A survey on the implementation of the RTI Act in Andhra Pradesh in the name of ‘RTI Survey 2017’ was organised by Samalochana and Public Forum on the completion of 12 years of RTI Act.
The preliminary report was released by former secretary to the Government of India E.A.S. Sarma here recently.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Sarma said by refusing to come under the RTI Act and failing to comply with Chief Information Commissioner’s judgment in this regard, political parties were making a mockery of democracy. He called for another people’s movement to safeguard RTI Act.
He urged the people to reject political parties which refuse to come under RTI Act.
He opined that the Supreme Court of India should also be brought under the RTI Act. Appreciating the organisers for conducting the survey, he felt that such surveys would help in knowing what people were thinking about the Act, finding the gaps and what needed to be done.
Samalochana convener Chakradhar Buddha said that the survey aimed at capturing prevailing trends in RTI Act implementation, responses of public authorities and what RTI applicants think about RTI implementation.
The survey form comprised 25 questions covering different aspects of RTI Act including application process, first appeal process and second appeal process and voluntary disclosure of information. A total of 1249 applicants, including 1,125 male and 124 female applicants, across 13 districts of the State had participated in the survey.
Copy sent to govt.
Public Forum convener K. Venkata Ramana said that a copy of the survey report would be given to the State government.
The online survey, which began on October 2, was completed on October 11.
The survey found that 60% of the RTI applicants are not satisfied with the overall implementation of the RTI Act in AP. Applicants were able to get information only in 65% of cases, in 60% of the cases, applicants were not given information in 30 days as mandated by the law and 65% of the applicants experienced threats in using RTI Act.
The survey also found that Social Welfare Department and Municipal Administration are in the forefront of implementation of the RTI Act while the Police Department, Panchayat Raj, Rural Development and Revenue departments were the worst-faring departments in RTI Act implementation in the State.
