RIGHT TO INFORMATION ACT, 2005 – IMPLEMENTATION

Right to Information (RTI) Act 2005 : Object of the Act

The object of the Act is to ensure that all citizens are able to seek information which is under the control of any Public Authority. The idea is to give transparency, accountability and openness in Government Administration.

 

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Eligibility to seek information:

Only a citizen of India can seek information under RTI Act 2005. Non-citizen are not eligible to seek information under the act.

 

There is no prescribed format of application for seeking information and the applicant shall only make a request in writing or through electronic means in English or Hindi or in the official language of the area in which the application is being made, accompanied by the prescribed fee of Rs 10 and specifying the particulars of the information sought.

 

If the applicant belongs to Below Poverty Line (BPL) category, he/she is not required to pay any fee under this Act. However, the applicant should submit a proof in support of his/her claim to belong to the Below Poverty Line as defined by appropriate Government.

 

What information can be sought:

A citizen has a right to seek such information from a public authority which is held by the public authority or which is held under its control.

 

The Act provides under Sections 8 and 9, certain categories of information that are exempted from disclosure to the citizens. The public may also refer to the relative sections of the Act before submitting a request for information.

The following restructuring in designating PIOs has been effected in our Bank.

 

Public Information Officer (PIO):

a) At Head Office:
Chief Manager Planning and Development Division at Head Office has been designated as Public Information Officer (PIO) for the RTI requests being received at Head Office.

 

b) At Regional Offices:
Regional Managers have been designated as Public Information Officer (PIO) at their respective Regional Offices for the RTI requests being received at Regional Offices.

 

c) Assistant Public Information Officers (APIOs):
All the Senior Managers in Regional Offices and Branch Managers at branch level have been designated as Assistant Public Information Officers (APIOs). These APIOs are vested with the role of receiving the request application seeking information or appeal against the reply of PIO and ensure to forward the same to PIO / Appellate Authority without any delay but in any case not later than 5 days of receipt of such applications at Branches.

 

d) Appellate Authority / Chief Public Information Officer (CPIO):
The General Manager PDD at Head Office has been designated as Chief Public Information Officer (CPIO) / First Appellate Authority for all matters connected with RTI Act-2005. An applicant who does not receive a decision from the PIO within the stipulated time or is aggrieved by the decision conveyed to him/her on a request, may, within 30 days of receipt of information or within 60 days of filing RTI application (if no information received) prefer an appeal to the Appellate Authority. There is no fee for the first appeal.

 

In case appellant is aggrieved, he may prefer further appeal before The Hon’ble Central Information Commissioner, Central Information Commission, Baba Gang Nath Marg, Munirka, NEW DELHI – 110 067 within 90 days of disposal of the first appeal or within 90 days of the date, by when the first appeal was to be decided.

Further, the applicant may also prefer his appeal before State Information Commission whose address is furnished below:

Karnataka Information Commission, Mahiti Soudha, Devraj Aras Road, Vidhana Soudha West Gate-02, Bengaluru-560001.

There is no fee for the second appeal also.

 

The right to Information Act 2005 replaces freedom of Information Act. It has come into effect from 21st June 2005. It will apply to all the Public Sector Banks. It is provided in the Act that provisions under Section 4(1) and Section 5(1) and (2) had come into force at once and the remaining provisions under Section 4 (1) shall be implemented before 20th October 2005. The Banks are required to publish the following information on or before 20th October 2005.

 

* The particulars of its organization, functions and duties.

* The powers and duties of its Officers and Employees.

* The procedure followed in the decision making process, including channels of supervision and accountability.

Under Section 4, every Public Authority shall maintain all its records duly catalogued and indexed in a manner and form which facilitates the Right to Information under this Act and access to such records is facilitated.

* Every Public Authority is required to designate as many officials as Central Public Information Officers in all administrative Offices to provide information to persons requesting for the information under the Act.

* Section 8(1)(d) provides for exemption from disclosure of information which would harm the competitive position of the third party.Clause (J) of Section 8(1) further exempts any information which relates to personal information, the disclosure of which has no relationship to any public activity or interest or which would cause unwarranted invasion of the privacy of the individual.

 

* The following information may be provided.

a) A directory of Officers and Employees and employees may be published up to a specified level.

b) A statement of Board, Councils, Committees and other bodies consisting of two or more persons constituted as its part or for the purpose of its advice.

c) The Names, designations and other particulars of the Public Information Officers.

 

Disposal of request:

On receipt of a request for information, the Asst Public Information Officer , as expeditiously as possible and in any case within 30 days of receipt of the request, in consultation with Chief / Public Information Officer shall either provide the information or reject the request for any other reasons specified in Section 8 & 9 of the Act.

If the information sought for concerns the life or liberty of a person, the same shall be provided within forty-eight hours of the receipt of the request.

In case of rejection, the same shall be communicated to the person who has made the request along with the reasons for such rejection, the particulars of the Appellate Authority and the period within which an Appeal against such rejection may be preferred.

Fee Structure:

The information will be provided against the payment of the prescribed fee. Additional fees may be collected depending on the cost of providing the required information like electronic format / print.

The booklet containing all the information as the captioned Act will be made available at all Branches / Offices of the Bank and the contents of the Book will be displayed in the Bank’s web site.

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