Online RTI Portal of Election Commission of India
Online RTI Portal of Election Commission of India
Right to Information Act, 2005 is an act of the Parliament of India. The act aids the Indian citizens to get transparency & clarity on diverse Governments’ issues.
The Department of Personnel and Training has set up an RTI Portal Gateway. This portal supports citizens to quickly search for detailed information on FAA, PIOs, etc.
FACTLY- a Public Information/Data Journalism portal shared a report in 2018. It was regarding ECI’s refusal on being the “RTI online”. It stated that the ECI didn’t respond to about 2000 applications despite several reminders.
The Central Information Commission (CIC) instructed the ECI to remove all the pending RTI applications from the portal. Hence, ECI set up its own online RTI portal and responded to all pending applications. They also responded and confirmed the past applications filled on the GOIs online portal.
Thinking, what is ECI’s new RTI portal? All about it is given below. But first, let’s have a read about RTI.
About RTI
India is a democratic country. Every citizen of India has rights such as the right to speak or acquire any Government information. There are numerous Acts passed by the Government of India. One of the Acts is RTI.
RTI, an acronym for Right To Information, is a revolutionary act for the common man. They can ask about any sort of Government information through the act. The specific agency will have to provide it within a 30 days time period. If it fails to do so, a penalty is applied on it.
Since the inception of RTI in 2005, it has come a long way. Indian citizens have accepted it with open arms. It has enabled the smooth functioning of the Government. It has also carried out clarity in the structure of governance.
The citizens were not able to quickly search the details of the information. Therefore, the Department of Personnel and Training took an initiative. It set up an RTI Portal Gateway.
Now let’s read why ECI needed an online RTI portal.
Introduction of ECI’s online RTI portal
There are different officers that are under the State Information Commission. But, ECI itself has a unique position under the Central Information Commission.
Each state has a different fee structure. But, separate rules are set down for RTI. Most of the ECI cases are in regard to CEOs & they have to be transferred promptly. Therefore, ECI felt a need to have its own RTI online portal.
This portal is only accessible to citizens of India. They can first appeal and file RTI applications directly to ECI.
However, they are not permitted for appealing or filing RTIs with other Public Authorities (PAs) or ministries.
Features of the portal
The features of the RTI portal are as follows:
- An applicant can acquire information and make a request via the portal.
- An online payment gateway is available to make requisite fee payments under the RTI Act.
- Applicants are able to make online replies and first appeal via the portal.
- The option to view the Status/Reply of the RTI Application is available in the portal.
- RTI Applicants can have timely notice alerts via Email and SMS.
How to File?
1. A new RTI Application
To file a new RTI, you need to follow the below-mentioned steps:
- Visit the ECI’s online portal for RTI.
- Put Mobile Number or Email ID and captcha code to log in successfully.
- Tap on Submit Button.
- You will get an OTP on your registered mobile number or email ID.
- Put OTP and access portal services.
After successful login, tap on the New RTI tab. A form is displayed to fill up the fields of Personal details, request details, etc. The document uploading facility is also supported by the portal.
Navigate the cursor and tap on the submit tab. You can view each detail such as filing date, transaction status, etc., only after successful submission.
An applicant will have to make a payment of Rs. 10/- as RTI Application Fee. It is in case the applicant is above the poverty line.
Further, put the phone number, tap on the payment method, fill up the amount and card details. You will have to provide the card details if you are paying via the card. After successful payment, an applicant will be directed to a new page. This page will have a confirmation message with RTI details.
2. An appeal with FAA
To file an appeal with the FAA an applicant will need to sign up to their account and navigate for RTI status. This will permit them for making an appeal to the First Appellate Authority. The user will have to navigate to the first appeal option and fill the application form. After that, he/she will tap on the submit button. Please note that the user will not have to pay any amount as per the RTI Act.
Conclusion
ECI’s new RTI online portal is simple to use for getting Government information. An Indian citizen can file an RTI application/first appeal for all Departments/Ministries. They can do the same for other Public Authorities of the Central Government.
Please note that the citizen cannot file an RTI application/ first appeal for other PAs that are under State Govt.