Latest news with #RahulPande
Time of India
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Maha CIC pushes for transparency, mandates online reply to RTI applications
Pune: State's chief information commissioner (CIC) Rahul Pande has issued a directive to public authorities for proactive disclosure of all RTI applications and replies on department websites with keyword-searchable access for the public to enhance transparency, and reduce the backlog of appeals and complaints. "The directive, issued under sections 19(8){a}[iii] and 25(5) of the RTI Act, 2005, aims to tackle nearly one lakh pending cases — 79,312 appeals and 18,186 complaints — by promoting voluntary transparency and reducing repetitive filings," Pande told TOI on Monday "The preamble of the RTI Act speaks of citizen empowerment, transparency, accountability and the reduction of corruption. This directive is aimed at operationalising that vision," he said. Pande said the chief secretary had been directed to circulate the new order to all govt departments to ensure compliance. The State Information Commission (SIC) highlighted a 2013 circular of the department of personnel and training (DoPT), advising all public authorities to publish RTI requests and responses to strengthen the transparency mandate of Section 4 of the act. He said, "By publishing RTI replies online in a searchable format, we can eliminate the need for multiple applications seeking the same information. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trending in in 2025: Local network access control [Click Here] Esseps Learn More Undo This is a crucial step towards empowering citizens and ensuring govt accountability. The departments are expected to work towards it." Besides technological upgrades to ensure an easy process, Pande emphasised the need for institutional reform in all departments. He said several departments were burdened with RTI requests and many of these were duplicates because of the unavailability of earlier replies in the public domain. The latest directive urged departments to publish all RTI data barring exempted matters and ensure it was accessible without formal applications. The SIC instructed the departments to address all appeals and complaints through both online and offline hearings to expedite their disposal. "Clearance will be done from old to new, ensuring no second appeal or complaint is left behind," Pande said. He said for the first time all the seven posts of information commissioners had been filled up. "All the commissioners are trying to dispose of cases at the earliest. There are cases pending since 2019," he said. Pande acknowledged that 18 posts across seven information commissions and the main office in the state were still vacant. "We are not receiving enough applicants despite advertising," he said, hinting at administrative bottlenecks. He also warned against the misuse of the RTI Act. "Those filing RTI applications with the intent to blackmail or harass officials will face strict action," Pande said. (FOR GRAPHIC) HL: DECISIONS PENDING 18,186 RTI complaints are pending 79,312 appeals are pending Office Complaints pending Appeals pending Mumbai main office 3,099 19,554 BMC area 2,745 5,152 Konkan 4,236 7,870 Pune 3,741 7,916 Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar 274 8,225 Nashik 1,087 13,277 Nagpur 1,110 5,189 Amravati 1,894 12,129
Time of India
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
‘Transparency key, RTI petitions & replies must be accessible online'
Nagpur: In a major push for transparency, the Maharashtra State Information Commission (SIC) directed all public authorities in the state to proactively disclose all Right to Information (RTI) applications received and the replies provided on their respective websites. The directive, issued under Sections 19(8)(a)(iii) and 25(5) of the RTI Act, 2005, by the State Chief Information Commissioner Rahul Pande, also mandates that the disclosed data be made searchable using keywords to ensure easy access for citizens. Citing the growing number of RTI applications and appeals pending across various SIC benches and the burden they place on public authorities, Pande stressed the need for institutional reforms to promote voluntary disclosure. "If RTI replies are uploaded in the public domain and made searchable, citizens would not need to file repeated applications for the same information," he stated in the official order. The commission observed that several departments face mounting workloads due to frequent and often repetitive RTI requests. It noted that many of these could be avoided if earlier replies were readily available in the public domain. "Excluding exempted matters, if information is kept in a searchable public database, it will greatly reduce redundancy," the order said. The commission also recalled an earlier circular issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) of the Central Govt in April 2013, which instructed all public authorities to publish RTI applications, responses, and appeals proactively. "The intent of Section 4 is to reduce the necessity of filing individual RTI applications by increasing transparency in public offices," the DoPT circular noted. Pande emphasized the preamble of the RTI Act, which envisions empowering citizens, promoting transparency and accountability, and reducing corruption by making govt functioning more open. "To operationalise this vision, all public authorities must ensure that information under the RTI Act — barring exempted items — is accessible without the need for formal applications," he directed. The directive requires all departments to publish RTI data along with keyword-based search options on their websites, allowing citizens to find information efficiently. The chief secretary has been asked to circulate the directive across all govt departments for immediate compliance. With this move, the SIC aims to strengthen the foundational principles of democratic accountability and citizen empowerment.
