What happens after you file an RTI Speed, Ease, Efficiency

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What happens after you file an RTI?Speed, Ease,
Efficiency
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Sample Size

• Filed RTI applications within the sample 190
• 18 RTI applications transferred to 115 divisions
  and PIOs
• Total responses under consideration 190115305
  PIOs
• Filed RTIs under consideration cover sample
  states (states and district PAs) 1 State HQ 10
  PAs in the Central Government

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Nature of the Application Filed

• 2 Key questions
• Application History in the PA
• No. of applications received since 2005
• Response time
• Nature of response case where full information
  was provided, partial information provided or
  rejected
• Copies of applicant and appeal registers
• Copies of applications and appeals and orders

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Tracking Process

• All Applications filed between June 08-July 08
• Data base developed to keep a log of responses
• Data base record includes Acknowledgement date,
  response date, response, action taken, appeal
  filed

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Key Questions for Analysis

• Speed of responses
• Nature of responses
• Ease of accessing information
• Speed of responses to first appeals
• Nature of responses to first appeals

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High Response Rate

• Three Fourths of the RTI applicants filed
  received responses

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But Timely Responses are Rare
1/3rd Responses Received within 30 Days
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Some States Better than Others
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5050 chance of accessing information

• Information furnished in 3/4th of the responses
  received and just under ½ of total applications
  filed
• Relatively few rejections

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Some Caveats

• Many difficulties in payments for RTI
  applications
• Delhi police requested payments for much more
  than mere photocopying!

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The complicated payment process Treasury
Challans A saga
PIO requests to make payment by TC
They sent us to SBI
We went to Pvt Banks
They sent us to Tees Hazari SBI
Request for correct form. But dont tell us
what that means
Asked to bring TC form
Not to be outdone, we refer to a website and get
details
They send us back to get SDMs signature!!!
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Delhi Police With you, For you as long as you
pay!

• RTI application forwarded within 20 days to all
  PHQ units
• More than half responded asking for photocopy
  money additional salary costs for staff deputed
  to actually do the photcopying!

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Delhi Police With you, For you as long as you
pay!
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So how much does it cost to photocopy? A sampler
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And Appeals dont help either
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State Highlights

• Meghalaya Over 2/3rds of the PAs responded with
  complete information either directly or after
  requests for money for photocopying
• Meghalaya also amongst quickest in responding to
  RTI applications
• AP less than 1/3rd PAs furnished complete
  information

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PA Highlights

• Speed of Responses
• Railways- Highest number of responses within 30
  days at 90
• MOEF- A close second. 74 were responded to
  within 30 days

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PA Highlights

• Slowest PAs
• Responses within 30 days- Revenue at 29, Women
  and Child at 24, Police and home at 14 20
  respectively
• Deemed Refusals
• Revenue Dept 67
• Women and Child 41
• Rural Development 30

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PA Highlights

• MoEF and Railways Top the list. Nearly
  2/3rds-furnished information either directly or
  after making requests for money for photocopying
• Revenue Department worst performer. Less than
  1/5th PIOs furnished information

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Rejections

• Section 8 (j) and section 11, section 7(9) most
  commonly cited reason for rejection
• Across PAs and states max. rejections came from
  the police department. Majority of the rejections
  drew on section 8 (j)

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First Appeal Process

• 68 First Appeals were filed
• A mere 16 responses were received from the FAA
• In 9 cases FAA allowed appeal, 1 partially
  allowed, 6 rejected the appeal
• In 15 cases, full or partial information was
  furnished by the PIO after filing the appeal

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Experiences with Appeals

• Municipal Secretary, Delhi- Rejected information
  under Section 11 but submitted all the
  information asked for in a fortnight after the
  appeal hearing.

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Going Forward Issues for Further Analysis

• Analyze and assess factors that makes some states
  and PAs respond better than others
• Cross verify this data with the real time
  experience of filing RTIs in these PAs through
  the urban and rural surveys
• Compare our experience with claims made by PAs
  eg Delhi Police