Swamped by RTI applications, Maharashtra opens up a little

The Maharashtra government has issued a Government Resolution (GR) that gives citizens access to government records in district-level offices and in local bodies such as panchayats. The access is allowed under the Right to Information Act and is an attempt to lessen the number of RTI applications and to increase transparency in government functioning. 

Maharashtra leads in RTI applications and there have been a few innovative experiments. In Pune, for instance, there is an RTI library where residents can check the workings and decisions of the municipal corporation. Transparency International India, in a 2017 report, said, “On an average Maharashtra received 5.50 lakh applications annually, whereas the Central Government received a total of 5.22 lakh RTI applications every year.”

There are, however, two riders in the new GR. One is that citizens can access the records only for two hours on Mondays. The proviso is meant to ensure that there is no disruption to day-to-day functioning of government machinery. The second point is that there is no access as yet to Mantralaya and its records, though this, it seems, is merely for logistical reasons and also a temporary issue. 

While both are spoilers, especially given the claim that the access is meant to increase transparency, hope lies in the fact that a step was taken towards ultimately opening up the State’s workings to its citizens. The GR is with immediate effect.