UID no. may stop misuse of RTI Act: Chief secretary
By Sharad Vyas, TNN | Feb 2, 2013, 01.58 AM IST
MUMBAI: The Maharashtra government believes that to stop the rampant misuse of the Right to Information Act (RTI) in the state, the AadharUID number can be used to verify the credentials of an applicant.
State chief secretary J K Banthia on Friday said currently, the credentials of an applicant could not be checked. If the person seeking information under the RTI Act could somehow be linked to an online databank, his background could be verified, he said, adding that currently the Act was misused by people who took resort to the law to settle scores with others, putting state officials in trouble.
For the background check and successful disposal of RTI applications, the government must ensure all offices were connected to the internet and were e-friendly, said Banthia, while speaking at a one-day training programme on RTI Act held by the state for its employees. "The successful and credible use of the RTI Act is possible only when the applicants start mentioning UID numbers on their applications. If our offices are also successfully
connected to the e-technology, then we will be able to prevent any misuse of the law," he said.
The government is currently carrying out the enrollment for the unique identification (UID) number across the state. So far, 52% of Mumbai's population has registered for the number. When officials complained that the misuse, which has been increasing over the years, has been hindering government work, Banthia asked them to familiarize themselves in e-technology to improve efficiency. If the offices are connected through a central internet network, then the files could be easily traced and decisions could be taken without much hassles, Banthia said.
The government on Friday held a meeting with the IT department to discuss the possibility of connecting all the offices to a CCTV network.
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