The Hindu Business Line : Govt has spent only Rs two lakh on RTI publicity

NEW DELHI: Despite the RTI Act providing access to official information, the government has only spent a mere Rs 2 lakh towards its publicity through state agencies since it was enacted in 2005.

The government had also published guidelines for RTI applicants, public authorities, appellate authority and CPIOs by spending an additional Rs 2.78 lakh. Replying to a RTI query filed by an activist Subhash Chandra Agrawal, Department of Personnel and T raining, nodal office for handling RTI related issues, said, “Details of expenses made to propagate RTI Act for public awareness is not quantifiable exactly in view of the facts that awareness generation is a continuing process and the same has been done by the way of publication of guidelines for information seekers, public authorities, first appellate authorities and Central Public Information officers and on these expenditure incurred was Rs 2,78,980.”

Adding to it, the department replied, “Government has also incurred an expenditure of Rs 2 lakh on publicity through DAVP/Prasar Bharti.” The department also said that there were no plans to spend Rs 300 crore towards the RTI Act as was said in media rep orts few months back.

“There were media reports that government plans to spend Rs 300 crore towards RTI Act as a major push for the same but the answer provided by the department clears that there was no such plan,'' said Agrawal. Lack of publicity remains a major loophole in the effective implementation of this Act as many people, especially in remote districts do not have much idea about it and even PIOs are not aware about their work, claimed Agrawal. - PTI

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