Activists raise concern as RTI pleas put on the backburner
The Hindu
Right to Information (RTI) activists have raised concern over their applications remaining unanswered. In several cases, information from State government departments is not forthcoming, forcing them
Right to Information (RTI) activists have raised concern over their applications remaining unanswered. In several cases, information from State government departments is not forthcoming, forcing them to opt for first and second appeals. To make matters vexatious, due to the backlog, it is taking about a year for their petitions to be heard at the Telangana State Information Commission (TSIC).
Activists with YouRTI.in, a portal which assists individuals to file RTI requests apart from its own activists seeking information themselves, say that filing first and second appeals and waiting for petitions to be listed for hearing appears to have become the norm.
“At the moment, three appeals are pending in the TSIC. Recently, we have had appeals dealt with which were filed in 2019 and 2018. Delays by government departments, irrespective of reasons, do not further the cause of RTI,” Kareem Ansari, an activist with YouRTI.in, said.