tag on profile.
To the chief Information Commissioner.
Please provide me with below information.
1. Does your state have a web portal supporting the spirit of Right to Information Act. Similar and at least providing the same functionality as https://RTIOnline.gov.in where
- Any Citizen of India can go online and file RTI appeal to Information Commission or any of the administrative unit's SPIOs electronically and get an RTI tracking ticket similar to RTIOnline.gov.in.
- Pay the prescribed fee online using Net Banking, Credit Cards.
- Track the status online and get the response on the online portal electronically.
- File First and Second appeal in case RTI response is not satisfactory electronically using the same portal.
2. If answer to query #1 is Yes for all the points, please provide the web portal name.
3. If Answer to all or any of the Query #1 is No.
a).Please provide details on why even after 10 years of RTI Act in place and after multiple years of RTIOnline.gov.in online and working as a benchmark developed by NIC for central government ministries (NIC or similar agencies manages all your state web portals as well) your state is not able to provide this service.
b.) If you have already planned for a similar or better service than RTIOnline.gov.in to serve RTI needs for your state please provide the expected time frame when Citizens of India can start using it.
The Above RTI is for public purpose.
We got a very detailed response in 4 weeks :
"With reference to the above. I am directed to state that the Mizoram Information
Commission has received your Application No. Nil dt.13.06.2015 on 07.07.2015 and would like to inform you that the answer to all of ,vour Query #1 is 'No" at this stage due to the fact that internet connectivity is very bad in the Norfh Eastern States. especially in Mizoram. Meanwhile, RTI Applications are accepted through internet even if they are to make the Application Fee separately. Further, reply to the points a & b at Sl.no 3 in your quer)' are as under :-
a) The Mizoram lnformation Comrnission is having its own website
wwrv.mic.mizoram.gov.in wherein all the information relating to Mizoram Information
Commission. the RTI Act 2005. the Mizoram RTI Rules 2010, list of DAA's, SPIO's and
SAPIO's and rulings/decisions made by Mizoram Information Commission are uploaded and
updated. Further, the Government of Mizoram has been doing various ICT improvements
including on RTI Act but online Application and payment, etc will take some more time to be in place. It is also reiterated that extremely bad intemet connectivity in Mizoram is one of the main hindrance in not providing online Application to the Information Seekers at present.
b) After the steps taken by the Government of Mizoram for State Wide Area
Network are completed and once the internet connectivity gets upgraded and better, necessary steps will continue to be taken for easy accessibility of information by the Citizens of India."
We were very happy to see this very detailed and informative response from the Mizoram Information commission. If you ask us, we would say that Mizoram has far outpaced many of its (much bigger and prosperous) sister states in being citizen friendly.
Even when the internet connectivity is very poor in the state, instead of making any excuses the government and the SIC are doing all they can to enable convenient RTI process for applicants.
This is the mark of true torchbearers of the spirit of RTI. Kudos to Mizoram SIC! We hope that they are quickly able to implement a strong internet infrastructure in state and a full scale online RTI process. We will, of course, keep a track.
We would like to see similar sense of responsibility and eagerness in other states too to implement a transparent and wastage-free RTI systems in other states too. And this is the whole reason we want all the states to be on board rti.gov.in or a similar platform base-lined at least on existing service by central government.
We invite you to take charge and change the reality. Join this Action Group now!
