Dear All,
Readers may recollect our email alert about the new RTI Rules proposed by the Government of Uttarkhand. We have learnt that the new set of Rules have been notified in January itself. So they have technically become operational. The new Rules imply-
- A public authority will provide information to BPL applicants upto Rs. 100 free of cost in a given month. So if 10 BPL persons seek information in a month, the public authority will stop at the 50th page even if it amounts to giving information to only 2 or 3 people free of cost. All other BPL applicants will have to pay fee at actual rates for getting information.
- A Public Information Officer (PIO) can suspend the 30-day deadline for disposing RTI applications indefinitely on the excuse that the applicant has not clearly identified what specific information he/she requires.
- A PIO is empowered to reject a request at his/her discretion simply on the ground that the applicant is seeking information in the form of queries.
- The Uttarakhand Information Commission is barred from conducting any inquiry while deciding a second appeal before it. So the Commission will be forced to accept what a public authority tells them as the gospel truth during appeal proceedings.
- The Uttarakhand Information Commission is barred from seeking compliance with its penalty orders. When the public authority reports receipt of the penalty order, the Commission will be forced to close the matter. No further proceedings will be allowed.
- The Uttarakhand Information Commission is barred from seeking compliance with its compensation orders. When the public authority reports receipt of the compensation order, the Commission will be forced to close the matter. No further proceedings will be allowed.
CHRI has sent a detailed analysis of the new RTI Rules to the Chief Minister, Uttarakhand. In order to build pressure on the Government to restore the more citizen-friendly RTI Rules notified in 2005, CHRI has written to the Chairperson, National Advisory Council (NAC) – Mrs. Sonia Gandhi seeking urgent intervention. A copy of the letter sent to the Chairperson, the Secretary and all Members of the NAC is attached along with the detailed analysis. Kindly circulate this mail and the attachment as widely as possible.
Thanking you,
Yours sincerely,
Venkatesh Nayak
Programme Coordinator
Access to Information Programme
Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative
B-117, First Floor, Sarvodaya Enclave
New Delhi- 110 017, INDIA
Tel: +91-11-43180215/ 43180201
Fax: +91-11-26864688
Skype: venkatesh.nayak@skype.com
Alternate Email: nayak.venkatesh@gmail.com
Website: www.humanrightsinitiative.org
- UTKRTIRules2012-CMletter-Delhi-Feb13-MD&VenkatN.pdf
- UTKRTIRules2012-NACletter-Delhi-Feb13-MD&VenkatN.pdf
- UttarakhandRTIRules2012-CHRIanalysis-Delhi-Feb13-VenkatN.pdf