imposing such penalties  and  also  recommending  disciplinary  action  against  such  Public  Information Officers.

Department-wise details of the penalty are not maintained centrally.  However, during the last three years the details of penalty imposed by the Central Information Commission are as under:

| Year                     |   Penalty imposed (numbers) |
|--------------------------|-----------------------------|
| 2012-13                  |                          87 |
| 2013-14                  |                         138 |
| 2014-15                  |                          17 |
| 01.04.2015 to 30.11.2015 |                          39 |

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