Here's an encounter that the city police are in no mood to encourage. Within days of a Right to Information activist subjected to third degree at a city police station, TOI finds that it wasn't a stray bad experience, with cops pulling out all stops to stay RTI-proof. In fact, police officers in some stations even say they are unaware of the RTI Act and remain most unresponsive when it comes to their responsibilities under the Act. And a telling reality: a significant number of pending cases at the Information Commission pertain to the police department.

From claiming that "there is nothing like RTI" to showing the door to quizzing on the reasons for filing an RTI query, police stations come across well-armed against anybody seeking information under the Act.

On Tuesday, TOI posing as an RTI applicant visited police stations with a simple three-question query: the number of FIRs filed at police stations in the year 2011, the number of cases solved and the number of cases pending. The Cyberabad commissionerate directed the applicant from one official to another, with the third official, an administrative officer, finally reluctantly accepting the application, saying that a "lot of information" had been sought in the query and it would take over a month to put it together.

The Punjagutta police station did not deny giving information. It simply refused to accept the RTI query since the letter was "not in an envelope". In fact, it took time for the concerned Public Information Officer (PIO), the writer (who writes complaints and FIRs) at the station, to decide whether or not to accept the application. He threw a volley of interrogative questions demanding to know the applicant's background, details of professional life and also residence proof etc. The applicant was also advised to show more interest in other police stations and spare Punjagutta. The PIO also demanded to know repeatedly why the applicant was interested in these details and what he intended to do with it. After much persuasion, the PIO insisted that he would accept the application only if it was brought in an envelope. The RTI Act does not mention any such rule.

It was a similar experience at the Begumpet police station where an inspector first tried to physically stop the applicant from entering the premises. The second hurdle was once again the station's PIO (the writer) who bombarded the applicant with questions about background only to advise him in the end to concentrate on social service and stop filing RTIs which is not beneficial to anyone. However, unlike at Punjagutta they accepted the RTI application.

RTI activists corroborate TOI's experience with their own. P Ramakrishna, an RTI activist shared how a colleague had gone to Chandanagar police station on December 4, 2011, to file an RTI query on the number of road accidents in the area. "He was held over and the inspector called me from the station. I was asked rudely about why we needed this information," says Ramakrishna, adding that he recorded that telephone conversation where the inspector was threatening him. While the RTI query was finally accepted, a reply is still awaited.

Another activist, T V Bhaskar of Guntur said that he received threatening calls four months ago following which he informed the collector and district SP and sought protection, which was denied. A government circular released in 2010 states that any RTI activist seeking protection should be provided the same.

Known RTI activist C J Karira said that the home department was the most RTI-unfriendly. He said as per the Act, every police station should have a board outside giving details of the PIO and the appellate officer which is not being followed in any police station in the city.

The Haryana education department will add a chapter on the Right to Information (RTI) Act in the curricula of schools and colleges across the state, a senior officer said here on Saturday.

Chief Secretary Urvashi Gulati said this was one of the several steps being taken to make the administration transparent and making people, especially the younger generation, aware to take advantage of the RTI Act.

She said that with a view to promoting openness, transparency and accountability in the working of every public authority, the RTI Act had been fully implemented in Haryana.

Gulati said all departments in the state have been directed to prepare their 'Citizens' Charters' to improve performance in service delivery and to provide service which meets people's needs.

"The Citizens' Charters of 111 departments and organizations have so far been formulated and the charters of the remaining department and organizations are in the process of being framed," she said.

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi has received flak from the Central Information Commission for its failure to provide information to an RTI applicant and claiming otherwise. The curious case came before the Central Information Commission where an MCD official, when questioned by Information Commissioner Shailesh Gandhi during the hearing, said information sought by the applicant has been furnished. When grilled, the official Jagdish Prasad, produced a reply which said, "Since this information is time consuming the department may prepare the information, as and when report will be compiled and it will be provided to you as early as possible".

Such a reply prompted a stern warning from Gandhi. "The Commission warns the PIO not to send people for hearings who do not have the capacity of understanding what information is," he said. The case relates to one Swarn Kumari Sharma of Karol Bagh who was trying for last one year to know details of Assured Career Progression scheme of teachers in MCD schools but was not provided any response to her questions. The RTI Act mandates furnishing of information within a month of application.

"From the facts before the Commission, it is apparent that the PIO and the deemed PIO are guilty of not furnishing information within the time specified under sub-section (1) of Section 7 by not replying within 30 days, as per the requirement of the RTI Act," Gandhi said while issuing showcause notice to officials of the MCD. "Mrs Vijaylaxmi then PIO and Deemed PIO Mr Jagdish Prasad, School Inspector will present themselves before the Commission...alongwith their written submissions showing cause why penalty should not be imposed on them as mandated under Section 20 (1)," he said.