Andhra Pradesh - Ongole   

Official stresses need for awareness on info Act

Special Correspondent

Commission receives 370 applications so far: Dilip Reddy

ALL EARS: State Information Commissioner Dilip Reddy interacting with Excise Superintendent Anasuya and DRO Rama Rao at the Excise office in Ongole on Friday.

ONGOLE: State Information Commissioner Dilip Reddy has said the Information Commission will submit a consolidated report to the government on the number of applications received under the Right to Information Act and the progress of their disposal.

Speaking to newspersons here on Friday, Mr. Reddy said the Commission received 370 applications. Of them, 280 were disposed of while the rest were at different stages of processing.

He said people should be made aware of their rights while government officials should be made to give information sought. Every department had been directed to make available a manual detailing its activities, officials involved, etc.

Whom to approach

Boards should be displayed in every office indicating the Information Officer, Assistant Information Officer and the Appellate authority. People should be able to contact either the Information Officer or the Assistant Information Officer during office hours. If they failed to provide the information sought, people could file a petition before the Appellate authority. If there was no response from it, they could approach the State Information Commission.

He said he would visit at least 80 revenue divisional offices and inspect offices to check whether manuals were made available and whether Information Officers were appointed.

He inspected several offices. Most of the officials said that they had not received a single application seeking information till date.

He said officials should use their discretion in refusing information because they were liable to pay penalty if they could not substantiate the grounds for refusal at the Appellate authority.

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Official stresses need for awareness on info Act

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