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State
Level RTI: Punjab
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 Punjab.
The
Punjab Government has started implementing the RTI Act 2005. The
Government has issued the Punjab
Right to Information Rules 2005. The Government made some
changes in the Punjab Right to Information Rules 2005 after receiving
representations from different quarters for reducing the rates
of fees to be charged issued a Clarification
for depositing and reducing of fees with reference to Punjab Right
to Information Rules 2005.
For
a list of Public Information Officers and Appellate Authorities
designated by the State Government, click here.
Details
of Fee & Costs
Application
|
Rs
10 |
Mode
of payment |
Cash
/bank draft/cheque/treasury challan/Indian postal order. |
Additional
Fees: |
|
A-4
/ A-3 paper |
Rs
2 per page |
Publication
and printed form |
Printed fixed price, photocopies/extracts at Rs 2 per page
|
Large
size paper |
Actual
cost |
Floppy/diskette |
Rs
50 |
Sample, models |
Actual cost |
Inspection
of records |
First hour free, Rs 5 for each subsequent 15 minute. |
Second Appeals and complaints against non-disclosure of information may be filed with the Punjab State Information Commission.
State
Information Commission
S.N. |
Name
of Commissioner |
Contact
|
1 |
Shri. R. I. Singh
State Chief Information Commissioner |
SCO
No 84-85, Sector 17 C
Chandigarh-160017
Off: 0712- 4630050
Fax: 0172-4630052
Email: scic@punjabmail.gov.in
/ kashyap_rajan@
rediffmail.com |
2 |
Mr.
K.K. Gupta
Information Commissioner |
Ph:
0172 4630071 |
3 |
Mr.
Rupan Deol Bajaja (retired) IPS officer
Information Commissioner |
Ph:
0172 4630068 |
4 |
Mr.
Surinder Singh, a retired Chief Engineer.
Information Commissioner |
Ph:
0172 4630073 |
5 |
Mr.
P.K. Verma
Information Commissioner |
Ph:
0172 4630069 |
6 |
Lieut-Gen
P.K. Grover (retr.)
Information Commissioner |
Ph:
0172 4630060 |
7 |
Mr
Kulbir Singh
Information Commissioner |
Ph:
0172 4630069 |
8 |
Mr.
PPS Gill
Information Commissioner |
Ph:
0172 4630062 |
9 |
Mr.
Ravi Singh
Information Commissioner |
Ph:
0172 4630061 |
Newsupdates,
Activities & Advocacy
- One month into the RTI Act 2005 coming into force
in Punjab, and the response from the public has been negligible.
So far the Deputy Commissioner's office is the only department
to have received an application. Lack of publicity about the RTI
Act 2005 on the part of the government is one of the main factors
responsible for the low-key response.
- The Punjab Police has said they have fully
implemented the RTI Act 2005 in all police districts and headquarters
in the State.
- Mr
Rajan Kashyap has been appointed as the State Chief Information
Commissioner under the RTI Act 2005. Former, Chief Secretary
to the Punjab Government, he has had a distinguished career as
a civil servant. A Master of Philosophy in Development Studies
from the University of Cambridge, Mr Kashyap joined the IAS in
1965 and retired as Chief Secretary, Government of Punjab in 2003.
He has held various important assignments in different departments
of the State Government.
- Punjab Governor S. F. Rodrigues has described
the right to information as a crucial initiative in the context
of a commoner. Speaking with members of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly
Press Gallery Committee, he pointed out that good governance happens
when the Government acts as a facilator and not as a controller.
For more information click here.
Resources
& Articles
Government
CHRI
- CHRI (2006) The
Right to Information and Panchayati Raj Institutions: Punjab as
a Case Study , written by Sohini Paul and edited by Charmaine
Rodrigues & Venkatesh Nayak.
- CHRI (2005) Forwarding Information Requests and
Appeals: A Step by Step Guide for Assistant Public Information
Officers under the Right to Information Act 2005, prepared by
Mr Venkatesh Nayak.
- CHRI (2005) Processing Information Requests:
A Step by Step Guide for Assistant Public Information Officers
under the Right to Information Act 2005, prepared by Mr Venkatesh
Nayak.
Miscellaneous
- Jupinderjit Singh (2005) Little
Response to Info Act, 13 November, Tribune News Service.
- Kanchan Vasdev (2005) Most
Offices in Dark About Right to Information Act, 13 October,
Tribune News Service.
- Staff Reporter (2005) Punjab
Police Implements Right to Information Act, 26 October, UNI.
- Ajay Banerjee (2005) Information Panel Not Superior
Authority: Kashyup, 19 October, Tribune News Service.
- Staff Reporter (2005) Kashyup
sworn in Chief Information Commissioner, 18 October, Tribune
News Service.
- Staff Reporter (2005) Punjab
Takes Steps to Enforce the Right to Information Act, 4 October,
UNI.
.
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