Page 4 - Right To Information

Letters: Ask the right questions

With reference to the Chinese Whispers item, "Think before you ask" (September 27), the advisory from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) on Right to Information (RTI) appears justifiably rational and perhaps, is applicable to the many, who keep asking questions or seeking information without doing their "homework".According to the report, PMO desires that (a) information already available in the public domain need not be sought under RTI, (b) information should be sought from the ministries/departments concerned and (c) PMO should not be expected to collate information from different authorities/agencies and furnish it to the seeker.Prima facie, the guidance does not appear to be aimed at avoiding responsibility or one coming out of stress. It is another matter that the refinements proposed may reduce the comfort level of some RTI "activists", who misguide their "clientele", giving an impression that RTI is a shortcut for solving every problem in which the government or any other body