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Andhra Pradesh Information Commission
Andhra Pradesh Information Commission
India

The Problem

Prior to the coming into force of the Right to Information Act, 2005, every decision or action by any Public Authority was treated as purely confidential. No one was willing to provide any information lest he would be accused of having leaked the information. Every Public servant believed in insulating himself from giving any information under the belief of maintaining confidentiality. Hence every official was unwilling to divulge any information. Every official at the top level used to think that it was his prerogative not to divulge any information, whether it was confidential or not; and thus keep the information to himself and feel himself as possessing a treasure and every one else must look to him for guidance. If at all some information was given by anyone, the concerned superiors used to blame those who gave the information and even charge sheet them and try to punish the concerned. Thus the officials were afraid to disclose any information. The result was that not only the Common Man but even public representatives were totally ignorant of why, how and when policy decisions formulations were made. This sadly facilitated corruption much to the detriment of democratic ideals. If some one wanted any information he was not sure where to get it, not to speak whether he would get it at all.

There was the antiquated system of obtaining certified copies. This was at the mercy of the copy-writer and also subject to the decision of the authority competent to sanction it. It was not only costly but difficult to get without any outside recommendation or some other means. There was no time limit to furnish the certified copies. It depended on the whims and fancies of the copy-writer. Earlier, there was no punishment for not providing information or for delays in providing information. Almost every higher official protected those who did not furnish information. There was much complacency among the officials and were rather negligent towards applicants seeking information. Applicants were treated with contempt.

The illiterate and the rural population was the most affected in the old system. Out of 762.1 lakh population, 554.01 lakh live in rural areas. Among the rural population, 53% are illiterate. Another problem was the absence of any law which provided any legal authority to motivate the people to fight for this cause and obtain the information.

Solution and Key Benefits

 What is the initiative about? (the solution)
Today every information, except those specifically exempted under the RTI Act, 2005 is in public domain. It is a healthy transformation towards a free, transparent and corruption-free administration, as envisaged in the Indian Constitution. Today an applicant can sit assured that he would get the information sought for by him within a specified time.

Now every village or a group of villages has a Public Information Officer (PIO). There are 1,78,028 PIOs in the State. The decisions and the benefits accrued to the successful applicants is showing a spin off effect and the neighbours are encouraged to apply and get the information.

The impact could be measured from the fact that in the first year from 15-11-2005 to 31-12-2006 only 8,864 applications were filed in the State where as within the first 9 months of the year 2007 as many as 20,448 applications were received . This is an increase of over 130%.

The Commission has become popular that many are looking to it for help and flooding the Commission with various requests. As against 3844 references received in 2005-06, the Commission received 7,780 rferences in 2007 which include complaints and appeals. This represents an increase of 102% over the previous year. The popularity of this Act could be gauged also from the fact that the appeals coming to the State Commission has gone up from 1263 during the first year ended 31-12-2006 to 2379 during the very next year 2007. This accounts for an increase of 88% over the earlier year, 2006. Last year the total disposals by the Commission was 840 where as during the year 2007, it was 2061 representing an increase of 145%. Although the commission is not expected to do so, as a pro-active measure, the Commission provided advises and guidance to all such references other than the appeals and complaints.

The implementation of the Right to Information Act has brought about visible empowerment of the people. Today the dreaded police are made to furnish copies of FIRs and also statements recorded from witnesses which was hither to not possible to get. With the information thus obtained the innocent victims are able to prove their innocence. As a result, police are now afraid of booking false cases against the innocent.

Similarly many illiterate rural farmers are able to get information such as copies of their revenue records relating to ownership etc. from Revenue authorities and protect themselves from their lands being shown as sold or transferred without such transactions of sale/transfer taking place.

Qualitatively it could be measured from the response from the Public Information Officers. Today in most cases the Public Information Officers are furnishing information within the stipulated period of 30 days, or immediately after a notice is issued by the Commission calling the PIO and Appellant for hearing. In a good number of cases, the PIOs have reported compliance of having furnished the information by the time they attend the hearing before this Commission.

Actors and Stakeholders

 Who proposed the solution, who implemented it and who were the stakeholders?
The Central Government brought out this legislation the Right to Information Act in 2005. It provides for a 3 tier quasi-judicial system. The PIOs, the 1st Appellate Authorities and the State Information Commission are implementing it. Every citizen of India is a stake holder. The implementation was rather slow in the early stage because of lack of proper awareness among the public and also among the officials of the public authorities. However, with the effective supervision and constant training and awareness programmes launched by this Commission a significant attitudinal change in the officials of the Public Authorities is taking place. This transformation has largely come because of the decisions of the State Commission, which pulled up lethargic officials and gave guidance. The Commission visited the various districts and held meetings and workshops and awareness programmes.

