RTI CLUB Bareilly

18/06/2016

Seven Important Lessons on RTI from Delhi High Court

Read more at: http://www.livelaw.in/seven-important-lessons-rti-delhi-high-court/

Delhi High Court on 24th May 2016, has criticised the Legislative Department for filing un unnecessary Writ Petition against the Order of Cic

18/06/2016

RTI gets a memorial in Rajasthan:

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/rti-gets-a-memorial-in-rajasthan/article8657410.ece

28/02/2016

http://www.thehansindia.com/posts/index/Opinion/2016-02-23/RTI-misuse-by-public-authorities/209109

This is a story of how a ‘non-existing’ RTI question and false reply to it destroyed peace of a person who was once PIO and made him an accused. L D Chopra was the applicant under RTI Act, file about which was termed as ‘missing.’

28/02/2016

STANDARD FORMAT FOR RTI REPLY.

Nice step taken by Greater chennai Corporation.
It should be followed by other corps as well.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/rti-replies-to-have-standard-format/article8290972.ece

28/02/2016

यूपी में आरटीआई से उर्दू हो गई ‘आउट’!!!!

http://www.amarujala.com/feature/samachar/national/urdu-out-from-rti-in-uttar-pradesh-hindi-news/

कहने के लिए तो उर्दू सूबे की दूसरी सरकारी जुबान है, लेकिन सूचना के अधिकार से उर्दू को बाहर कर दिया गया है।

11/01/2016

http://www.hindustantimes.com/lucknow/social-activist-asks-bhu-why-he-was-sacked-in-rti-plea/story-7a2djJhUXGz08kemO0uKuI.html

11/01/2016

Rs.33000+ spent by NGT just to deny information under RTI,that explains the power of RTI.
Do read the full article.

http://www.indiatvnews.com/news/india/ngt-spent-rs-33000-to-deny-information-under-rti-cic-56974.html

The case relates to RTI activist R K Jain who sought to know from the NGT the number of RTI applications received by it and status of disposal.Read more on indiatvnews.com

11/01/2016

PWD department not replying to query, claims RTI activist.

http://www.asianage.com/mumbai/pwd-department-not-replying-query-claims-rti-activist-694

Some, three years after filing a Right to Information (RTI) query with the public works ...

05/01/2016

RTI Act aims to promote transparency in administration.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/rti-act-aims-to-promote-transparency-in-administration/article8067366.ece

Shekar Sajjanar, Chief Information Commissioner, Karnataka State Information Commission, on Monday described the Right to Information Act as the strongest weapon in the country to promote transparency

05/01/2016

A diploma course on ACT.
Great move by .

http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report-mumbai-university-to-begin-course-on-rti-act-from-jan-10-2162308

15/12/2015

Khattar govt spent 17cr on anniv publicity: RTI

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Chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar-led BJP government spent Rs 17 crore in a month on publicity to mark a year of its rule, a query under RTI Act has revealed.

RTI activist P P Kapoor from Karnal got details about money spent by the government in October. According to information, Haryana government had spent the money on advertisements and publicity in print, electronic and social media.

He said that while Rs 6 crore was spent on publicity of CM and his ministerial colleagues' tour progammes, Rs 4.50 crore was spent on electronic media. Besides, the department of information public relations (DIPR) had spent Rs 4.25 crore on strip advertisements in various newspapers.

An amount of Rs 60 lakh was spent on advertisements released in certain magazines, including RSS-owned Panchjanya and Organizer. The DIPR spent Rs 1.47 crore on show reels of the government made by various private production houses in Haryana. "We wish this amount was spent on welfare or redressing the grievances of general public. We have been raising such issues in the past and would continue to do so in future," said Kapoor, who has also asked for information related to employment opportunity for Haryana youths following the CM's foreign visit, but is yet to receive it.

INLD spokesman R S Choudhary termed the government's expenditure on publicity as criminal waste of money. "Was there any special achievement of the government that needed to be highlighted? I think spending Rs 17 crore is the only achievement of the BJP government," said Choudhary.

Haryana Congress spokesperson Ranjeeta Mehta termed the government's expenses as "another bluff with people of the state".

"We have been persistently saying that Khattar government is simply taking credit for our work. Even after spending Rs 17 crore, the BJP would not be able to popularize itself. Those who work for masses need not go for any publicity," she said.

