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Right to Information Act comes into force
by Maya Singh

      New Delhi: The Right to Information Act (RIA) - 2005 came into force today in almost all the states across the country, except in quake-hit Jammu and Kashmir, and a majority of the public welcomed its introduction, saying it would help them to understand government functioning better, and reduce misuse official authority in the long term. However, almost all of them stressed the necessity of this bill, though they expressed doubts over it's proper implementation.

     "This act will be very helpful for common people if implemented properly. It will make government's functioning transparent and help in checking corruption up to great extent. We now have a right at least to ask and to know about our doubts. But it's success depends upon authorities' willingness," said Deepak Bhansali, an independent investment consultant. Some reacted very sharply over how efficient the Act would be. "As a common man, 'I don't believe at all' that this act is going to be implemented properly. In the present situation I don't believe it is going to do anything in favour of the common public," said Paramjeet Singh, an employee of a based financial research company. Retired TATA Steel plant employee Y. C. Garg expressed his irritation over the delay in the introduction of the Act, saying ," This Bill was badly needed by the people of a democratic country and I welcome this Right to Information Act but, I don't have any expectation from the Indian Government. Simply, I say, this is not going to work anyway." Freelance journalist Shraddha Sharma described the act as a revolutionary step, but had doubts about it's implementation. Attempts to elicit a response from Gen Next proved futile, as most them said they were just too busy with shopping for clothes and jewellery, besides other items, to give their views on what they referred to as just another government document or piece of legislation.

     The government has completed all formalities, including appointing a chief information commissioner, the formation of the Information Commission to ensure the implementation of the bill, which primarily guarantees Indian citizens the right to seek information on government decisions of public interest. Wajahat Habibullah, a retired civil servant, has been appointed as the country's first Chief Information Commissioner. The Information Commission will be a full-fledged autonomous body that will oversee the working of state-level Information Commissions, each of which will not more than ten members. About the ten exempted topics including defence and nuclear weapons deals, they said it is compulsory and we are agree with this policy. The Act grants citizens the right to inspect works, documents, take notes, extracts or certified copies of documents or records, and obtain information in the form of printouts, diskettes, floppies, tapes, video cassettes or in any other electronic mode or through printouts from public authorities. The information covered under the Act includes records, documents, memos, e-mails, opinions, advices, press releases, circulars, orders, logbooks, contracts, reports, papers, samples, models, data material held in any electronic form and information relating to any private body which can be accessed by a public authority under any other law for the time being in force.

      The citizens need only to write to department heads, designated as State Information Officers, to learn contents of files, policies and other decisions. The information will be available within 30 days. The Act lays down penalties on officials who fail to provide the information within 30 days. Intelligence and security agencies are excluded from the provisions of the Act. Besides, the Act exempts ten types of information, which are sensitive in nature from disclosure to the public. To make the act people-friendly, a nominal fee would be charged for providing any information. However, citizens living below the poverty line (BPL) would not be charged any fees and information would be provided free of cost. The Goa Government, which had initially come out with a clause in the act, with a provision of punishing people for "the misuse of information received under the Act," has implemented the law with deleted clause. The notification for the implementation of bill was issued on June 15 this year.