The Commission ensured to keep the RTI Act in English, Telugu, Hindi and Urdu in the Commission’s website. The Commission got uploaded all the Government orders and circulars and information of each department uploaded in the Website of the Commission and also the Websites of the State Government and that of the individual department.

Commission is placing its own decisions in its website for the benefit of not only the appellants but also the general public. These decisions are serving as case law and also providing guidance to the PIOs and Appellate Authorities.

Commission organized several workshops. Commission got the application software developed. Recently during the month of November & December, 2007 the Commission visited all the districts in the State and conducted review meetings with Collectors, SPs and other District officials and also APIOs, PIOs and Appellate Authorities. As a matter of fact, the Commission being a quasi-judicial body need not stir out of the Commission. However, the Commission took special interest and took up on it to personally involve itself in the awareness campaigns and address the print and electronic media so that message will reach the large number of stake holders.

(a) Strategies

 Describe how and when the initiative was implemented by answering these questions
 a.      What were the strategies used to implement the initiative? In no more than 500 words, provide a summary of the main objectives and strategies of the initiative, how they were established and by whom.
The main strategies were training programmes, printing & supply of reading material, creating awareness among the masses and constant review of the implementation of the provisions of the RTI Act, 2005 in addition to guiding individual applicants.

Training Programmes:-
Training Programmes were aimed at creating awareness on the provisions of the Act and improving the efficiency of the APIOs, PIOs and Appellate Authorities on the department side. This was also aimed at improving awareness among the NGOs, Journalists, Civil Society representatives to augment the efforts of the departments.


Sl.No Activity Batches Participants
1. Training of Trainers Programmes (ToT) 28 566
2. Training Programmes for PIOs/APIOs and Appellate Authorities 77 2098
3. Training Programmes for Civil Society Representatives 02 145
4. Information Fairs for publicizing the RTI 12 3000
5. Distribution of Pamphlets and RTI Act to all the participants and visitors to the Information fairs -- 15000
6. Training Programmes at District level for PIOs/APIOs/Appellate Authorities, Civil Societies Representatives etc. -- 9000

Awareness Programmes:-
The Non-Governmental Organisations have been sensitized through various workshops, meetings and lectures. Those with social commitment and zeal are activated in various fora and this has heralded an awakened and vibrant organizations even in rural areas.

Printing and Supply of material:-
The need for educating the masses was recognized. Copies of the Act were got printed and made available to various stakeholders. Pamphlets were got printed and distributed.

The Commission on its own got printed 1,00,000 booklets containing the RTI Act, the Rules made there under besides the various Government orders and instructions in English, Telugu and Urdu languages.

Review meetings:-
The most fruitful part was the constant review of the implementation of the RTI Act through regular review meetings by the Commission at various levels right from the grass root level PIOs to district level with the Collectors and other district officials, and at the State Level with the various Heads of Departments that function under each Govt. Department of the Secretariat and the heads of Secretariat departments, the Spl. Chief Secretaries, the Principal Secretaries, the Secretaries and above all with the Chief Secretary. It was ensured to get monthly reports in the first year from the PIOs and quarterly reporting in the second year. This enabled the Commission to keep a constant watch on the systematic implementation of the provisions of the Act at all levels.

Pro-active Individual Guidance:-
The Commission is taking pro-active role to educate every applicant / appellant who approached the Commission even through a post card or an inland letter. Thus the Commission is giving guidance with regard to the various steps to be followed by one Applicant like how to file an applications to the PIO, the next steps to be taken until one gets the information. During the last 2 years the Commission interacted directly with 1510 Applicants / Appellants under this strategy. This has increased the credibility of the Commission and people are reposing unstinted confidence in the Commission.

