Right to Information

State Level RTI: Jharkhand

Background

The State of Jharkhand was carved out of the existing state of Bihar in 2000. In 2001, the Jharkhand State Right to Information Committee, a group of civil society organisations, prepared a draft Right to Information Bill.

Despite civil society's efforts, the Jharkhand Government did not take any action to implement the right to information until the Central Freedom of Information Act was passed in December 2002. After the Central Act was passed, the Jharkhand Cabinet Coordination Department made a push to adopt the Central Law in the State via a legislative enactment. The Jharkhand legislation purporting to adopt the Central Law was to be presented in the Budget Session of the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly in March 2004, but this did not happen.

Law

In May 2005, the national Right to Information Act 2005 was passed by Parliament. The RTI Act 2005 received Presidential assent on 15 June and came fully into force on 12 October 2005. (For more information on the passage of the RTI Act 2005 and implementation at the national level, click here.) The RTI Act 2005 covers all Central, State and local government bodies and applies to the State Government of Jharkhand.

The Jharkhand Administration has started implementing the RTI Act 2005. The Government has issued the Jharkhand Right to Information Rules 2005.

Details of Fee & Costs

Second Appeals and complaints against non-disclosure of information may be filed with the Jharkhand State Information Commission.

State Information Commission

Newsupdates, Activities & Advocacy

• The State Government till date has not created the delivery mechanism necessary for effective implementation of the RTI Act. Citizens have complained that no one in the State Secretariat has been able to give them correct information and have called upon the Government to take steps to disseminate the information in detail at the village level.
• The Poorest Areas Civil Society (PACS) network invited CHRI to sensitise its partners on the RTI Act. 70 partner groups participated in the one-day event.
• On 27 July, at the invitation of Manthan Yuva Sansthan, CHRI conducted a one-day workshop in Ranchi for close to 80 representatives of CSOs and media persons on the RTI Act. The occasion was used to urge the Law Minister to
  push for the implementation of the RTI Act within Government. Since the workshop, CHRI has been working with Prabhat Khabar, a Hindi Daily to do a series of feature articles on the right to information.
• Alternative for India Development (AID) is working on right to information in the state of Jharkhand. They have been actively campaigning on the issue and have published a book on 'People's Right to Information'.
  For further information: Contact Alternative for India Development at 50, Police Colony, Anisabad P.O., Patna-02. Phone:91-612-254 004. Fax: 91-612-253 811. Email: email-aid-bihar@rediffmail.com.

• The Jharkhand State Right to Information Committee were the group responsible for preparing a draft Right to Information Bill and continues to be active in lobbying for the right to information in the State.
  For further information: Contact Mr Madhukar, Secretary JSRTIC, Sarvodaya Nagar, Kanke Road. Phone: 91-651-2231626.
  

  
  

Resources & Articles

Government

• Right to Information Act 2005. (English)
• Right to Information Act 2005. (Hindi)
• Right to Information Rules 2005 (Jharkhand). (Hindi)
  

CHRI

• CHRI (2005) Forwarding Information Requests and Appeals: A Step by Step Guide for Assistant Public Information Officers under the Right to Information Act 2005, prepared by Mr Venkatesh Nayak.
• CHRI (2005) Processing Information Requests: A Step by Step Guide for Assistant Public Information Officers under the Right to Information Act 2005, prepared by Mr Venkatesh Nayak.
  
• For information on CHRI's activities in Jharkhand, click here.
• For CHRI's posters on RTI click here.
  

Miscellaneous

• Staff Reporter (2005) Information Act Fails to Yield Results, 25 October, Times of India.
• Staff Reporter (2005) Elaborate Arrangements for Implementation of Act, 12 October, UNI.
  

Links

• Government of Jharkhand
• Government of India (DOPT)
• National Campaign on People's Right to Information (NCPRI)
  
• Right to Information
• Info Change - Right to Information Pages
• India Together - Right to Information Pages