** Training applicable for both Public & Public Authorities
The Act 2005 says: An Act to provide for setting out the practical regime of right to information for citizens to secure access to information under the control of public authorities, in order to promote transparency and accountability in the working of every public authority, the constitution of a Central Information Commission and State Information Commissions and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto Whereas the Constitution of India has established democratic Republic; And whereas democracy requires an informed citizenry and transparency of information which are vital to its functioning and also to contain corruption and to hold Governments and their instrumentalities accountable to the governed.
And whereas revelation of information in actual practice is likely to conflict with other public interests including efficient operations of the Governments, optimum use of limited fiscal resources and the preservation of confidentiality of sensitive information; And whereas it is necessary to harmonize these conflicting interests while preserving the paramountcy of the democratic ideal; Now, therefore, it is expedient to provide for furnishing certain information to citizens who desire to have it.
Therefore it is mandatory for every Public Authority as defined under this Act to designate Assistant Public Information Officers ( APIOs) \ Public Information Officers ( PIOs)\ First Appellate Authority ( FAA) to deal with the petitions received from Indian citizens and furnish information to them as per the provisions of the Act, failing which the officer concerned will be liable for penalty / disciplinary action as determined by the concerned Information Commission.
Hence it is most essential that each and every officer/ staff of any public Authority, should be well versed with the provisions of the Act while dealing with RTI petitions received from public. The author Dr S.N.Venkatesan, Trainer on RTI Act 2005 can be approached to effectively deal with RTI petitions as per the Law and also as per the latest case laws of CIC, Various High Courts and Supreme court of India.