USE AND MISUSE OF THE RTI ACT

USE OF THE RTI ACT

One should use the RTI Act so properly that it becomes harmful to none.

• Solve your grievances

• Improve the surrounding situation

• Solve any long pending issues of the society

Solve your grievances

The RTI act is one revolution that makes the Government Offices reply to one’s questions. Filing an RTI one can remove his/her grievances about some pending cases like Passport delay, Pension delay as the designated officer is liable to give the required information. Sometimes we cannot connect with relevant officers to solve our official problems. In such cases, we file an RTI.

 

How it happens

Once you file an RTI, the PIO creates a file of your RTI and sends it to the relevant officer for comments. For the instruction of the PIO, the relevant officer becomes liable to make a reply and the relevant officer cannot shelve your file without a powerful reason. So in major cases, he not only replies to RTI but also solves the case.

 

Improve the surrounding situation

Filing an RTI one can also improve social problems like broken roads, loudspeakers, lack of water, and many such problems. Sometimes you see around, but never know what to do. In such cases, if you go to any government office you can get no response but if you file an RTI your application cannot be ignorable.

 

How it works

At first, you can search for the relevant authority; if it is a case of local roads, the authority must be Municipal Corporation; if it is a national highway, it will be The National Highway Authority of India. But if you don’t know the proper public authority, you can file an RTI to the relevant public authority and the Public Authority send it to the proper authority. Here it is the best part that the RTI application never returned to the applicant.

 

Format of Application

• First, you can collect some RTI applications digitally.

• Then your issue should come to the notice of authority and must be to the point.

• Keep your RTI simple and as for as possible, focus on one issue at a time.

What type of Response you can get

• You will get to know the current status of the application.

• If you think the information is wrong, you can again file it to the FAA.

Solve any long pending issues of the society

If your ordinary application is long pending or it does not satisfy you with the action of the authority or department, you can file an RTI to get proper action and reply.

 

We can get some benefits which bring a change in reality:-

• The online social presence of the application makes helpful others

• RTI helps to make a connection between the government and ordinary citizen

The online social presence of the application makes helpful others

The online social presence of the application helps others to know how one can file an RTI and what type of response he can get. Now it is also important to know why people share information on social media. The reasons are:-

• To support an issue that they feel strongly about

• Social sharing is helpful to build an image and show who they are and what they stand for.

• To take part and feel involved in things occurring in the world.

• To make interaction with others.

RTI helps to make a connection between the government and ordinary citizen

It is the best part of filing an RTI that a bond with government officers who are powerful and resourceful is made. This connection helps to get a response to any query in a short period.

 

MISUSE OF RTI ACT

Citizens must be concerned about the use of the RTI Act. Sometimes the use of the RTI Act becomes a blackmailing type or harmful like.

• When a person makes an allegation against any person or institution, this publishes an evil reputation against the person or institution and also make damage

• When a person seeks information through the record and the record shows an illegal or corrupt action. Then that person can blackmail the wrongdoers but the blackmailing may be undesirable.

• Many RTI users expose the wrongs and share it publicly.

SOME CASES RELATED TO MISUSE

 

J.J. BUCK V. STATE BANK OF SAURASHTRA

It is the case where an applicant tried to pressurize the respondent for asking a large no. of information which covered not only all branches and offices but also pertained to several years in time. The information would divert the resources of the Public Authority disproportionately from its normal public duty. The appellant again requested to file RTI to gain the information after not getting any response.

It is a harassment case for which we can say it is a misuse of RTI.

 

Manohar Singh Pantev v. North Eastern Handloom and Handicrafts Development Corporation (N.E.H.H.D.C.)

It is also a case of creating pressure on the respondent where the complainant complained relating to the payment of an arrear of pay but he hid the fact of his irregular payments to him on account of official housing facilities used by him and his family. The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) had asked for recovery of the excess amount incurred. But they searched it that the arrear pay is to be adjusted with dues and the remaining amount is to be recovered with interest, yet the applicant tried to create pressure by filing an RTI.

 

MR. KULDEEP SINGH YADAV V. CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND SUPPLY DEPARTMENT GNCTD

A case against Mr. Kuldeep Singh Yadav and Mr. Vijoy Kumar Garg was launched for the repetitive use of the RTI. The commission also directed the respondent authority to prepare a list of the RTI application filed by the applicant and place the reply on their official website that would help the citizens to have information about misuse of the RTI act.