Karnataka disposed 97% of over 4.25 lakh RTI applications received last year
12 Feb, 2015
As per the statistics available with the State Information Commission, more than three fourths of the RTI applications in the state of Karnataka have been filed with just six departments out of the total 33 departments with the state government. Information Commissioner with the State Information Commission (SIC) Dr Shekar D Sajjannar has informed that in the year 3013-14, a total 4,25,475 applications received under Right to Information (RTI) Act 2015 out of which 77.64 % are attributable to Departments like Revenue, Urban Development, Transport, Education, Home, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj while the remaining applications pertain to the rest of the 27 departments. As per the records, the government accrued a revenue of Rs. 59.95 lakh by way of fee collected from RTI applicants. The records further show that 96.84 % of the applications have been disposed.
The data show that:
· Revenue department received 1,46,715 applications out of which 1,32,353 applications were disposed of;
· Urban Development department received 89,026 applications out of which 83,550 were disposed;
· Rural Development and Panchayat Raj received 74,001 applications while 70,839 were disposed of.
· Transport department received 22,718 out of which 21,773 were disposed of.
· Education department received 21,139 applications out of which 20,755 were disposed of.
· Home received 12,049 applications out of which 12,027 were disposed of.
As per the figures, there are 62,602 public authorities in the state of Karnataka which have designated 80,000 Public Information Officers (PIOs). Out of the total number of applications filed with the different PIOs, only, 3.16 % approached the SIC in the form of 10,490 second appeals and 2,970 complaints. The SIC has levied a penalty of Rs 1.34 crore on the PIOs and also awarded a compensation of Rs 12.12 lakh to the applicants during the last financial year. The departments on the receiving end of the penalty include RDPR department (Rs 39 lakh), UDD (Rs 36 lakh), and the Revenue department (Rs 29 lakh). There is a proposal to establish two regional benches of the SIC in the State.