It is often seen that those seeking information under the RTI Act are made to dance according to the tunes of the respective officials.
Some officials appear to ignore the RTI Act while some are efficient. Some deliberately avoid giving information while some say the question does not fall within the ambit of RTI Act. Some others do not follow the prescribed time limit while giving information.
In my instance, I had a very bad experience while seeking information under the RTI Act. The concerned official verbally told me that the previous official handling the matter had been replaced and now my application could not be considered.
Is there any rule in the RTI Act stating if an official has been replaced, the RTI application need to be given afresh? This is absolutely ridiculous.
Steps need to be taken to streamline the process. Provision should be made in the law to penalise officials if the information is not provided within the stipulated time, only then will the RTI Act be streamlined.
