Right to information (RTI) is the right that the law provides to citizens to seek particular information from the government. It has become a tool for the ordinary persons to find some categories of information from public authorities. RTI Act has been in place since 2005, and since then it has significantly been contributing to an increase in transparency and accountability in the working culture of public offices.
Citizens can seek information from the government in any form like a demand or specific government documents, asking for samples of materials that some public work used or referred and ask other questions about the work of government.
These days many people visit the RTI website to submit their applications. Using the guidelines on the online portal, you can find the best book review writing services instructions and send the request. The portal will generate a form with mandatory and optional fields that an applicant should fill on a form and submit.
You will receive a notification email or short text message if the process is successful. What if you do not have access to a computer or stable internet connection? There is still an option to file your RTI information application by following these steps.
- Identify the department which should provide the information you will request with your RTI plea. Depending on the subject, your request can be under local, state or national government.
- Address the application to the public information officer or assistant PIO for your state or central government. Write “seeking information under RTI Act” in the subject line of your application.
- Write the application in English or another official language in your country or locality. There is no strict format specification for RTI application to public authorities under central government, but some states have a ready proforma that an applicant should use for writing or type their application. Since you got the right to information, you need not provide the reasons for your request. You can also request for a document or exerts as part of the data at a nominal fee set by public information office.
- Provide all your details like your name, address, contact information such as phone number, postal and email address. You should also state your town and end by signing the application and writing down the date.
- Pay any charge for the right to information application. Confirm whether the payment method is cash, banks transfer, internet banking, court fee stamp or a money Oder. Include the stamp on the form if it is the method through which you paid for application. People who produce proof that the government acknowledges they live below the poverty line are exempted from the paying the fee.
An office should respond to an RTI request with 30 days. The follow-up step if an office does not oblige is to write an appeal to the appellant authority which should also respond within 30 days.