All High Courts In The Country To Set Up Online RTI Portals Within 3 Months: SC Directs

The Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices P.S. Narasimha and J.B. Pardiwala on Monday directed all the high courts in the country to set up online RTI portals within the period of three months to deal with the RTI Applications. The bench was hearing a petition that sought for establishment of online RTI portals for all high courts as well as district courts.

The Supreme Court of India has already set up online RTI portals and accordingly the high courts have been directed to do the same. The response of the states was sought earlier by the apex court about the same and during the proceedings the court observed that replies have already been filed by 18 states. Currently very few high courts including those of Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa have their online RTI portals while Karnataka uses the portal of the state government.

Regarding the direction given to all the high courts to set up their RTI portals, the Supreme Court asked the secretary generals of the high courts to seek administrative directions from the Chief Justices of the respective high courts. The top court further directed for directions to be taken from the chief justices for district judiciary.

While giving the direction the CJI said that as per Section 6(10) of teh RTI Act, 2005 a person whjo desires to get information under the ct shall do so via an application physically or through online mode. He said that this provison indicates that RTI applicant has a statuary right to move application by electronic means.

Reamrks:

Section 6(1) in The Right To Information Act, 2005

(1) A person, who desires to obtain any information under this Act, shall make a request in writing or through electronic means in English or Hindi in the official language of the area in which the application is being made, accompanying such fee as may be prescribed, to—

(a) the Central Public Information Officer or State Public Information Officer, as the case may be, of the concerned public authority;

(b) the Central Assistant Public Information Officer or State Assistant Public Information Officer, as the case may be, specifying the particulars of the information sought by him or her: Provided that where such request cannot be made in writing, the Central Public Information Officer or State Public Information Officer, as the case may be, shall render all reasonable assistance to the person making the request orally to reduce the same in writing.