CIC advises RBI to computerize all offices

NEW DELHI, INDIA: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the country's central bank, has been advised by the Central Information Commission (CIC) to ensure that all its offices are computerized by the year end.

The advise came on an application filed by Shaikh Shafi Ahmed, a resident of Karnataka who asked the RBI details regarding the implementation of the provisions of the Right to Information (RTI) Act 2005 by the RBI. But when he didn't get a satisfactory reply, he approached the CIC.

"The appellant (Ahmed) submitted that even after nearly five years of the enactment of the RTI Act, the RBI had not yet completed the requirements under Section 4(1) (a) of that Act... The respondents (RBI) submitted that the RBI was in the process of computerizing their offices spread all over India and should be in a position to comply with the requirements of the law as soon as possible," Information Commissioner Satyananda Mishra said in his April 8 order.

"We take this opportunity to advise the RBI to ensure that the process of computerization of their offices should be completed within this year," Mishra said.

Section 4 of the RTI Act deals with computerization of records of a government department and suo moto disclosure of information by it.