Bengaluru: The Karnataka government on Sunday said that it has introduced two measures to make the RTI process more accessible to people and improve transparency, with the approval of Chief Minister D K Shivakumar.
Under the first measure, public authorities receiving physical RTI applications submitted by post or in person must register them on the Right to Information online portal within two days of receipt.
The registration of physical RTI applications has been notified as a guaranteed service under the Karnataka Sakala Services Act, 2011, according to an official statement.
The move will ensure that every applicant receives an online registration number and can track the status of the application at any time. It is also expected to reduce the possibility of applications being lost or overlooked.
If an application is not registered on the portal within the stipulated two days, the applicant will be eligible for compensatory relief under the Sakala Act, and the concerned official will be held accountable, the statement said.
In another measure, the government has extended the facility to file RTI applications online through all Bengaluru One, Karnataka One and Gram One centres across the state.
The facility is aimed at helping people who lack access to computers or are unfamiliar with using the internet. Applicants can visit their nearest service centre and submit applications with the assistance of staff by paying the prescribed RTI fee and a nominal service charge. They will receive an online acknowledgement at the centre itself.
The extension of the service to Gram One centres at the gram panchayat level will make online RTI filing accessible to rural residents as well.
The measures will bring physical applications, online submissions and applications filed through service centres onto a common platform, facilitating monitoring of compliance with the timelines prescribed under the RTI Act, 2005.
They will also help identify delays by information officers more quickly and provide people with a reliable record of their applications, the statement said.
The measures were announced in a statement by Harsha Gupta, Principal Secretary, Department of Public Services.
The statement urged people to make use of the facility either through the online portal or through their nearest Bengaluru One, Karnataka One or Gram One centre.
