Karnataka has expanded online access to Right to Information applications through all Bengaluru One, Karnataka One and Grama One centres, while making it mandatory for public authorities to register physical RTI applications on the state’s online portal within two days.
The decisions were approved by the Chief Minister to make the RTI Act easier for citizens to use and improve transparency in the handling of information requests, according to a statement cited by Prajavani. The changes apply to applications submitted by post or in person in paper form, as well as those filed online through designated service centres.
Under the new procedure, a public authority receiving a physical RTI application must enter it on the RTI online portal within two days. The application will then receive an online registration number, allowing the applicant to track its status through the portal. The system is intended to create a common record for applications that might otherwise be difficult for citizens to monitor after submission.
The registration requirement has been notified as a guaranteed service under the Karnataka Sakala Services Act, 2011. If an application is not registered on the portal within the prescribed period, the applicant may be eligible to seek compensation under the Sakala law. The concerned officer would be responsible for the delay, according to the report.
The government has also extended online RTI application services to every Bengaluru One, Karnataka One and Grama One centre. Citizens who do not have access to the internet or are unfamiliar with computers can visit a nearby centre and submit an application with assistance from the staff. Applicants will have to pay the prescribed RTI fee and a nominal service charge levied by the centre, and will receive an online acknowledgement at the location.
The addition of Grama One centres brings the facility to the gram panchayat level, making the online process available to residents in villages through local service points. This is significant because access to the RTI system will no longer depend only on an applicant’s ability to use an online portal independently or travel to a larger urban centre.
The revised arrangement is designed to bring paper, online and service-centre applications onto a single platform. The government said this would make it easier to monitor compliance with the timelines under the RTI Act, identify delays by information officers and give citizens a reliable record of their applications.
Harsh Gupta, Principal Secretary of the Department of Public Services, said in a statement that citizens could use the facility either directly online or through Bengaluru One, Karnataka One and Grama One centres. The next step for applicants is to submit requests through the portal or a designated centre and retain the acknowledgement and registration number for tracking and any subsequent Sakala-related claim.
