APPLICANT CAN'T DENIED FOR CONFIRMATION OF ACCURACY AND CORRECTNESS OF THE AVAILABLE AND EXISTING INFORMATION UNDER LAW

It is necessary to clear some misconceptions about the RTI act, 2005 . The Act provides access to all information that is available and existing. This is clear from a combined reading of section 3 and the definitions of information and right to information under clause (f) and (j) of section 2 of the Act. If a public authority has any information in the form of a data or analyzed data, or abstracts or statistics, an applicant may access such information, subject to the exemptions in section 8 of the Act. But where the information sought is not a part of the record of the public authority, and where such information is not required to be maintained under any law or the rules or regulations of the public authority, the act does not cast an obligation on the public authority, to collect or collate such non available information and then furnish it to an Applicant. A public authority is also not required to furnish information which require drawing of inferences and/or making assumptions. It is also not required to provide advice or opinion to an Applicant, nor required to obtain and furnish any opinion or advice to an Applicant. The reference to opinion or advice in the definition of information, in section 2(f) of the Act,, only refers to such material available in the records of the public authority. Many public authorities have, as a public relation exercise, provide advice, guidance and opinion to the citizens. But that is purely voluntary and should not be confused with any obligation under the RTI Act. (Government of India department of personnel and training OM number 1/18/2011 -IR, dated 16-9-2011 ) : -- Er Fateh chand Guleria Director RTI welfare Association registered number HPCD, 3552 , Bilaspur Himachal Pradesh phone number, 9459 334377