Did you know this? RTI applications can be filed orally

The RTI Act has a provision that where an RTI request cannot be made in writing, the central public information officer (CPIO) or the state public information officer (SPIO) shall render all reasonable assistance to the person to make the request orally.

Applications under the Right to Information (RTI) Act can be filed orally, minister of state for personnel Jitendra Singh said on Thursday.

The RTI Act has a provision that where a request cannot be made in writing, officials shall render assistance to the person to make the request orally. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Section 6 (1) of the Act provides that where RTI request cannot be made in writing, the central public information officer (CPIO) or the state public information officer (SPIO), as the case may be, shall render all reasonable assistance to the person making the request orally to reduce the same in writing, Singh said in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha.

The minister was asked whether the government has taken or proposes to take any measure for acceptance of RTI applications and providing their reply in Braille.

The transparency law has provisions for citizens to file RTI request orally but nodal departments for such matters in both the central and state governments have not yet come out with rules and regulations in this regard, say civil rights activists.

“But none of the nodal departments for RTI matters at the Centre and in state governments have come out with rules and regulations for this.”

The RTI Act empowers citizens to seek time-bound response from government department on their query related to governance matters.