In a step forward towards Digital India, the Centre will allocate more funds to the States to take initiatives including facilities for online filing of RTI applications to further simplify the process in a more transparent way.
According to the DoPT directives, several Administrative Training Institutes (ATIs) working under the States can also get grant of a maximum of Rs4 lakh for setting up a helpline in regional languages for answering queries of general public under the RTI Act.
The facility of filing RTI applications and appeals online through RTI online web portal has been launched and is being implemented in all the Ministries or Departments of Government of India situated in New Delhi.
The State Governments are also being encouraged to improve record management and suo motu disclosure of information related to their working through financial grants proposed by it. Besides, Rs5 lakh (per case basis) will be given to States for carrying out field-based research on RTI and Rs1 lakh for organising workshops and seminars on promotion of the transparency law.
The RTI Act, 2005, empowers the citizen to seek time-bound response from a Government department on governance matters.
“The same facility can be extended to State Government offices by sharing with them the software developed by NIC (Headquarters)... The ATIs may play the role of catalyst in the implementation of the facility in the public authorities located in the State. Proposals in this regard are invited from ATIs and funds would be granted on the basis of such proposal,” it said in a detailed guidelines for the grant.
A fund of up to Rs3 lakh for celebration of RTI Week (October 5-12) and Rs4 lakh for innovative awareness generation programme on the transparency law through street plays, folk groups, etc has also been earmarked by the DoPT.