SIC recommends appointment of senior officers as PIO and FAA
18 Aug, 2013
Maharashtra State Information Commission (SIC) has recommended to the state government that for proper implementation of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, only senior officers should be appointed for the crucial posts of Public Information Officer (PIO) and First Appellate Authority (FAA) as it will help smooth flow of information.
In the seventh annual report of the information commission presented in the state Legislative Assembly, the SIC recommended that the government should keep a check on the senior officers who evade their responsibilities. This becomes all the more important in the light that procuring information held by the senior officers is difficult for the juniors and that information officials can be penalized for not providing information.
The SIC also recommended that certain exams about acts like Maharashtra Public Records Act 2005, RTI Act 2005, etc. be introduced in the departments to increase awareness about RTI among the officials and that information disbursal through RTI be linked to annual performance report. The commission has also recommended appointment of records officers to ensure that records are properly maintained and that instances of ‘missing files’ be reduced.