Due to some technical problems, the said opinion is not being published here. Same is posted on the website of BCAS www.bcasonline.org and PGDT rtiforyou.info
- RTI in action or inaction?
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|
2007-08
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2011-12
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total registered public authorities
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1,597
|
2,314
|
|
|
|
|
|
Submitted returns
|
1,382
|
1,593
|
|
|
|
|
|
Requests pending from last year
|
23K
|
4.3L
|
|
|
|
|
|
Received in year
|
2.6L
|
6.6L
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
|
2.9L
|
10.9L
|
|
|
|
|
|
Disposal %
|
86
|
68
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rejection %
|
7.2
|
8.3
|
|
|
|
|
Surprisingly, only 29 ministries/departments out of 66 are providing complete information to the Central Information Commissioner (CIC) on how they handle RTI queries. Out of 2,314 public authorities registered with the CIC some 721 are defaulters – they don’t give information about their response to queries. In 2007-08, a total of 2.6 lakh queries were received. This jumped to 6.6 lakh in 2011-12. But what is revealing is that in 2011-12 over 4.3 lakh queries were carried over from the previous year. The rate of disposal has dipped from 86% in 2006-07 to about 68% in 2011-12.
- Illegal new construction in Parel, Mumbai
Uncertainty looming over the fate of illegally constructed buildings such as the apartments at the Campa Cola Compound in Worli and building collapses across the city, it is Parel’s turn to tell another grim tale of real estate malpractices.
Documents obtained under RTI by Mahesh Vengulkar, include various incriminating documents about the structure.
The building is very old and was purchased for Rs. 3 crore by a builder some years ago. “Under the guise of carrying out repairs to the dilapidated structure, an unauthorised fourth floor was added to it and individual flats are being sold in the market for around Rs. 7 crore each,” alleged Vengulkar.
Out of 22 under-construction flats on the illegal fourth floor, added Vengulkar, eight flats are allegedly complete and occupied. “The builder owes the government over Rs. 43 crore as Property Tax as per notices put up on the building last December. We are demanding a fresh structural audit from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and are sure that the building will be deemed unfit for habitation and its occupants will be rendered homeless,” said Vengulkar.
He added that it was surprising how the builder constructed an illegal floor and flats in spite of numerous complaints made over the years.
The decision by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to charge Rs. 500 to release photocopy of Optic Magnetic Reader (OME) sheet, answer key and calculation sheet of students who appeared for the Joint Entrance Examination (Main) 2013 is the violation of RTI Act.
As for the violation of the RTI Act, the CBSE has asked students who have already applied for answer keys through the RTI to reapply by paying Rs. 500. The RTI Act stipulates that only Rs. 10 can be charged for application and an additional Rs. 2 for photocopying.
