January 20, 2010: Chandigarh:  RTI Users Association (RTIUA) which was founded in June 2009 under the aegis of “Citizens’ Voice” today expanded its base to provide support to people using “Right to Information” in six states of North India (Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir and Delhi). In a formal meeting of the RTIUA, new office bearers to coordinate with RTI users of these six states were selected. This according to RTIUA would further strengthen the application of RTI Act so as to make RTI a legal tool of choice for the people to ensure accountability in governance.

Kamal Anand, who also heads the NGO People for Transparency was unanimously selected to lead the association as the new Secretary-General of the RTI Users Association. Advocate Surinder Pal took over the responsibility to be a State-coordinator for Punjab. Dr. Gaurav Chhabbra would be the State-coordinator for Chandigarh. Col. D.P. Gupta would be State Coordinator for Himachal Pradesh. Professor Sandeep Gupta would be the State-Coordinator for Haryana and Sh. R. D. Sharma was given the responsibility to be the State-Coordinator for Jammu and Kashmir.

RTIUA opened its membership for all people who have been using the RTI Act or are desirous to use RTI Act for obtaining information. The spokesperson of the association informed that there was no membership fee for becoming a member of the RTIUA and one can visit the website www.rightto.info and register there to become a member of the association. After registration as a member, one can download sample RTI applications, sample appeals, Act, Rules and even post questions or post blogs relating to RTI.

Kamal Anand informed that RTIUA would be consolidating its base at the District and village level too and in due course would be selecting people who are willing to volunteer at District level to guide RTI Users. “We are looking for volunteers who have been using RTI in public interest and have reasonable understanding of the RTI Act and the legal system. Proven track record of work in the interest of public is an essential requirement; however RTIUA has decided not to select any political workers as office bearers for obvious reasons.” Kamal added.

The association currently has over 500 RTI users as its members not only from these six states but also from across the country.

Dear RTI users..

Hello! 

I’d requested to PIO (Principal, S.K.R.College of Physical Edu. Bhagoo Majra Kharar) on 19/04/2008 to provide me some information under RTI Act-2005. 

-Till 3/6/2009 incomplete information provided by the concerned PIO. 

-on 10/08/2009,The State Information Commission imposed a penalty of Rs.25,000.00 upon the PIO . 

-Now, the concerned PIO challenged the S.I.C.P. Order in the Punjab & Haryana High Court (CWP-16365 of 2009), the first hearing will be held on 28/11/2009. 

-Please advise me in this regard. 

-It is the matter of great concern that PIO are unreasonably hiding/delay’g the information and later they challenged the penalty orders of S.I.C.P. in the court(on Govt. expences) to escape from penalty because,they belive, erery complainant not able to hire a counsel and they also not have much time to spent in such litigations!!

Thanks 

Hi

I have served a legal notice to PU VC today for making an illegal list of exempted items of information under RTI Act.

You can download the legal notice from this link.
http://rightto.info/uploads/wordpress … legal-notice-to-pu-vc.doc

Please advice what should be the next step.

Nitin Goyal
9417009954

Dated: 19.6.2009 

To,

1. Hon’ble Shri Manmohan Singh,
Prime Minister of India,
South Block,
New Delhi

2. Shri Prithvi Raj Chauhan,
Hon’ble Minister of State,
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances
& Pensions, North Block,
New Delhi.

3. Shri M. Veerappa Moily,
Hon’ble Minister of Law & Justice,
Shastri  Bhawan,
New Delhi

Sir,

SUBJECT: Attempt at making the RTI toothless

The rights activists across the Nation are deeply disturbed on reading the news story appearing in ‘times of India” under the caption “Proposal to exempt file notings may leave RTI toothless.”

At the outset, I may submit that the UPA Government had claimed all through in the campaign in recent Lok Sabha elections about its various achievements, particularly the passing of “Right to Information Act, 2005”. The above discouraging news report has come within a few days of the Government assuming power at the Centre. The move thus cannot be justified even on canons of political morality.

The move to exempt file-notings from the purview of RTI Act, 2005 is totally retrograde and intends to strangulate the revolutionary statute. The attempt to increase the application fee is also ill motivated and is aimed to discourage the seeking of information. The very object of the RTI Act being to introduce transparency in the administration and to eradicate corruption, the proposed amendments shall not be acceptable to the rights activists across the Nation.

We, therefore, request you to re-consider the proposed move to amend the RTI Act, 2005.

Soliciting consideration in the right context,

With regards,

Yours Sincerely,

(H.C. ARORA)
CONVENER