RTI Applicants, Read this Govt Manual about Record-keeping & Disciplinary Actions

Dear fellow activists,

A good RTI application asks for copies of specific documents and records. For this, we need to understand what sorts of government documents exist, how various kinds of records are maintained and acted upon, what each of these things are named, and whose responsibility it is to maintain them.

So it is worth reading the Central Govt.’s Manual of Office Procedure, which is generally followed throughout the system. Download this: http://www.box.net/shared/yx8mgzyufe

The first 30-40 pages are very important. In addition, I have highlighted three sorts of useful points:

1) Blue highlights are for record-keeping: How different sorts of files and records are maintained, catalogued, referenced and destroyed.

2) Yellow highlights are for disciplining and penalizing govt. employees: Matters concerning various kinds of disciplinary proceedings, suspension etc. of different classes of officers. Also, monitoring compliance with court judgments, orders of Central Administrative Tribunal, audit objections etc.

3) Green highlights are for follow-up of citizens complaints, representations, petitions etc: The methods used for the government departments to take cognizance of citizens’ concerns.

Please use this for filing precise RTI applications. You can use it to demand information on the status of your petitions, complaints etc. Also, if information is falsely denied or evasive replies are given, use it for strengthening your grounds of appeal.

Warm Regards,
Krish
98215 88114