Centre seeks states' report card on implementation of RTI

New Delhi, June 5, 2012 : The Centre has sought a detailed
report from all states on utilisation of funds sent by it to
promote awareness and improving transparency in government
through effective implementation of Right to Information Act.
     Officials said the Department of Personnel and Training
(DoPT), which acts as a nodal agency for the implementation of
the transparency law, has written to secretaries of State
Information Commissions (SICs) seeking details of funds
utilisation.
    They said the states have been asked to give a compliance
certificate at the earliest, failing which they would stop
further grants by the Centre.
     To further strengthen the RTI regime, the government had
in 2008 launched a centrally sponsored scheme with an
objective of creating awareness and for training of officers,
both in central and state Governments.
     Besides, a new scheme 'improving transparency and
accountability in government through effective implementation
of Right to Information Act' was also introduced for the
remaining two years of the 11th Five year plan, that is
between 2010-11 and 2011-12.
     Officials said since both the schemes are likely to be
continued in the 12th Five Year Plan (2012-17), the DoPT has
decided to initiate the process of receiving and examining the
proposals from the states to assess the implementation of the
scheme.
     The RTI Act was enacted in 2005.
     As per the scheme of generating awareness, the Centre
grants Rs 2.5 lakh each to a State Information Commission for
organising RTI week between October 5-11 every year, another
Rs 2.5 lakh each to training institutes for innovative
awareness generation programmes and Rs 50 lakh each for
organising workshops and seminars.
     Grants are given for conducting training of Central
Public Information Officers and Appellate Authorities
in the States Information Commissions under the 'capacity
building programme'.