Tarun Karthick
Port Blair, 22 July 2024
The Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005, has been a cornerstone of transparency and accountability in India, enabling citizens to access information held by public authorities. Over the years, RTI has played a pivotal role in unearthing scams and improving government policies. However, in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the process of obtaining information from public authorities remains cumbersome and outdated, relying on a manual system that requires applicants to physically submit their requests or send them via post.
Despite the Revenue Department’s efforts to develop an online RTI module, its functionality is significantly inferior to the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) managed RTI Portal. This DoPT managed RTI portal is widely used by various Central Government Ministries, Departments, and Union Territories (UTs) like Chandigarh and Puducherry, serving as a crucial gateway for filing RTI applications.
The unique geographical composition of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a UT made up of small, scattered islands, exacerbates the need for a robust online RTI system. The current manual process is not only inconvenient but also inefficient, particularly for journalists, RTI activists, and the general public who often face significant challenges in obtaining information from remote departmental units.
The situation raises questions about why the Andaman and Nicobar Administration has not yet integrated with the central RTI Portal managed by DoPT, especially when other UTs like Chandigarh and Puducherry have successfully done so. The lack of an efficient online system hinders transparency and delays the flow of crucial information, undermining the very essence of the RTI Act.
In conclusion, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands’ administration should either enhance and expand its existing online RTI module currently used by the Revenue Department, for all departments of the UT, or adopt the central RTI Portal to facilitate a smoother, more accessible process for filing and receiving RTI applications and responses. This step is essential to uphold the principles of transparency and accountability, ensuring that the citizens of Andaman and Nicobar Islands can exercise their right to information effectively.