Ministers under RTI, rules Central Information Commission
The CIC has also ruled that all Union and state ministers have a statutory obligation to answer queries seeking information.
Hyderabad: The Central Information Commission has ruled that all Union and state ministers are public authorities under the provisions of the Right to Information Act, 2005, and have a statutory obligation to answer queries seeking information.
The order, on Friday by Central Information Commissioner M. Sridhar Acharyulu, brought all ministers under Section 2(h) of the RTI Act, 2005. Disposing of a case related to an appeal petition filed by Mr Hemant Dhage of Ahmednagar against the Union department of legal affairs, the CIC recommended the Union Cabinet secretary as well as chief secretaries of all states to provide necessary support to each minister, including designating officers or appointing public information officers and first appellate authorities to provide information to the public under the RTI Act.
CIC: Put details on Net
While stating that ministers come under the RTI, the Information Commissioner M. Sridhar Acharyulu disposed of a case related to an appeal petition filed by Mr Hemant Dhage of Ahmednagar.
Mr Dhage had sought to know from the staff of the then Union minister for law the scheduled time for people to meet the Cabinet minister and minister of state. He was directed to seek time from the minister himself.
Mr Acharyulu recommended an official website for the suo motu disclosure of information with periodical updating as prescribed under Section 4 including the facility of meeting people since the ministers needed necessary assistance to receive, acknowledge and provide respond to the representations given by the people.
As Constitutional functionaries, ministers have the duty to inform people about their efforts to fulfill the promises they have made through Section 4(1)(b) of RTI Act and also to furnish the information as sought by their voters under other provisions of RTI Act, the CIC said.
The commission has asked the cabinet secretary and all chief secretaries to take the necessary steps to comply with the order in three months.