(b) Implementation

 b.      What were the key development and implementation steps and the chronology? No more than 500 words
Acutely aware that there is an absence of level playing field in the RTI implementation, as some of the States already had this sort of legislation operational in their respective areas, (e.g., Delhi, Maharastra, Rajasthan), the A.P. Information Commission adopted a very pro-active role vis-à-vis the Government Agencies.

a) The Commission Inter-acted with the Mayors/Municipal Chairpersons/Commissioners in a meeting held on 25.11.2005 and informed them on the objectives of the Act and the paramount need for its correct implementation.

b) Participated in the meeting organized by Working Union Journalists/NGOs/AP Press Academy (as they are the prime stakeholders in preparing ground for better implementation of the Act in the State) on 28.11.2005.

c) The State Information Commission held a meeting on 23.1.2006with the Chief Secretary, Special Chief Secretaries, Principal Secretaries and Secretaries to Government and discussed with them the various provisions of the RTI Act. Further meetings at the same level were held on 05.06.2006, 11.09.2006, 11.10.2006, 17.01.2007,02.02.2007 and 24.02.2007.

d) On 30-1-2006 the Commission participated in the Collectors’ Conference where the Chief Minister, most of the Cabinet Ministers and all the Secretaries / Heads of Departments were present and explained to them the importance and implications of the Act and the need to take time bound action under different sections of the Act.

e) The Commission has participated in the Conference of the State Chief Information Commissioners organized by YASHDA at Pune on 27.02.2006 and 28.02.2006.

f) At the request of APIC, the CGG organized one-day training programme on RTI Act for the Working Journalists in the State in coordination with A.P. Press Academy at different places covering different districts during March - April, 2006.

g) The Commission visited the offices of Commissioner of Police on24.6.2006 and Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad on 27.6.2006 and Annual Report of APIC addressed their officers and reviewed the progress on implementation of the Provisions of Sections 4(1)(b) and 5(1) & (2) of RTI Act, 2005.

h) The Commission participated in the workshop for media personnel on 18.07.2006 organized by the Directorate of Field Publicity, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Andhra Pradesh Region, Hyderabad so as to further disseminate the various provisions of the Act.

i) The State Information Commissioners collectively and individually have visited all the 23 Districts and held review meetings with the District officials All these meetings were open for the media, both i.e., visual and print.


Publication of Material:

In association with Centre for Good Governance, copies of RTI Act were printed viz., 25,000 in English, 15,000 in Telugu, 1000 copies in Urdu and distributed to the various Public Authorities along with the templates on RTI Act as per Sections 4(1)(b) & 5(1) & (2) At the behest of APIC, Centre Annual Report of APIC for Good Governance also got printed the following material and distributed to the Public Authorities; the Commission also got printed 1,00,000 booklets containing RTI Act, Rules & GOs.

(c) Overcoming Obstacles

 c.      What were the main obstacles encountered? How were they overcome? No more than 500 words
The main obstacles were lack of awareness, lack of adequate staff, budgetary support and infrastructural support, particularly in the matter of computerization.

Although the Act was published in the official gazette of India on 21-06-2005, very few, even among the well educated, knew about it. It was a big obstacle. Hence as a first step large scale awareness programmes were taken up. The Commission has visited all districts, even remote areas and has largely succeeded in creating awareness by motivating the public, various NGOs and also the powerful media.

The other obstacle was the lack of adequate staff support. It was a stupendous task to identify and designate APIOs, PIOs and AAs. As no additional staff was sanctioned to attend to this work the existing officials were designated and are asked to attend to this item of work in addition to their normal work. A separate cadre is required to make it full fledged.

The State Govt. had provided Rs.2,29,48,000/- as budget for the year 2006-2007 and Rs.1,22,23,000/- for the second year 2007-2008. When compared to the requirements, this is quite inadequate. However, it is to be acknowledged that this is much better in A.P. than in many other States.

The lack of infrastructure facilities is an other obstacle. There are no computers in the offices at field level. Even in Mandal offices where computers have been installed, they are either non-functional or without trained computer operators.


In some areas, even getting Xerox copies is a herculean task due to lack of Xerox machines. The officials are required to travel long distances to get the Xerox copies, some times as far as 5 to 10 KMs.


With 1,78,028 PIOs designated as PIOs right from village / gram panchayat level to State level the absence of adequate infrastructure has also become a big obstacle.

(d) Use of Resources

 d.      What resources were used for the initiative and what were its key benefits? In no more than 500 words, specify what were the financial, technical and human resources’ costs associated with this initiative. Describe how resources were mobilized
The Governmental budget was the primary source of funding. The CGG tapped funds from Department for International Development (DFID) and Delivery of Improved Services Administration (DISA) to some extent.

