Haryana SIC to offer RTI hearing through video-conferencing
3 Oct, 2012The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has released Rs. 9,68,540 for setting up the facility of video conferencing at the office of the State Information Commission (SIC) of Haryana. The amount has been sanctioned by the centre under the centrally-sponsored scheme on “Improving Transparency and Accountability in Government through Effective Implementation of RTI Act, 2005”. After the facility is set up, hearing of second appeals would be done over video conferencing from the district headquarters and the appellants from all over the state would not have to come to Chandigarh just for the sake of hearing.
Currently, all deputy commissioners’ office at the districts of Haryana are equipped with video conferencing facility which can be used for the hearing of the second appeal filed under RTI Act. Video–conference facility would help in reducing the expenses made for obtaining the information under the RTI Act. The number of State Information Commissions in India which allow hearing of appeals through the video conference is yet to receive cent – percent level.