The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) received a slight drop in receiving RTI applications during 2018-19 compared to 2017-18 - from 12,500 to 12,1430. And the ministries of Tribal Affairs and Home Affairs topped the list in rejecting the most number of RTI applications filed by the public to seek information from the government.
However, the overall number of applications has increased by 11 per cent in 2018-19 as compared to previous year 2017-18. According to the Central Information Commission's (CIC) annual report 2018-19, 64,334 applications, which come to 4.70 per cent of the 1.37 million applications received during 2018-19, were rejected.
The report says of the total 12143 applications, 2000 applications went to the first appeal while only 259 preferred to go to the second appeal. As per report, a total of 12,787 applications were filed with the PMO in 2016-17 as against 11,138 in 2015-16 and 12,674 during 2014-15.
As many as 7,077 such queries were raised in 2013-14 and 5,828 during 2012-13. According to report, of the total applications, 26.54 per cent applications rejected was reported by Ministry of Tribal Affairs and 16.41 percent by the Home Ministry.
The report says as many as 13.70 lakh RTI applications were received by the registered Central Public Authorities (PAs). This is higher by 1, 36,922 or 11 per cent than the previous year 2017-18. A total 64,344 applications processed during 2018-19 showing a downward trend in rejections which have come down by 0.43% from the 5.13% reported in 2017-18.
The report shows highest number of application was received by Ministry of Finance (2.11 lakh), followed by Ministry of Communication and Information Technology ( 1.47 lakh), UT of Delhi (1.28 lakh) and Ministry of Railways (1.28 lakh).
The RTI Act allows Indian citizens to seek governance-related information from government departments in a time-bound manner. The Act has provisions to raise appeal in case the applicant is not satisfied with the response provided by the Government department concerned.
The CIC disposed of 17,188 Second Appeals and Complaints cases in 2018-19. A total of 22,736 cases were registered during the same period. At the end of the year the Commission had 29,655 cases pending before it.