UP Govt GO for making RTI effective

Lucknow: The Right to Information Act may yet catch a road to effective implementation. Chief secretary Atul Kumar Gupta has, in government order dated June 6, laid down guidelines to be mandatorily followed by public authority vis-a-vis RTI Act.
Addressed to all principal secretaries, heads of departments, divisional commissioners and district magistrates, the order has asked authorities to get PAs follow RTI norms. Compiled information from PAs is to be submitted to administrative reforms department by June 30. The order has defined PAs as bodies owned, controlled and funded by Central and state governments. PAs also include nongovernment bodies, directly or indirectly funded by government. The most important requirement is maintaining of records, indexing and sequencing of documents.
The order has pointed out that computerised records could make the job of providing timely information all the more easy, as these records would have better accessibility. The section 4(1)(B) of the Act entails 16 categories of information all PAs are expected to upload on their website. PAs will have to provide information like names and designations of public information officers (PIOs), their PAs specialities, work, powers and duties of officers and staff, documents held by them and directions issued to them.
Publication of all categories of information is a must. PAs can also list information other than categories defined under the section. PAs will have to update information every year and publicise information through newspapers, announcements, information boards and internet. PAs will have to suo moto disclose information to public through various media so that lesser number of people resort to RTI Act.
Publication: Times Of India Lucknow; Date:2008 Jun 15; Section:Times City; Page Number 3