In order to reach out to the common man, the office of Andhra Pradesh Information Commission (APIC) has decided to provide information in the Telugu language, as requested by many citizens.
R. Mahaboob Basha, Chief Information Commissioner (CIC), within a week of assuming the office of CIC, issued orders to all the Information Commissioners (including office of State CIC) and the First Appellate Authority, Public Information Officer of APIC to pronounce decisions, orders, determination of issues pertaining to all the applications, appeals (First and Second Appeals), complaints addressed to this Commission (APIC) by the citizens in the Telugu language.
Mr. Basha observed that if a citizen asked information in his mother tongue, Telugu, and the information was provided in English, it would be difficult for him or her to understand. To avoid this ambiguity, the CIC had taken the new initiative.
In his orders, Mr. Basha said: “It has been brought to the notice of this office (SCIC) that most of the citizens, who have availed themselves of various remedies before this commission by duly filing their applications, appeals, complaints or other miscellaneous applications in Telugu are unable to comprehend the decisions, orders, determination of issues pronounced in English by Information Commissioners and the First appellant authority, Public Information officer of APIC.”
Based on these circumstances, the APIC promulgated the directions to pronounce in writing all decisions, orders, determination of issues in Telugu pertaining to all the pending applications, appeals (First and Second Appeals), complaints addressed to this commission (APIC) by people in Telugu Language from December 1, 2022.
Meanwhile, Mr. Basha also ordered to upload the latest version of the Right to Information Act, 2005, including all amendments and other notifications, orders in English along with translations from English to Telugu, Urdu and Hindi languages, on the official website of APIC, https://sic.ap.gov.in.
