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State
Level RTI: Gujarat
Law
In
May 2005, the national Right
to Information Act 2005 was passed by Parliament. The RTI
Act 2005 received Presidential assent on 15 June and came fully
into force on 12 October 2005. (For more information on the passage
of the RTI Act 2005 and implementation at the national level,
click here.)
The RTI Act 2005 covers all Central, State and local government
bodies and applies to the State Government of Gujarat.
The
Gujarat Government has started implementing the RTI Act 2005.
Click here
for the RTI Fee and Cost Rules and RTI Appeals Rules issued by
the Government of Gujarat.
For
a list of Public Information Officers and Appellate Authorities
designated by the State Government, click here.
Details
of Fee & Costs
Application
|
Rs
20 (electronic application-- fees to be submitted within
7 days)No fees payable for a person below poverty line (BPL)
|
Mode
of payment |
Cash/demand
draft/ pay-order/non-judicial stamp |
Additional
Fees: |
|
A-4,
A-3 paper |
Rs
2 per page |
Larger
paper |
Actual
cost |
Publication |
Actual
price |
Floppy/disk
|
Rs
50 |
Samples,
models , photograph |
Actual
cost |
Inspection
of records |
First
hour free, Rs 20 for each subsequent half hour |
Where
there is a prior arrangement or system in place, there the
above additional fees will not be levied. The charges/fees
as prevelent before will be payable by the applicant
|
Second
Appeals and complaints against non-disclosure of information may
be filed with the Gujrat State Information Commission.
State
Information Commission
S.N. |
Name
of Commissioner |
Contact
|
1 |
Mr.
R.N. Das, IAS (Retd.)
State Chief Information Commissioner |
1st
Floor, Bureau of Economics & Statistics Building,
Sector-18, Near Police Bhawan,
Gandhinagar - 382018
Gujarat
Off: 079-23252701/2325270
Res: 079-23254914
Mobile: 9427306088
Fax: 079 232 52829
E mail: gscic@gujarat.gov.in
Website: http://gic.guj.nic.in
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Newsupdates,
Activities & Advocacy
- The Gujarat Government has decided to appoint
Rabi Narayan Das, a Gujarat cadre IAS officer , as the next
chief information commissioner (CIC). He takes over Dr PK Das
who retires after eight months in office. Rabi Narayan Das is
at present working as secretary, food and public distribution,
Government of India. One of the important thing, the new CIC
would have to confront is the Gujarat government circular (dated
November 14, 2005) which disallows, under RTI, state officials
to part with file notings made in the process of decision-making.
The circular also disallows officials to part with information
under the RTI on an official against whom an inquiry is pending.
Click here
to read the story.
- Former IAS officer, Mr P K Das has been appointed
the Gujarat State Chief Information Commissioner. The new Chief
Information Commissioner will soon begin to visit offices of
public authorities across the State to see if the Act is being
effectively implemented. Das and his staff (which includes a
registrar of the rank of deputy secretary, an assistant registrar
and two stenographers) have started functioning from a portion
of the Bureau of Economics and Statistics building in Gandhinagar.
Das has said State Information Commissioners will be appointed
after assessing the workload of the Commission.
- The Gujarat Government has worked out a mechanism
to enable people to apply
for information online. The website - www.gujaratindia.com
- will soon have a special window providing links to the various
State departments.
- Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti (PSS), an NGO, has
complained that departments are insisting on applications being
made in a particular format, even though under the RTI Act an
application can be given on plain paper. The State Chief Information
Commissioner has issued a clarification stating that the format
is not mandatory but was suggested to facilitate order.
- Janpath
Citizen's Initiative (a platform for NGOs working in Gujarat)
has been very active
in promoting the right to information nationally and in
the State of Gujarat. Since the RTI Act 2005 came into force,
Janpath has been advocating with the Government for its effective
implementation and has been raising awareness on the Act amongst
the media and the public. Most recently, Janpath, in association
with citizens and other organisations, organised a media briefing
on the problems
faced by applicants since the Act came into force.
For further information: Contact, Harinesh Pandya,
Secretary, Janpath Citizen's Initiative, B-3, Sahajanand Towers,
Jivaraj Park, Vejalpur road, Ahmedabad 380051, Gujarat. Tel:
+91 (079) 26821553, 26820719, 26821190. Email: janpath1ad1@wilnetonline.net
- Mahiti Adhikar Gujarat Pahel (Gujarat Initiatives
for Right to Information) is a forum of organisations and activists
working on promoting
the right to information in Gujarat. The forum is currently
hosted by Janpath at its office in Ahmedabad.
For further information: Contact, Mahiti Adhikar Gujarat
Pahel, C/O Janpath, B-3, Sahajanand Towers, Jivaraj Park, Vejalpur
road, Ahmedabad 380051, Gujarat. Tel: + 91 (079) 26821553/0719.
Email: rtigujarat@yahoo.co.in.
Resources
& Articles
Government
CHRI
Miscellaneous
- Janpath (2005) Right
to Information Act 2005 (Gujarati).
- Janpath (2005) Summary
of RTI Act 2005 (Gujarati).
- Mahiti Adhikar Gujarat Pahel (2005) Advocacy
Efforts since June 2005.
- Staff Reporter (2005) A
Month Later, RTI Still on Paper, 12 November, Ahmedabad
Newsline, Indian Express.
- Staff Reporter (2005) NGO
Demands Balance Sheet on Water Use, 23 October, Ahmedabad
Newsline, Indian Express.
- Bashir Pathan (2005) Das
Says He's Ready for the Job, 23 October, Ahmedabad Newsline,
Indian Express.
- Rupam Jain Nair (2005) This
Quake Victim Wants to 'Know', 22 October, Ahmedabad Newsline,
Indian Express.
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