RTI Goes Digital: Any Information Pertaining To Karnataka Is Now Just Rs 13 And One Click Away

Anyone who wishes to obtain any information under the RTI Act 2005 in Karnataka can now do it with one click, as the state government has gone digital with the same.

While earlier, the RTI process required one to go pay a fee at the post office, and file an application through a letter addressed to the said public institution, it can all now be done online.

A portal has been launched today (4 February) through which it will now be easy and systematic to mine information.

All information pertaining to the various state governments will now be accessible at one click and will cost Rs 13.

Minister for Sakala Mission, S Suresh Kumar, announced that this ambitious scheme of the state government would be launched and made available to the public by Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa from today.

An applicant can now visit https://rtionline.karnataka.gov.in/ and submit an application through this portal. While the physical application costs Rs 10, the extra Rs 3 is being charged towards processing fee.

This fee is waived off for applicants who are below poverty line, but they will have to furnish a copy of the BPL-certificate along with the application.

Others can make payments through netbanking, following which a a unique registration-number is issued, which is also sent to the applicant by SMS and email.

Information pertaining to only departments and other public authorities of the Government of Karnataka can be availed through this portal. It will not provide access to information regarding any of the central government departments.

The site also provides guidelines for filing RTIs through the portal and information regarding various issues that may arise in the process.

Complaints can be filed under specific departments at the district and taluk levels. And in the case of a wrong department being selected by the applicant, the nodal officer is entrusted with the task of transferring the application electronically to the “Nodal Officer” of the concerned department/public-authority of Government of Karnataka, under section 6(3) of the RTI Act.

The applicant will be intimated about any additional fee to be paid in case of specific information sought that involves copying or inspection, and the same can be checked through the status report.

One can also check the status of the application under the ‘View Status’ tab or opt for alerts by SMS by submitting one’s mobile number and email-ID.

This move is in keeping with the Supreme Court direction, said an official, as well as an attempt to go paperless. This is also said to be an effort to save costs and efforts that the public would otherwise have to make for multiple trips to the various government offices.

As reported by The New Indian Express, the process will soon be Aadhaar linked and a one time password will be sent to the applicant’s phone on submission of Aadhaar number.

This OTP will act as an e-signature and is an attempt to ensure the facility is not misused by anyone filing an RTI application in someone else’s name.

Plans to provide a door delivery of the documents, relating to departments that come under the Sakala Mission, called Jana Sevaka, are also in the pipeline, as reported.