A major bottleneck in the information regime of Haryana is the inadequacy of infrastructure. The SPIOs are not provided separate office, the facilities of phone/fax/e-mail or secretarial. assistance. Most of them do not have computers and internet facilities. Some of those who have got these are not computer savvy. They cannot use these facilities.

Records are not maintained in a proper manner. In some offices indexing of records is conspicuous by its absence. Annual statements and reports are not maintained. The online maintenance of the record and its updating are an exception rather than a rule.

A major hurdle in the way of the success of the information regime is the heavy cost that information seekers are required to bear. Even the application fee is five times higher in Haryana than at the Centre. It is Rs 50 instead of Rs 10 per application. Besides, the cost for the supply of information per page or in the form of disc and floppy is so high that it dampens the enthusiasm of information seekers.

The RTI is also being misused by mischievous persons for harassing their colleagues. It is also used for blackmailing the authorities by some undesirable elements. Moreover, there are numerous instances of applicants demanding irrelevant or frivolous information.

Voices have also been raised against the composition of the State Information Commission. It has been packed by those retired bureaucrats who were in the good books of their political masters. Appointments have been made on political considerations and some undeserving persons have been adjusted at information commissions.

This has put a question mark on the impartiality, efficiency and judiciousness of the Commission despite the fact its record has so far been beyond reproach.

Another problem relates to inordinate delays in the disposal of appeals by the commission. Although the Act has fixed the time limit for the PIOs and the appellate authorities for deciding the cases, no such time frame has been made for the commission. It has created a great deal of backlong.

Be that as it may, the RTI regime in Haryana has many hurdles. But there is no need for despondency. The RTI regime is at an infant stage and teething problems are bound to be there. But at the same time requisite changes must be made in the Act in the light of the past experience. The necessary infrastructure too must be created. All-out efforts should be made for introducing e-governance in the state so that the required information is available online.