DATE: 2nd Dec 2018, Sunday
Current Affairs
Prepared by: Maharana Sibasankar
Sources: THE HINDU and Indian Express
11.Right to know: Now just drop into a govt. office to access information
News:
- Maharashtra government has taken a step forward for citizens seeking data from the government under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, by allowing them to study the relevant files at the concerned office on Monday afternoons.
- RTI applications have been on the decline for the last two years since a citizen finds that the system is obscuring and blocking the information.
- The directive is aimed to reduce the number of first and second appeals.
- Under this all government offices ranging from district level to lower level, and municipal corporations, municipal councils, and ZillaParishad will make files available for applicants to inspect between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. every Monday.
- If there is a public holiday on Monday, the information can be accessed on the next working day.
- Significance:
- This step will smoothen thee access to information for the citizens.
- The move will also help to curb the rising number of pending appeals with the Maharashtra State Information Commission from applicants against departments denying or withholding information.
- Around 39,709 appeals and complaints were pending since 2014(By the end of September 2018).
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