Section 4 of RTI Act : Section 4: Obligations Of Public Authorities

Explanation using Example

Imagine a citizen named Anjali is interested in understanding how her local municipal corporation is utilizing its budget for urban development projects. She decides to seek information under The Right to Information Act, 2005. Here's how Section 4 of the Act would apply in her situation:

1. Anjali visits the municipal corporation's official website, which, as per Section 4(1)(a), should have all its records catalogued, indexed, and some computerised for easy access. She finds a section dedicated to RTI disclosures.
2. Within this section, thanks to Section 4(1)(b), she finds comprehensive details about the municipal corporation's organization, functions, decision-making processes, and a directory of officers, as they are required to publish these details within 120 days of the Act's enactment and update them annually.
3. She discovers, under Section 4(1)(c), publications of the municipal corporation's key policies on urban development, which are formulated with public interest in mind.
4. When Anjali notices a recent decision to allocate funds to a new park in her neighborhood, Section 4(1)(d) ensures she can find the reasons for this decision and the administrative process behind it.
5. The municipal corporation, adhering to Section 4(2), regularly updates its website with information, reducing the need for Anjali to file an RTI request.
6. Section 4(3) assures that the information provided is in a format that is easily accessible to Anjali, such as downloadable reports or interactive data visualizations.
7. Finally, as per Section 4(4), all the information is available in the local language, and if Anjali wants a physical copy, she can obtain it at a prescribed cost, ensuring cost-effectiveness and ease of access.

Anjali appreciates the transparency and feels empowered as a citizen, knowing that her municipal corporation complies with the Right to Information Act, making governance more open and accountable.