Uttarakhand State Information Commissioner Rajendra Kothiyal said that even after the implementation of the Right of Information Act, the performance of the State Government’s publicity department is sluggish. This is despite the fact that stress has been given on such publicity by the State department under Section 26 of the RTI Act.
One of the aims of the Act is to bring about transparency in the information being provided to the citizens. Kothiyal sounded disappointed over the matter while addressing a meeting of the public information officers, assistant public information officers and the appellate officers of the district held at Vikas Bhawan at district headquarters Pauri on Monday.
He said the problems facing public information have been the same throughout the district and directed the officers concerned to take measure to raise public awareness on RTI Act while ensuring that they themselves perform their responsibility with the required transparency.
Kothiyal listened to the problems recounted by the public information officers during the meeting, it is learnt.
The public information officers raised the problems they were facing in handling the matters. They said there should be a provision of punishment against the applicant whose intention of asking for information is to blackmail the third parties.
Kothiyal said that the Right to Information Act is a revolutionary act. All officers should realise that they are all public servants. In case other parties are involved the information sought for must be given after the consent of the third party is secured under Section 11 of the Act.
He further said a magazine would be published next month which would contain the details of the Act. Besides, the Open University VC has consented to start a six-month diploma course on RTI.
Once this comes about the public information officer and others would be benefited. Efforts are on to include a chapter as regards RTI in the school curriculum too. The government has already cleared the matter, he said.
Kothiyal asked the education department officers to conduct debate, essay competitions and the like on RTI to propagate the right of information.