Update details of officers handling RTI matters: Govt to depts

New Delhi, Aug 17 (PTI) All central governmentdepartments have been asked to ensure that updated details ofofficers responsible for handling RTI applications areavailable in the public domain. One of the items to be disclosed proactively by thepublic authorities (or government departments) under the Rightto Information (RTI) Act pertains to the names, designationsand other particulars of the Central Public InformationOfficers (CPIO) and its updation on yearly basis. CPIOs are nodal authorities to receive RTI applicationsfor departments concerned. "It has been observed that in some of the publicauthorities, there are frequent changes at the level of theCPIOs and First Appellate Authorities (FAAs). "During updation of the names and designations of theCPIOs or FAAs, the public authorities remove the names anddesignations of the earlier ones from their website. In theabsence of complete details (name and designation etc) of theCPIO concerned at the relevant time, the Central InformationCommission while adjudicating second appeals faces difficultyin proceeding with the matter to afford reasonable opportunityof hearing to CPIO, which delays disposal of the cases," thePersonnel Ministry said in an order. In order to avoid any hardship to CPIOs or FAAs, all thepublic authorities are requested to put up on their websitethe details of all such officers designated during differentperiods, beginning on January 1, 2015 till date and keep itupdating from time to time, it said. Section 4 of the RTI Act, 2005 lays down the items ofinformation which should be disclosed by public authorities onproactive basis. The purpose of suo motu disclosures is to place a largeamount of information in the public domain on a proactivebasis to make the functioning of the public authorities moretransparent and to reduce the need for filing individual RTIapplications, the order said. In order to enhance quality and quantity of informationdisclosed by the public authorities, the Centre had issuedorders recommending more items to be disclosed on proactivebasis and get the proactive disclosure audited, it said,seeking more proactive disclosure from government departments.PTI AKVSMN