The Commission has introduced File Tracking System in Commission’s Office from 1.11.2006. This is being maintained by the Centre for Good Governance(CGG) by giving supporting staff to the Commission for monitoring. Under this, all the letters received at Reception \ Inward level are being entered online in the proformae prescribed in the Computer through auto generated tappal numbering system and acknowledgement slip is being issued instantly across the table.

Commission’s website (www.apic..gov.in) is being accessed from 4.8.2006. Appellants\Complainants can know the status of their cases and final orders issued by accessing this website. The status of cases is being updated regularly on weekly basis and after disposal of the case, the end results in the form of orders are being placed in the web site.

The CGG provided technical facilities through printing of material. The MCRHRDI in collaboration with the CGG conducted training programmes to officials and non-officials.

It must be noted that there was no scope for generation of funds in the programme as all those below poverty line are exempted even from payment of application fee. Similarly for obtaining information from public authorities at the village level also there is no need to pay any application fee. Thus no revenues could be generated by implementing the programme as the amount collected for cost of material supplied will be utilized then and there.

Inspite of these constraints, with the attitudinal changes that are taking place among the officials of the public authorities, the programme is going on satisfactorily. With all these constraints, this Commission is considered to be on the top out of all the State Commissions in the Country.

Sustainability and Transferability

  Is the initiative sustainable and transferable?
The initiative is sustainable if the thrust on creating awareness, importing training continues. It will continue because it is supported through a central legislation. The active involvement and interest being evinced by the NGOs and other stakeholders, besides the efforts being made by the State Govt. would ensure its continuity. The State and Central Governments will ultimately be forced to continue to patronize this initiative because of its social and practical utility. This initiative is undoubtedly brining about a social transformation and will continue. A sense of ownership through citizenship is pervading the masses. Today they are confident of their right to access to information. This is seen as the long awaited stepping stone for ensuring transparency and accountability of the Public Authorities. This initiative has become an effective tool in the hands of the public to insist accountability and would ultimately become the best whip to root out corruption.

This initiative brings about economic transformation also. It is now easy to ensure social audit by the public and thus help prevent diversions and leakages in the Governmental spending. It will ensure proper execution of programmes and thus make available funds for real development.

This initiative accelerates the cultural transformation. It ensures a transition from a passive society in to an active and vibrant society. It creates confidence among the people and enthuses the young and energetic to take up social and cultural causes. Since the masses at large are involved in the implementation of the Act it will sustain in the years to come.

Lessons Learned

 What are the impact of your initiative and the lessons learned?
The most important lesson learned is that there is no substitute for informed empowered and enlightened citizenry. This alone makes democracy real and
vibrant and which in turn makes the administration more transparent and accountable.

For a system of Government seeped in a regime of secrecy, confidentiality and where historically withholding, rejection and restrictive orders were the general rule to be suddenly transformed into the public domain and be available for open scrutiny was the biggest challenge. In the very attitudes, reactions, and response mechanisms at every rung of administration, there was resistance in the bureaucracy bordering on latent hostility. Through repeated reviews and
monitoring, it was instilled ad-nosium that through the promulgation of the Right to Information Act, 2005, a paradigm shift has taken place and now there is
only one dictum- people have an intrinsic right to know and the Government have a supreme obligation to provide the information, and, in any appellate fora, the
burden of proof for a denial will squarely be on the administration and not on the citizen. Any malafide denial or delay (which is deemed refusal) will be
visited by harsh penalties.

This relentless and effective pursual backed by a periodical monitoring at sub-district, district, Head of the Department and Apex Secretariat level led to
sea-change in delivery mechanisms and Right to Information in Andhra Pradesh is a living vibrant reality. It has caught the imagination of the people, and, their hunger is reflected in the thousands of petitions through which they are soliciting information. The media, both the printed and visual, have also, come in a big way to galvanize the movement The various social society groups have also played a stellar role. As you look the down the road, the message is crystal clear – more and more citizens will invoke the various provisions of the RTI, and, an open, transparent, accountable regime will be ushered in.

Contact Information

Institution Name:   Andhra Pradesh Information Commission
Institution Type:   Government Agency  
Contact Person:   Charan Das Arha
Title:   State Chief Information Commission  
Telephone/ Fax:   +91 40 23230246
Institution's / Project's Website:   +91 40 23230592
E-mail:   info.apic@gmail.com  
Address:   HACA Bhavan
Postal Code:   500004
City:   Hyderabad
State/Province:   Andhra Pradesh
Country:   India

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