ITANAGAR, 4 Jul: The All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU) has urged the state government to ensure immediate operationalisation of functional online RTI filing and tracking systems in the districts, in compliance with the Supreme Court’s directive dated 9 October, 2023.
In a representation to the chief secretary, the union called for establishing proper integration of district-level RTI platforms, wherever developed, with any existing state RTI portal for centralized monitoring and access.
It also called for immediate designation of “first appellate authority nodal officers in each district to manage, oversee, and ensure smooth functioning of the online system.”
The AAPSU further called for initiating awareness campaigns and capacity-building measures to educate both officials and the public on using the online RTI system, and ensuring timely and accountable responses to all applications received digitally.
It said that compliance reports be submitted to the state government within a stipulated timeframe, confirming full implementation of the directives.
“Prompt implementation of these measures will mark a significant step towards administrative reform, reinforce citizen-centric governance, and uphold the democratic rights and transparency mandates enshrined in the RTI Act, 2005,” the union said in the representation.
Requesting swift action in the matter, the AAPSU said that “failure to act on this matter may expose the state to legal consequences for non-compliance with statutory obligations and directions issued by the Supreme Court.”
The union said that, despite clear directions issued to all public authorities – including district administrations – to enable online filing and tracking of RTI applications, it has been observed that “over 99% of the districts and deputy commissioners’ offices in Arunachal Pradesh have not operationalized any functional online RTI portal or digital mechanism to facilitate citizen access to information.”
“Moreover, the failure of district authorities to ensure the participation of designated nodal officers (DCs/ADCs) in the official training session held on 10 March, 2025 has further hindered effective implementation. This reflects a serious lapse in administrative responsibility and amounts to negligence of government orders and circulars issued in this regard,” it said.
“This not only violates the spirit of transparency and accountability but also creates significant inconvenience and hardship for citizens, who are compelled to travel long distances or face bureaucratic delays in seeking information,” the union added.
