Activists demand RTI call centre for state

8220;Uttar Pradesh should be the second state with such a service. Like e-governance, the government should make it easy for ordinary citizens to file an RTI application,8221; said Manish Sisodia of Kabir, a Delhi-based RTI organisation.

State Chief Secretary Atul Kumar Gupta said he will consider the proposal.

8220;According to the general perception, the Right to Information Act and the government do not go hand-in-hand. But in reality, the two complement each other,8221; he said.

The state government plans to train public information officers and ensure that websites of government departments are updated on a monthly basis. A monthly monitoring system will periodically check the inquiries that the government has failed to answer, he added.

8220;RTI is an instrument that will raise the dormant consciousness of Indians,8221; said Kamleshwar Nath, president of Transparency International, Lucknow. He is also a retired Allahabad High Court judge. Wajahat Habibullah, chief information commissioner of the Central Information Commission, said: 8220;Despite being the duty of the state government, the media and NGOs are working towards creating an awareness regarding the RTI Act.8221;