THE RIGHT TO INFORMATION ACT

OBLIGATIONS OF PUBLIC AUTHORITIES

INFORMATION HAND BOOK

MAY, 2007

AP TECHNOLOGY SERVICES LIMITED

4^TH FLOOR, ‘B’ BLOCK, BRKR BHAVANAM

TANKBUND ROAD, HYDERABAD – 500 063

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background:

In order to promote transparency and accountability in the working of every Public Authority, Houses of Parliament have passed the Right of Information Bill 2005 (RTI 2005) and received assent of the President of India on 15-06-2005 and it was published as RTI Act 2005 in the Gazette of India on 21-06-2005. The Act casts an obligation on every Public Authority to maintain Records duly catalogued and indexed in a manner and the form, which facilitates the right to information under this Act.

This has necessitated bringing out this Information Hand Book to keep informed to whoever requires information on the activities of APTSL and its functions.

1.2 Objectives/Purpose of this Information Hand Book:

Subject to provisions of this Act, all citizens shall have the right to information on the following.

(i) the particulars of its organisation, functions and duties;

(ii) the powers and duties of its officers and employees;

(iii) the procedure followed in the decision making process, including channels of supervision and accountability;

(iv) the norms set by it for the discharge of its functions;

(v) the rules, regulations, instructions, manuals and records, held by it or under its control or used by its employees for discharging its functions;

(vi) a statement of the categories of documents that are held by it or under its control;

(vii) the particulars of any arrangement that exists for consultation with, or representation by, the members of the public in relation to the formulation of its policy or implementation thereof;

(viii) a statement of the boards, councils, committees and other bodies consisting of two or more persons constituted as its part or for the purpose of its advice, and as to whether meetings of those boards, councils, committees and other bodies are open to the public, or the minutes of such meetings are accessible for public;

(ix) a directory of its officers and employees;

(x) the monthly remuneration received by each of its officers and employees, including the system of compensation as provided in its regulations;

(xi) the budget allocated to each of its agency, indicating the particulars of all plans, proposed expenditures and reports on disbursements made;

(xii) the manner of execution of subsidy programmes, including the amounts allocated and the details of beneficiaries of such programmes;

(xiii) particulars of recipients of concessions, permits or authorisations granted by it;

(xiv) details in respect of the information, available to or held by it, reduced in an electronic form;

(xv) the particulars of facilities available to citizens for obtaining information, including the working hours of a library or reading room, if maintained for public use;

(xvi) the names, designations and other particulars of the Public Information Officers;

(xvii) such other information as may be prescribed; and thereafter update these publications every year;

1.3 Who are the intended users of the Hand Book;

Citizens, Civil Society Organisations, Public Representatives, Officers and Employees of Public Authorities including Public Information Officers and Assistant Public Information Officers and Appellate Officers, Central and State Information Commissions etc.

1.4 Definition of Key Terms

1.5 Organisation of Information:

This handbook contains the following Chapters

1. Chapter 2 – Organisation, Functions & Duties

2. Chapter 3 – Powers & Duties of Officers and Employees

3. Chapter 4 – Procedure followed in Decision Making Process

4. Chapter 5 – Norms set for the Discharge of Functions

5. Chapter 6 – Rules, Regulations, Instructions, Manual and Records for discharging Functions

6. Chapter 7 – Categories of Documents held by the Public Authority under its Control

7. Chapter 8 – Arrangement for Consultation with or Representation by the Members of the Public in relation to the Formulation of Policy or implementation thereof

8. Chapter 9 – Boards, Council, Committees and other Bodies constituted as part of Public Authority

9. Chapter 10 – Directory of Officers and Employees