Improving Transparency and Accountability in Government through
Effective Implementation of RTI Act
Introduction
Information
is important for carrying out everyday life. It is considered to be an asset
when it comes to assessing the traits of personality. An individual and his/her
personality trait are best judged when either has the capacity to receive and
efficiency to communicate the same to others. The above scenario exhibits how
far information is important. This is only with respect to information in
general. But, when the information is driven by a need or urgency which may
have implication in personal reward in terms of any kind of gain like status,
monitory benefits and recognition etc, it really leaves an impact. The
following article would delve on improving transparency in Government through
effective implementation of RTI.
Government before Introduction of RTI
The central
Government or State Government, as the case may be, was on its iron gates to an
information seeker. Those who wish to seek information from the public
authority were directed through Information Act, 2002. The act has many limitations such as the long
run procedure to get information which may have been turned down at any point
of time, in the process to seek information.
Many people
had come to know about the previous Information Act 2002 only after the
introduction of RTI act 2005. It is on the repeal of the Information Act, 2002
that the Right to Information Act was borne. Earlier, such was the condition
that no one had even thought that the people could even have the right to get
to know the information that they require.
Test to the Governance
The
introduction of the RTI Act 2005 has really a cascading effect, particularly,
letting the people to know the information as their right. The act, by law, had
instructed all public authority to clearly state their organisation strength,
composition, members, and important decision and so on to the public. This
created a real need to the public authority to think and reorient the structure
and by that the entire organisation were known about their existence itself.
For the
public, posting of details of the public authority, provided a chance to for
the public to get to know where abouts without seeking any one’s help.
The RTI Act
2005 tested the Government by introducing the following;
1. Creation of
Public Information Officer (PIO)
2. Low fee for
the application
3. RTI
education to the public
4. The time
limit to which (30 days) a reply should be filed
5. Second
appeal to CIC
6. CIC
pronouncement of the proceedings has the power of civil court
The above
said introduction, though, are part of RTI Act, were in real terms a new turn
on the running of Government and Governance. Because, hereafter, public
authorities are subject to monitoring by the people. The immediate result of
this is that these procedures will help the Government to;
1. Conceive the
idea that records are highly valuable
2. Create sense
of responsibility to monitor and follow on their work
3. Insist on
the necessity to return the people their asset – information
4. Record
keeping, providing the same in time enhances the capacity of the officials
concerned and there the performance is highlighted
5. It connects
with E-Governance , where most of the RTI application are filed
In simple
words, the efficient governance of the Government is tested, positively, by the
RTI act. This takes the next level of the government concerned in being a
trusted one.
Call for an accountability
Being
accountable is on par, equally, with being true. It is well known in real time
that the Government authorities are being accustomed to a culture of
accountability. The ennumber of corruption revelation by the top auditing
authority and many court judgments related to the transparency are examples to
bear with.
The Right to
information Act, by virtue of its stand, endures the concerned public authority
is accountable in the following way;
- Tracking
systems of the complaints which is speedy and has an easy access.
- Composition
of information authorities like CIC and SCIC both at Central and state
level to effectively monitor and implement the act
- Final
authority, CIC, to pronounce the decision which has nature of civil court
Accountability
in Government and its effective running are example when people opt for a one
particular party to rule them. Being accountable, paves the way for Government
to take up more initiative and it also has people’s support for that.
Hence,
Government considers or welcomes an intruder, information seeker with red
carpet and gives whatever the menace in which the information falls on provided,
they be within the fence of the law.
To impact
effectively using accountability the Government can;
- Public information
Radio especially to explain educate on RTI
- Periodic
forum for discussion can be arranged by every public authority with
commoners as the participants.
- Government’s
action like programmes to be taken up would be put up for public,
especially, under RTI then people can propose an alternate to the existing
one.
Super power of the Democracy
In reality,
RTI is the super power of the Democracy. With respect to our country, India
The
respective Governments may consider the following to effectively implement RTI and
get benefitted;
- Set out
an IEC campaign on education of RTI to people especially in Rural areas
- Appointment
of RTI messenger to each village Panchayat, as this would enable the
people to receive RTI related post and information at their door steps.
- Creation
of District Information commission, collector as the chairman to
effectively scrutinize information at district level.
- Regional
capacity building workshop on RTI funded by respective Government could be
arranged
- RTI
auditing authority could be introduced to take up internal study and
empower RTI
With all the
existing features and the possible inclusion of above said pints the RTI could
be better served to people. The end result of this is empowerment of running
the governments concerned
Conclusion
In the
recent past, of all our legislation, RTI is lauded one of the most prominent
one. It is a good opportunity to the public authorities controlled by the
Government to exploit the act, positively, and benefit best out of
extraordinary.
Hence, there
is a chance for the people to accommodate themselves with nerves of the
Government in right approach and be educated.
In
the time to come, and after, RTI will serve truly.
*****
Author:
Kannan Periyanayagam
Note: The
views expressed in the essay are author’s own. And further any addition or
correction are welcome to kannajee2000@gmail.com 
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