The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Furnish information under RTI in 30 days: expert

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Friday, May 21, 2010
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Furnish information under RTI in 30 days: expert

Staff Reporter

DINDIGUL: Any material in any form including records, documents, memos issued and received, contracts, models, orders and correspondence are information and the government officials have to furnish them to citizens under Right to Information Act. They cannot and should not deny it. They have to furnish the information within 30 days, said S.N. Venkatesan, Management Consultant, Anna Management Institute. He was addressing a special training session to district-level information officers here on Thursday.

E-mails, recorded opinions and press releases were information. Even log book meant for not only government vehicles but also all miscellaneous equipment was declared as an open document.

The citizens also have the right to inspect and obtain documents, take notes, get extracts and get certified copies of documents and records from officers. Sample of any model should be given on acceptance of value of the sample. The spot officer could decide the value. Videographing the inspection of documents should be allowed, he noted.

The RTI Act had given provision to citizens to obtain get information about private institutions through competent authorities or regulatory bodies because 90 per cent of private institutions and companies came under regulatory bodies. It was insisted that suspension case information including note sheets should be supplied to concerned persons.

But public information officers have powers to give existing information only. They need not create or interpret the information.

They will not be required to solve problems of the petitioner. Grievances petitions could be rejected directly. Officers need not answer to any hypothetical questions and respond to future course of action.

Information on such action is not an existing document.

Moreover, service and establishment matter need not be given. Above all, information not held due to destruction of record was not a liability under RTI act, Dr. Venkatesan stated.

Officials' mind on respecting the petition and his willingness to respond were considered seriously, the consultant said.

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