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Online RTIs for AAP

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Riddhi Sharma
New Update
CIOL AAP RTI

AAP is known to do things differently all the time. Yet again, they have pulled off a unique thing, they are now to open doors for online Right to Information (RTI) queries.

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If experts are to be believed, this would make the Capital the only State in the country to completely allow filing of RTI applications online.

Maharashtra does allow filing of RTIs online but those related only to affairs of the Chief Minister’s Secretariat.

Administrative Reforms Department is training the Public Information Officers (PIOs) across departments, autonomous and local bodies under the government’s jurisdiction in a phased manner to introduce them with the technicalities related to the project which will go online “soon.”

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Arvind Kejriwal was also one of the architects of the RTI Act. However, officials are hopeful that it would not be delayed beyond the end of the ongoing calendar year. According to officials from the ministry, the Chief minister has shown close and keen interest in the same, though it was “rather difficult to put a deadline to the final rolling-out” of the facility.

A few industry experts are also concerned about low Internet literacy levels and issues related to online conversion of documents related to the daily functioning of the government, among others. It is true that Delhi does have relatively better Internet literacy levels, but to make the RTI more accessible to citizens living in slums and urban villages a different approach may need to be taken.

Arvind Kejriwal's role in implementing interesting and interactive RTI programmes across the country will come handy in executing this in his city.Venkatesh Nayak, programme coordinator, Access to Information Programme, Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, Delhi, said, “Bihar, sometime in 2007-08, was the first State to completely revolutionise the RTI system through a programme called Jaankari, in the implementation of which Mr. Kejriwal had a significant role to play.”

If this turns out to be a successful programme, it will definitely change the way information passes in the bureaucratic circuits of Delhi.