The Haryana State Information Commission (HSIC) on Tuesday announced to launch a statewide programme to train 25,000 state public information officers (SPIOs) and first appellate authorities (FAAs), including 6,300 sarpanches functioning as SPIOs at the village level.
The year-long programme starting on August 12 is aimed at transforming the delivery of the Right to Information (RTI) regime in Haryana. It forms the centrepiece of a comprehensive package of administrative, technological and institutional reforms being undertaken by the commission to make the RTI mechanism faster, more transparent, accessible and citizen-centric.
Announcing the initiatives, Haryana’s chief information commissioner TVSN Prasad said the commission was undertaking a comprehensive overhaul of its functioning so that the RTI mechanism becomes more responsive to citizens and cases are disposed of with greater speed, efficiency and consistency.
Prasad said the commission is embarking upon one of the most comprehensive RTI capacity-building programmes undertaken in the state, with the objective of training nearly 25,000 SPIOs and FAAs in one year. The programme will also cover around 6,300 sarpanches, who function as SPIOs at the village level.
The programme will combine online and offline modes of training to bring virtually the entire SPIO and FAA machinery of Haryana within a structured capacity-building framework.
The chief information commissioner said the objective of the programme is not merely to acquaint officers with the technical provisions of the RTI Act, but to develop a deeper understanding of the spirit, purpose and citizen-centric philosophy of legislation.
“The real objective of the RTI Act is to facilitate the flow of information to citizens. A culture of information-sharing has to replace a culture of information-denial. Our effort is to ensure that SPIOs understand not merely what information can be denied, but, more importantly, what information can and should be provided,” said Prasad.
For the programme, the Commission has collaborated with the Administrative Staff College of India (ASCI), Hyderabad, and the Haryana Institute of Public Administration (HIPA). The Commission will also seek expert assistance from renowned law schools.
Strengthening the First Appellate Authority
The chief information commissioner said the Commission has identified the functioning of the First Appellate Authority as a crucial area requiring focused attention. The training programme will specifically seek to strengthen the first appellate mechanism so that grievances are effectively addressed at the departmental level itself, thereby reducing avoidable litigation and pendency before the State Information Commission.
The commission has observed that, in a number of cases, First Appellate Authorities have not been exercising their statutory powers to the extent envisaged under the RTI Act.
“The training will therefore focus on the role, responsibilities and adjudicatory functions of FAAs, including the need to pass appropriate and reasoned orders in accordance with the statutory framework,” Prasad said.
Another major reform will be the adoption of a 100% hybrid mode of hearing of RTI cases. The facility will enable appellants and respondents to
participate in hearings without necessarily having to travel to the commission.
Taking another step towards digital accessibility, the commission will soon introduce e-filing of second appeals and complaints through its web portal. At present, the online facility is available for RTI applications and first appeals.
