RTI act being used to harass government officials in Gujarat

GANDHINAGAR: Government officials in Gujarat tasked with finding answers to Right To Information Act (

RTI

) queries filed by their fellow citizens, say they are struggling to deal with some of the questions they're getting.

Here's an example:

How does the government send greetings? Is there a fixed format for such messages? How much does the government spend on such messages?

It is the sort of question that rarely ever crosses people's minds, but Gujarat's "RTI-activists" - many of whom submit applications through Below Poverty Line (BPL) card holders - are harassing government officers by making such unusually pedantic queries. Here are more examples:

1. If a Hindu government officer has a beard, and dresses like a Muslim, can any action be taken against him? What are the rules for transferring such a person?

2. Is there any rule for transferring a woman government employee who puts on a lot of sindoor?

3. How many people visit the Secretariat every day?

It can be rather challenging for officials to answer such questions, not least because they need to do so within a fixed time limit to avoid a fine. Transfer rules, and codes of conduct in particular, are hard to research, for there are many of them. And in many cases, officials have had to find and deliver information spanning a decade or more.

Government departments receive 10 RTI applications a day on average - and thousands every month - and staff shortages mean that those who are duty-bound to field these questions must spend many valuable hours researching them.

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Content courtesy: Navgujarat Samay / Telugu Samayam