The Right to Information Act, 2005
The Right to Information Act of October 12, 2005 aims at securing access to information under the control of public authorities for citizens, to promote transparency and accountability in the working of every public authority. The Right to Information Act extends to the whole of India except to the State of Jammu & Kashmir. Subject to the provisions of the Right to Information Act, all citizens have the right to information.
As per the provisions of the Act, State Public Information Officers and Assistant Public Information officers and Appellate Authorities are designated in the Office of the Board. The Public shall have access to information, as instructed by the Board from time to time, if they apply to the designated Officers as per the rules. All the members of the Staff shall give necessary information, in their official capacity, without delay to the Public Information Officers for exercising their duties.
Request for obtaining information:-A person who desires to obtain any information under the Act shall make a request in writing or through electronic means in English or Malayalam or in the official language of the area in which the application is made; accompanying such fee as may be prescribed specifying the particulars of the information sought by him or her.
Appeal:-Any person who does not receive decision within the time specified in sub section (1) or clause (a) of sub-section(3) of section 7 of the Act or is aggrieved by a decision of the State Public Information Officer, may within 30 days from the expiry of such period or from the receipt of such a decision prefer an appeal to such designated officer who is senior in rank to the State Public Information Officer as the case may be.
Provided that such officer may admit the appeal after the expiry of the period of thirty days if he or she is satisfied that the appellant is prevented by sufficient cause from filing the appeal in time.
Penalties:- If the State Public Information Officer has refused to receive an application for information without any reasonable cause or has not furnished information within the time specified or denied the request for information or knowingly given incorrect, incomplete or misleading information, he shall be liable for a penalty of two hundred and fifty rupees each day till application is received or information is furnished, however, the total amount of such penalty shall not exceed twenty-five thousand rupees.
In the Office of Kerala Devaswom Recruitment Board the Assistant Secretaries shall be designated as State Public Information Officers and the Managers shall be designated as Assistant State Public Information Officers. The Secretary, the Finance Officer, the Controller of Examination shall be designated as the appropriate Appellate authorities.
In Kerala Devaswom Recruitment Board the Establishment section deals with application for information received under Section 6(1), appeals received under section
19(1) and matters relating to second appeals under section 19(3) of RTI Act. The section also maintains statistical data regarding the applications received under RTI Act.
Appellate Authorities
- Smt. Jalajakumari. S
Secretary
Public Information Officers
- Smt. P. B. Radhika
Assistant Secretary
Establishment