Editor,

I would like to draw the attention of the Government of Arunachal Pradesh towards certain issues concerning the functioning of government offices and the use of the RTI Act.

Firstly, there should be clear guidelines regarding unions, CBOs and other organisations seeking donations or financial assistance from government departments and institutions. Government offices should not be put under unnecessary pressure to provide financial assistance.

Secondly, RTI-related work has become an additional burden for many government officials. The government may consider appointing a dedicated person to handle RTI matters in every office. If this is not possible, officials who handle RTI work in addition to their regular duties should be suitably compensated.

While RTI is an important tool for transparency and accountability, there should also be a mechanism to prevent its misuse. In some cases, individuals or pressure groups may seek financial assistance from an office and, when refused, use repeated RTI applications to put pressure on the officials concerned.

Another concern is RTI applications seeking huge amounts of information, sometimes covering the period from 2010 to the present. Collecting such records can consume considerable time and manpower, affecting the normal functioning of offices.

The government may therefore consider encouraging applicants to seek information relating to a specific year or a specific project, instead of asking for all records covering several years.

The intention is not to weaken the RTI Act, but to ensure that genuine applicants continue to get information while preventing unnecessary harassment and administrative burden on government offices.

I hope the Government of Arunachal Pradesh will consider these issues and take suitable steps.

Concerned government employee