Maximum RTI applications for ‘incumbency list’ – Nagaland Information Commission

Our Correspondent
Kohima, Aug. 8 (EMN): An analysis of the Right to Information (RTI) applications received by the various public authorities in Nagaland for the period 2019-20 revealed that the most sought after nature of information during 2019-20 was regarding incumbency list, according to the Nagaland Information Commission (NIC).

This was stated in the annual report of NIC 2019-2020 presented during the recent 8th session of the 13th Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) conducted in Kohima.

The commission informed that the incumbency list include number of employees, seniority of employees, seniority list, list of employees to be retired, vacancy of posts, selection of employees, date of appointment, date of retirement etc., followed by schemes related information such as name of schemes/ projects, amount allocated, location, welfare schemes, guidelines etc and financial matters such as funds released, sanction orders, financial assistance/grants, APR, UC, departmental charges, revenue collected, amount utilised, purchases made, bank account statements, amount sanctioned etc).

The next is on service matters like appointments made, waiting list, merit list, promotion, educational qualification, enrolment, service book, compassionate appointment, govt. orders or approval for appointment, pensions related etc); verification like marks sheet, admit cards, degree and diploma certificates, driving licenses, arms license, certificates etc; contract/ civil works such as DPR, NIT, progress report, completion certificates, name of works, name of contractor, MB, APR, location, works order etc; beneficiaries like list of beneficiaries, benefits and entitlements etc; documents such as acts, rules, OM, notifications, circulars, orders, reports, certificates, MOU, guidelines, permits, ration cards, job cards, trade license, rate of commodities, affidavit etc.; land Issues such as land patta, sales deed, boundary lines, mortgages, mutation, land compensation and amount of compensation, land occupied, land acquired, land allotment, maps etc.; examination related like answers script, marks sheet, re
sult sheet, marks obtained in oral interview mains exams, cut-off marks, marks obtained by other candidates etc.; election related and village council and VDB related were also sought.

The commission also informed that the total number of RTI applications received by various public authorities in the state during 2019-20 saw a decrease with 7688 compared to previous year’s 3708.

It added that the overall percentage of information furnished by the PIOs of various public authorities during 2019-20 was 89.36 % while the rate of rejection of requests for information during 2019-20 was 0.63 %.

During the period under report, out of the 2688 RTI applications, the directorates received the highest number of RTI applications in the state at 42 %, followed by the districts at 40 %; secretariat at 11 % and other units at 7 %.

Other units include commissions, boards, missions, statutory bodies, autonomous bodies, PSUs etc.

Meanwhile, it was informed that RTI applications received from within the state stood at 1367 (51%) while outside the state stood at 1321 (49%).

Mokokchung district was stated to have received the highest number of RTI applications at 151 followed by Wokha, Phek, Tuensang, Zunheboto, Dimapur, Kohima, Mon, Kiphire, Peren and Longleng.

It was informed that Mokokchung, Tuensang, Kiphire, Peren and Longleng district had furnished 100 % of the RTI application received, while Phek district remained the lowest percentage of RTI furnished at 38.19 %.

Meanwhile, the period for 2019-20 also shows male applicants dominating a large chunk of RTI applicants (94.09%) as compared to female applicants.

It stated that the percentage and the number of female applicants continued to remain very low at 5.30% and had decreased from that of the previous year which was 5.80% in 2018-19. While the RTI application from other gender remained nil.

It was also informed that the Transport and Motor Vehicle department at the district level alone continues to receive the highest number of RTI applications at 706 which was 26.26 % of the total number of RTI application (2688) received in the state during 2019-20, which was a decrease from 30% to application (2688) to 26.26% from that of the previous year 2018-19.

This was followed by the directorate of Health and Family Welfare at 86, directorate of Social Welfare at 81 and the Global Open University at 76.