15/12/2015

RTI Online portal to be converted in HINDI:

A website meant for filing of RTI applications will be converted into Hindi language as well, the government said on Monday, Dec 14. At present, the portal-- www.rtionline.gov.in-- is available in English language only. The website was launched in August 2013 by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) for all Central government ministries with a view to provide a facility to citizens to file RTI applications and first appeals online. Till now, 463 public authorities have been aligned to the portal. It is proposed to extend the RTI online portal to more public authorities and also to make technical improvements in it during the next year, an order issued by the DoPT said. "Making RTI online portal available in Hindi language as well. Mobile application for RTI online portal," said the scope of work made public by the government. Users will also get auto sms alerts and email if any modification is done in their account, it said. Besides, there will be more features for both the public authorities and citizens to improve interface and easy processing of RTI applications. The DoPT has sought comments from people on the proposed changes from people within 15 days. RTI users have also been complaining delayed response in processing their applications through the online portal. The Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005 empower a citizen to get time-bound response from government departments on their queries on governance.

02/11/2015

Kindly use hashtag in your posts.

02/11/2015

Babus and clerks in the Delhi government are being put to test over their knowledge of the Right to Information Act in a move to encourage transparency and speedy disposal of applications under the anti-corruption law.

“A comprehension test on RTI Act, 2005 will be held on November 4 and the top performers would be awarded,” said an official of the administrative reforms department.
Such tests are held annually but under the AAP government the outcome is being given greater importance by the Arvind Kejriwal government, he said.

The increased stress of the Chief Minister prompt and efficient disposal of RTI applications is being seen in the light of his own anti-corruption activism through NGO Parivartan that he co-founded before joining politics.

”We still remember the days almost a decade ago when Kejriwal and his NGO held an RTI camp in the IG stadium adjacent to the Delhi Secretariat when Sheila Diksh*t was the Chief Minister,” said an office assistant.

An official said Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, while distributing prizes to the toppers of the last year’s exam in March, had even expressed his desire to appear in the test to sharpen his knowledge.

“This year not just the toppers but even other good performers will be invited to the award ceremony,” said an official, quoting Sisodia’s desire to improve the employees’ interest in the RTI.

An official said the government employees who will undergo the competitive comprehension test next week have been divided into two categories.

“There is one group of lower division clerks and equivalent workers and another group of superintendents, officials about superintendents and upper division clerks,” said an official.

By last week, all candidates appearing for the test were issued the admission tickets for the two exam centres at Sham Nath Marg and Raj Niwas Marg, he said.

The test was open to all employees and those who applied for taking part in the competitive exercise were enrolled, said the official.

The AAP government sees the RTI law as an effective tool to w**d out corruption – an issue which topped the agenda of the party ahead of the Assembly polls in February.

02/11/2015

The power of right to information (RTI) came to the fore recently again when an RTI query exposed a 48-year-old fraud committed by a ‘fake’ army man in Rampur district.
State information commissioner Hafiz Usman has directed divisional commissioner, Moradabad, to take action against the accused.
According to an inquiry report, Sohan Singh of Pasiyarpur hamlet of Aliganj in Rampur, managed to secure 25 acres of land for farming from the district administration in 1967 by ‘proving’ himself to being a retired Lance Naik of the Indian Army through fake papers.
The land was allotted to Singh under the then Government Grant Act, which allowed district magistrates to allot land for farming to ex-soldiers. On this land, Singh also took a loans of several lakhs from nationalised banks.
Meanwhile, Gurbachan Kaur, wife of late freedom fighter Banta Singh and also a native of Pasiyarpur hamlet, came to know about the fraud in 2011 and filed an RTI application with office of district magistrate, Rampur, seeking details about Sohan’s army background.
Kaur, however, failed to get any information from the district magistrate’s office. She then filed a plea in the office of state information commissioner on October 28, 2014.
Taking serious note of the issue, Usman directed district magistrate, Rampur, to provide details about Sohan’s background.
After much delay, the Rampur district administration last week submitted a report that was shocking.
In the probe carried out by additional district magistrate, Rampur, it was revealed that the papers submitted by Sohan, claiming himself to being a former Lance Naik in the Jat Regiment, were fake.
The Jat Regiment Centre, Bareilly, in reply to a query from the district administration, Rampur, informed it that there was no person by the name of Sohan Singh in its list of ex-soldiers.
“The inquiry has proved that Sohan Singh presented fake papers to show himself as exsoldier,” Usman told HT.
“Now, I have ordered the divisional commissioner, Moradabad, to take action against Sohan,” Usman added.