Right to Information Act, 2005
Right to Information Act, 2005
A Historic Law Ensuring Transparency and Accountability in Governance
The Right to Information Act, 2005 (RTI) is a law enacted by the Parliament of India to ensure transparency and accountability in the administration. This Act gives every Indian citizen the right to obtain information held by government institutions.
Main Objectives
Ensuring Transparency:
To make the functioning of government systems transparent to the public.
Eradication of Corruption:
To prevent corruption by enabling citizens to obtain information about administrative matters.
People's Participation:
To empower citizens to participate more effectively in the democratic process.
Accountability:
To make government officials more accountable to the public.
Application and Time Limit
Whom to Apply To?:
Applications can be submitted to the Public Information Officer (PIO) of the concerned office.
Fee Structure:
The normal application fee is ₹10. Persons living Below the Poverty Line (BPL) are completely exempted from payment of the application fee.
Time Limit for Receiving a Reply:
- Generally: Within 30 days
- If the application is submitted through an Assistant PIO: Within 35 days
- If the information concerns the life or liberty of a person: Within 48 hours
Appeal System
If the requested information is not received or if the information received is incorrect, an appeal can be filed.
First Appeal:
The first appeal should be submitted to the senior officer/designated First Appellate Authority of the concerned office within 30 days from the date on which the reply was due or from the date of receipt of the reply.
Second Appeal:
If the matter is not resolved through the first appeal, a second appeal may be filed before the State/Central Information Commission within 90 days.
Exempted Information – Section 8
For reasons relating to national security and other protected interests, the following information is generally not required to be disclosed:
- Information affecting the security, sovereignty, strategic interests, and integrity of the country.
- Information whose disclosure has been expressly prohibited by a court of law.
- Information received from foreign governments in confidence.
- Information that may endanger the life or physical safety of any person.
Penalty Provisions
If a Public Information Officer, without reasonable cause, refuses to receive an application, fails to furnish information within the prescribed time, malafidely denies the request for information, or otherwise fails to comply with the provisions of the Act, the Information Commission may impose a penalty of ₹250 per day, subject to a maximum of ₹25,000.
Details of the Responsible Officers of Vadakarapathy Grama Panchayat
State Public Information Officer
Secretary
Vadakarapathy Grama Panchayat
Nallur, Kozhippara P.O.
Palakkad – 678557
Phone: 049235222
Email: ddpvadakarappathipkd@gmail.com
Assistant Public Information Officer
Junior Superintendent
Vadakarapathy Grama Panchayat
Nallur, Kozhippara P.O.
Palakkad – 678557
Phone: 049235222
Email: ddpvadakarappathipkd@gmail.com
Appellate Authority
Assistant Director
Local Self Government Department
Civil Station
Palakkad P.O. – 678001
Phone: 0491-2505155
Email: jdlsgdpkd1@gmail.com