Citizens will now have to pay more to access information

Departments’ deadline to list data that can be provided lapses

Mumbai, October 11

THE state on Tuesday issued its rules for the National Right to Information Act which comes into force from Thursday.

While they are largely similar to those operating under the erstwhile Maharashtra Information Act, the new rules mean that citizens will now have to pay more to access information:

* Rs 2 per photocopied page of a document you ask for; MRTI charged 50 paise
* For inspecting documents, there’s no charge for the first hour. After that, the state will charge Rs 5 for every    15 minutes
* For information in a floppy, the state wants Rs 50 per disc
* The rules haven’t stated any fee for official samples—like that taken from a roadwork or a public programme—which can now be demanded

After Parliament passed the landmark act this May, government departments were issued orders to put together a manual stating which documents will be available for inspection and disclosure.

But General Administration Department official J Diwan freely admitted on Tuesday that though their deadline was today, ‘‘most departments have still not done it’’.

It’s clear the spirit of transparency that the act promises to bring in will have trouble percolating through the mammoth bureaucracy. S Jaywant, deputy secretary (Employment Guarantee Scheme) claimed: ‘‘It’s still not clear what are the documents we must make public.’’

Jaywant insisted their department had already compiled the said manual with perfunctory data like district-wise budget allocations under EGS. But even this limited access, it turns out, might not be public soon. ‘‘The manual is ready, but we are waiting for a minister to inaugurate its website,’’ he said.

Your right to know
This form, accompanied by a Rs 10 court stamp or bank draft, could be your opportunity to get the information you want.

APPLICATION UNDER
RIGHT TO INFORMATION ACT, 2005
To
The State Public Information Officer
(Department, and address)

Applicant’s name and address

Particulars of information required
i. Subject matter of information i.e. broad category, say, road works in Andheri
ii. Period to which it relates
iii. Description of information i.e. specific details, say, amount spent by the civic body between 2003-4 on          Andheri roads
iv. Whether required in post or person
v. In case of post, ordinary, speed or registered
vi. If applicant below poverty line, photocopy of such proof

Place and Date                                                                             Signature