Right to Information and Maharashtra

1. RTI Implementation Status in
Maharashtra & RTI Cases
Pralhad Kachare
pkachare@gmail.com

2. Eco System of RTI in Maharashtra
pkachare@gmail.com
Appropriate
Government
Competent
Authorities
Public
Authorities
PIO , APIO
FAA
PIO , APIO
FAA
State Information Commission
Eco System of RTI in Maharashtra for citizens
M
E
D
I
A
N
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s

3. State Information Commission
State Chief
Information
Commissioner
Mumbai
SIC
Pune
Division
SIC
Pune
Division
SIC
Amravati
Division
SIC
Amravati
Division
SIC Nashik
Division
SIC Nashik
Division
SIC
Konkan
Division
SIC
Konkan
Division
SIC
Aurangabad
Division
SIC
Aurangabad
Division
SIC
Brihan
Mumbai
SIC
Brihan
Mumbai
SIC
Nagpur
Division
SIC
Nagpur
Division
pkachare@gmail.com

4. pkachare@gmail.com

5. pkachare@gmail.com

6. Funds Provided by Maharashtra State
Sr.No
.
Year
Funds
Provided
Amount in
crore Rs.
Number of
training programs
conducted
Number of officers
trained
1 2006-2007 1.06 219 12748
2 2007-2008 1.13 140 14854
3 2008-2009 0.30 62 4575
4
2009-2010 0.25 44 3357
5
2010-2011 0.6750 146 8448
6
2011-2012 0.85 129 9192
7 2012-2013 0.60 133 7261
8 2013-2014 0.60 86 5784
9 Total 5.46.50 959 66219
pkachare@gmail.com

7. Funds Provided by GOI
Sr.
No.
Year
Funds
Provided
Amount
in Lakh
Rs.
Number of
training
programs
conducted
Number of officers trained
Trainers
PIOs ,
AA,
APIos
RTI
Week
Citizens
Printing of RTI
books
1 2009-2010 19.00 29 00 1452 00 00
2 2010-2011 43.40 98 111 4766 5650 3500 copies
3 2011-2012 30.15 72 105 3500 4849 9000
copies
4 2012-2013 30.15 60 105 3500 4639 4000
copies
5 2013-2014 44.90 63 105 3521 00 20000
copies
6 Total 167.60 322 426 16739 15138
pkachare@gmail.com

8. Key Issues in Implementation
• Effective Proactive Disclosure
• Wide scale Dissemination
• Retrieval Driven Record Management
• Dedicated PIO for Updation & Records
• Training & Awareness
• Active partnership with all Stakeholders
• Need for Uniformity
• Grievance Redressal
• Strengthening Information Commissions
• Forward Linkages
• Impact on Public Service Delivery

9. Record Management
• Implementation of the Public Records Act has
been appallingly ignored.
• Each state need to have its Public Records Act
• Central Govt and only 3 states (A.P ,
Maharashtra & Assam ) have such Acts
• Old office manual instructions are followed
which are not in tune with RTI Act
• RTI friendly, easily accessible and retrievable
Record Management needed

10. Dedicated PIO
• Appoint a 'dedicated PIO' for
updating Proactive Disclosures &
• who can also be the Public
Records Officer .
• Combining the designation of PI0
and Record Officer.
• Support to Public Authorities –
Budgets- Infrastructure- Training

11. Training & Awareness
• Strengthening of training and capacity building
for staff and officers.
• Just one time training not useful, It has to be a
continuous activity.
• Need for RTI awareness in rural areas using
multi-media approach.
• Awareness among economically
disadvantaged badly needed.
• Need to curb appeals at PA stage

12. Active partnership with Stakeholders
• There is a key role that lawyers and law
officers can also play.
• Active partnership with NGOs necessary.
• So many applications from Govt. employees
• Need for improvement in HR management of
all Appropriate Governments.
• Using people-friendly-technology for the
filing of applications / appeals.

13. Strengthening Information Commissions
Strengthening required by providing:
• Adequate budgetary support
• Adequate Manpower
• Supporting Legal Services
• Adequate Resources
• Monitoring Cell
• Centralized web Portal
• Web e-enabled – filing, tracking and
monitoring facilities

14. Maharashtra Good Governance
Framework
pkachare@gmail.com

15. RTI requests flooding Public Authorities
Unclear and
vague
Information
seeking
justification &
reasoning
Unclear and
vague
Information
seeking
justification &
reasoning
Lengthy
information
Lengthy
information
Information
spanning
long past
years/
volumnious
info
Information
spanning
long past
years/
volumnious
info
Ghost
informationr
requests
Ghost
informationr
requests
Information
Seeking
Help
Information
Seeking
Help
Information
Seeking
remedy
Information
Seeking
remedy
Complaints
&
grievances
redress
requests
Complaints
&
grievances
redress
requests
Information
Infringing
Privacy
Information
Infringing
Privacy
Public
interest
Information
Public
interest
Information
Repeated Requests for same info
V
A
X
A
T
I
O
U
S
F
R
I
V
U
L
O
U
S
pkachare@gmail.com

16. Capacity
building
Mindset of
Govt Machinery
Very poor
Record Keeping
Resource
crunch
Volume of work
& less use of IT
Deficit of
Proactive Info
Areas of Concern
pkachare@gmail.com

17. Yet, it is not hopeless either
• The mindset is
gradually
changing as a
result of these
efforts
• The bureaucracy
is getting
receptive
pkachare@gmail.com