DoPT sends memo after slack response of depts on RTI study

NEW DELHI: Delayed response from several ministries on a study on RTI applications received by them has prompted the Department of Personnel and Training to send a reminder to all departments concerned to send details of their nodal officers for the purpose.

The analysis is aimed at documenting the success and constraints in implementation of RTI Act, identifying the areas which need more attention, addressing the gap areas and suggesting what more needs to be done to help achieve the objectives of the transparency law.

DoPT, which acts as a nodal department for the implementation of the RTI Act, had on September 4 requested the government departments to indicate their willingness to get an analysis of RTI applications received by them through an internship programme.

"Response in this regard is awaited from most of the ministries or departments," it said in its official memorandum.

DOPT has asked the ministries or departments desirous of getting the analysis done to allow interns sponsored by it to analyse a sample of RTI applications received in the last one year.

The expenditure of the internship programme by way of conveyance allowance of the interns would be borne by DoPT. The response in this regard alongwith the details of nodal officers to coordinate with DoPT for this programme should be intimated by November 5, it said.

It has also written to national law universities seeking volunteers to undertake the short-term internships.

The RTI Act, which was enacted in 2005, covers disclosure of information on nearly all matters of governance. The government had recently dropped its proposal to review fight against corruption through a self-evaluation study by independent experts in view of cold response from agencies concerned.

DoPT had in May this year invited expression of interest to undertake a self-evaluation study to assess anti-corruption measures as part of a mandatory obligation after ratification of the UN Convention Against Corruption - an international legal instrument to deal with corruption.

The proposal was later dropped due to slack response.