Hyderabad, Sept.10 (RAHNUMA): Calling for greater uniformity in the implementation of the Right to Information (RTI) Act across the country, Telangana Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla on Thursday urged Information Commissions and government departments to strengthen proactive disclosure, leverage technology and ensure faster and more effective access to information for citizens.
Inaugurating the two-day national conference on “RTI: Operational Uniformity in Implementation – Challenges and Solutions” at the Administrative Staff College of India (ASCI), Hyderabad, the Governor said the effectiveness of the RTI regime should be assessed not merely by the number of applications and appeals disposed of, but by the extent to which it had enhanced transparency and accountability in governance.
He emphasised the need to give greater importance to proactive disclosure under Section 4 of the RTI Act, saying government departments should move from a system of providing information only on request to one in which relevant and updated information is routinely placed in the public domain.
This, he said, would reduce the need for citizens to file RTI applications for information that could otherwise be disclosed suo motu.
The Governor said information held by government departments was, in essence, public information, and making it available to citizens in a timely, accessible and transparent manner was an important responsibility of the administration.
Shiv Pratap Shukla also called for greater use of Artificial Intelligence, data analytics and digital record management to improve transparency and efficiency in the handling of RTI matters. Technology, however, should remain citizen-centric and should facilitate access to information rather than create additional barriers, he said.
The Governor stressed the need to make the RTI mechanism more accessible to people in rural and remote areas, women, persons with disabilities and vulnerable sections of society. He also suggested that Information Commissions across the country develop a strong mechanism for sharing best practices, innovative approaches and successful experiences.
Regular training of officials and continuous improvement in institutional processes were necessary to improve the quality and speed of RTI disposal, he said.
The conference is sponsored by the National Federation of Information Commissioners in India (NFICI), New Delhi, and jointly organised by the Telangana Information Commission (TGIC) and the Centre for Public Policy, Governance and Performance (CPPGP), ASCI.
