Mountain Children’s Foundation
Changing the way the world perceives and works with children

RTI Success | Workshops

Filing and follow up of Right To Information applications

               Partner Organisation : 13 partner organisations
               State: Uttrakhand

               Supported by : Asha

Village level Workshop Report

During the year 2009-2010 Asha (SV) supported the MCF and their partner organisations to conduct over 90 RTI workshops. Each partner NGOs identified 5 Baal Panchayats that had 30 members or more and conducted a 2 day workshop with each. The village level workshops helped the children not only to learn how to prepare an application for RTI but culminated in the children preparing a number of RTI applications of which 5 applications that addressed the most pressing issues were sent on to the concerned departments.

The response received to the RTI workshops at the village level was overwhelming and a large number of RTI applications were sent. Many received responses and prompt action by the various government departments. However, there were a number of RTI applications that sufferd the apathy that normally affects government departments. For the year 2010-2011 Asha (SV) has decided to sponsor MCF and 13 partner organisations to conduct 65 RTI workshops that would reach out to over 1950 children. These children would not only learn how to write an RTI application but would also learn how to go into a First Appeal and Second Appeal incase the response received from the government was not upto the mark. 13 workshops would also be conducted for the children who were trained during 2009-2010 to help them learn about the method of first and second appeals.

Dwarika Prasad Nauni, State RTI Coordinator along with Deepika, Asst. State RTI Coordinator, Mountain Children’s Foundation would attend at least one workshop per partner and also assist with the follow up to the applications where necessary.
Case studies, Baseline and Endline surveys and follow up for the RTI applications would also be carried out.
The workshops follow a definite format:

Day 1
The children discuss the RTI Act and how it can help them get answers to many queries they may have. They also discuss how an RTI application should to be prepared and what types of questions must be asked to elicit complete information. The RTI can help fix responsibility for work not done and can enable a follow up to get the required work completed.
This discussion is followed by the children identifying issues that concern them and to which they would like to collect information. Some of these issues that are common to most Baal Panchayats are listed below

1. Requirement of a play field
2. The lack of adequate electricity and drinking water in the village
3. The lack of proper roads in the village
4. Non functional street lights in the village
5. Lack of adequate community health facilities
6. No adequate transport to the city from the village
7. Non availability of community toilets
8. Lack of general cleanliness in the village
9. Lack of subject teachers in the school
10. Lack of computer education at school level
11. The non availability of drinking water in the schools
12. Lack of toilets in the school
13. Problem of not receiveing Ration Cards
14. Pollution of the rivers
15. Problem of illegal liquor being sold in the village
16. Substandard mid day meals

By the end of Day 1 the children are asked to prepare an RTI application on an issue closest to their heart.

Day 2
The day starts with discussing the applications prepared by the children. Each application was carefully scrutinized and suggestions were given as to what should be kept in mind while making out an application. Special emphasis is laid on the fact that

1. One application should ask for information on one issue only
2. information asked for should be very specific to the concerned cause
3. A point wise list should be made of all the information requested
4. The application should be from one person and not from a group
5. Full name and complete address of the applicant is a must

Discussions are also held on how to write a first appeal and second appeal application. Points of focus emphasised are:

The First Appeal

1. If the PIO is taking more money than the prescribed fee
2. If the PIO does not accept the application
3. The information received is incorrect or incomplete or unsatisfactory.
4. If the PIO has not been designated in the office
5. The information received causes confusion.
6. In Uttarakhand it is also filed if an answer is not received within 30 days

The First Appeal Application, is to be addressed to Appellate Authority (the senior official in the same office/department as indicated)

For the first Appeal a copy of the application needs to be attached along with a copy of the receipt of payment of fees.

A Second Appeal is filed if

1. The decision taken by the first appellate authority is unsatisfactory
2. If the PIO and or the Appellate authority has not been designated 
3. The information received from the appellate authority causes confusion
4. If a decision is not taken by the appellate authority within 30 days

The necessary documents to be attached in the second appeal are:

1. Summary Index (to be filled carefully).
2. A copy of the initial application. And a Photostat of the payment receipt.
3. Copy of the response.
4. Copy of the First Appeal.
5. Reply of First Appeal.

Following these discussions the children participate in a question and answer session to gauge the level of their understanding of the procedure. To further their understanding role plays are also put forward by the children.

The second half of the day is spent writing out applications keeping all the issues that have been discussed during the workshop in mind. The facilitators assist in fine tuning the application. The children vote on all the applications and decide which applications are to be sent to the concerned departments. Normally about 4 to 5 applications would be identified and sent.
Information to their main applications is expected to be received after 30 days of submission of their applications. If not received within the stipulated time a first appeal would follow.

The Mountain Children's Foundation,63-A Vyom Prasth, G.M.S Road,Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248001, India
Phone: 91-135-6532937 Email: mcfglobal @ mymountains.org