HYDERABAD: In a move that would help many Right to Information (RTI) activists, the Telangana government’s IT Department is building a platform for them to file online applications for information under the Act. According to the proposal, the two-tiered setup will comprise a call centre and a web portal which will provide all information on the RTI Act, filing RTI/first appeal applications over phone/web and tracking application/first appeal status.
This is how it will work: Citizens can contact the call centre from any number and anywhere in the country. The call centre agent will provide them with the required information on RTI and if an application is to be filed, he will take the RTI details along with mandatory information such as the applicant’s name and address.
“Once the RTI application is transcribed, a Unique Reference Number (URN) will be generated and provided to the caller. There will also be a provision for informing applicants of their URN via SMS,” the IT Department said. Only after paying the RTI fee, the application will be assigned to the department concerned. “It is expected that the current trend of 20%-25% annual growth in RTI applications will continue for some years before it stabilises. The IT Department assesses that due to the ease of filing, the call centre and portal will become the single-largest mode of filing applications in,” it said.
A similar provision will be made for those comfortable using the Internet for filing RTIs. “Citizens, who are comfortable using the Internet, can access the website/app, find information on the RTI Act, submit their RTI applications and first appeals, deposit the RTI fee and obtain URNs online. They can also check the status of their applications on the website/app,” the proposal by the IT Department read.
Welcoming the move, SQ Masood, a Hyderabad-based activist, said, “Better late than never. This will help people file applications and appeals. Several States, including Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, have already done this. I had submitted representations to the government and finally have filed a PIL demanding the same. The government should entrust this work to the Centre for Good Governance (CGG).”
How people will benefit