The most responsible person in a department should be made the Public Information Officer (PIO) and not the most incompetent one, as was the practice. This was the consensus that emerged at a seminar organised by Direct Taxes Regional Training Institute on the ‘RTI Act: The Progress So Far and the Road Ahead’ on Tuesday.

Giving an instance, former Chief Information Commissioner of Punjab Rajan Kashyap said during his tenure he discovered that the Punjab Police was most efficient in giving information as the PIOs in all districts were SSPs and the first appellate authority was the ADGP. “Having a senior officer as the PIO ensures that the information is provided on time,” he said.

Punjab State Information Commissioner Rupan Deol Bajaj said, “Locate the smartest person in your office and depute him as the PIO. It has been seen that some offices, considering the RTI Act as a burden, were appointing the most incompetent employee to the post.”

Asserting that the RTI Act is a two-way street, she said, “An efficient PIO will not only provide correct information to the applicant, but while compiling data will also find out lacunae in the functioning of the department and report it to the higher authorities. Sometimes information sought may be an eye-opener for the department.”

Arvind Kejriwal, Ramon Magsaysay award winner and social activist, said the bureaucracy needs to change its mindset. “Corrupt officials not giving information is understood. But it’s the honest ones who resist the most, as they feel that why should they give information when they have done no wrong. This age-old mentality needs to change.”

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