This is truly iconic and a landmark act passed in recent times. They have slowly expanded the ambit to include information sought from almost anyone barring a few security sensitive issues.
What does it mean for an ordinary citizen like you and me? It means getting to know your rights and exercising them. I see a vast majority of people posting their negative experience with their telecom operators. Instead of bemoaning about their sorry fate, none of them are interested in pursuing the matter to a logical conclusion to have the matters sorted out.
RTI empowers the common citizen to know the state of affairs behind the closed doors. For example, if you are not getting your promised due of installation of a new telephone connection within stipulated time, then you can file RTI to know the status of your application. This is good enough to put the babu in spot if there is any delay in the implementation of the said order. You can file a RTI application if you are not satisfied about the functioning of your telephone number, know the number of the cell phone calls at the moment when you got disconnected and have it independently verified. You can know the make of the instruments, the technical details of the switching of the telephone calls etc etc.
I don’t guarantee any miracles. You can expect firewalling or even retribution from the said babu. But this should not deter anyone from seeking it. Because, it is your own money in form of taxes, that are being utilized and “misused”.
Further, the ambit of the RTI needs to be expanded on to the private players because as per the license norms, they are following the rules laid down by Department of Telecom and TRAI which are Government bodies and hence public office. The same rules need to be applied to them and Public Information Officers appointed for proper dissemination of information.
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