Time of India
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Abhiwadan Shewalkar Festival drawing huge crowd
1 2 Nagpur: The Abhiwadan Shewalkar Festival , organised by Shri Siddhivinayak Seva Trust , is drawing crowds at Laxmi Nagar ground from Thursday. The three-day festival, a tribute to the memory of the esteemed Ram Shewalkar, will conclude today with a musical event. On Thursday, the festival opened with the poignant one-act play 'Tya Tighi'. This performance movingly depicted the lives of the wives of freedom fighter VD Savarkar and his brothers, highlighting their sacrifices and unwavering support during India's struggle for independence. Aparna Chothe from Pune took on the roles of Yamuna, Sharada, and Yesuvahini, delivering a powerful solo performance. Chothe also conceived, wrote, designed the costumes, directed, and presented the play. The music was composed by Ajit Yashwant, and the lighting was designed by Sanket Parkhe. The inauguration ceremony was graced by the presence of chief information commissioner Rahul Pande. Other notable attendees included Maharashtra Times editor Shripad Aparajit, industrialist Ashutosh Shewalkar, Madhav Sarpatwar, and artist Prafull Mategaonkar. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Google Brain Co-Founder Andrew Ng, Recommends: Read These 5 Books And Turn Your Life Around Blinkist: Andrew Ng's Reading List Undo During his address, Aparajit acknowledged the efforts of Shri Siddhivinayak Seva Trust, under the guidance of MLA Sandip Joshi, in preserving the cultural legacy of Nanasaheb Shewalkar. Mategaonkar spoke about the trust's various initiatives, including cultural programmes, the Deendayal Thali, and the rehabilitation of widows during the pandemic. Rahul Pande lauded the festival's tribute to Nanasaheb Shewalkar, emphasising his inspiring personality and the importance of passing his legacy on to future generations. The second day of the festival featured a lecture by renowned ayurveda expert and speaker, Dr Parikshit Shevde. Dr Shevde's lecture, focused on the life and legacy of 'Dharmaveer' Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. The Abhiwadan Shewalkar Festival will conclude on Saturday with a much-anticipated musical event. Acclaimed singer Priyanka Barve will enchant the audience with a repertoire of popular Marathi and Hindi songs. Entry is free for all.
Time of India
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Maharashtra fills up all vacant information commissioner posts
Mumbai: Newly appointed chief information commissioner Rahul Pande on Monday said that the biggest challenge before him will be to dispose of all the 79,392 appeals before the information commissioners across the state in a time-bound manner. Along with the swearing-in of Pande on April 21, the state govt has filled up all the vacant posts of information commissioners. The post of CIC was lying vacant for a prolonged period. The posts of information commissioners for Amravati, Nagpur, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Nashik were lying vacant for a period ranging from one to three years. You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai As per the notification issued on Monday, Pande will be CIC for Mumbai (HQ), Pradip Vyas for Mumbai, Shekhar Channe for Konkan, Makrand Ranade for Pune, Bhupendra Gurav for Nashik, Ravindra Thakre for Amravati, Prakash Indalkar for Sambhaji Nagar and Gajanan Nimdeo for Nagpur. Earlier, Ranade was holding additional charge for Sambhajinagar, Gurav was holding additional charge for Nagpur and Channe was holding additional charge for Amravati. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Yogyakarta Jw: AI guru Andrew Ng recommends: Read These 5 Books And Turn Your Life Aroun... Blinkist: Andrew Ng's Reading List Undo Pande was first appointed information commissioner for Nagpur on Oct 7, 2021 to Oct 6, 2024, then he was given additional charge for Sambhajinagar and now, he has taken over as CIC on April 21. "RTI is a landmark legislation for providing justice to common man. As a CIC, we will ensure that the legislation is implemented in letter and spirit. We expect that once the first appeal is filed, it should be disposed of within 90 days. Even the Supreme Court has expressed the view that the appeals cannot be kept in abeyance for a prolonged period, otherwise there will be massive delay in providing justice to people," Pande said. In his first tenure as Nagpur and Sambhajinagar information commissioner, Rahul Pande had given landmark orders, which were upheld by the high court. In Sambhajinagar, Pandey found that a few persons were filing vexatious petitions with an objective to harass the district and state administration. "Pande took note of such appeals and disposed them of as per the provisions of the RTI Act," a colleague of the CIC said. Veteran bureaucrat Suresh Joshi was the first CIC, from April 12, 2005, to April 11, 2010. He was followed by Ratnakar Gaikwad and Sumit Mullick. Before the appointment of Pande, retired forest officer Sumit Vishwas was acting CIC. The tenure of Gaikwad was marked by landmark orders.
Time of India
26-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
New State CIC Rahul Pande to focus on RTI awareness
Nagpur: Senior journalist from Nagpur and Maharashtra's newly appointed Chief Information Commissioner (CIC), Rahul Pande , has said that his focus will be on creating greater awareness about the Right to Information (RTI) Act. Governor C P Radhakrishnan administered the oath of office to Pande at a ceremony held at Raj Bhavan in Mumbai earlier this week, along with newly appointed state information commissioners Ravindra Thakare, Prakash Indalkar, and Gajanan Nimdev. Thakare and Nimdev also hail from Nagpur. In an exclusive conversation with TOI, Pande emphasised that the RTI Act is a powerful tool for empowering citizens, but its awareness remains largely confined to activists and politicians. "Common people must realise the importance of RTI. Journalists, too, need focused training to use it effectively in their reporting," he said. To bridge this gap, the Information Commission will soon launch extensive public awareness programmes and special training sessions for journalists across Maharashtra. "We want RTI to become a mass movement, not remain restricted to a few," Pande added. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Get Intel Laptops With Exclusive Student Perks Intel Laptops | Search Ads Learn More Undo He also noted that with no vacancies left in the Commission, the pendency of RTI cases is expected to drop significantly, reaffirming the Commission's commitment to faster grievance redressal. A key area of focus under Pande's leadership will be sensitising the younger generation about their rights under the RTI Act. The Commission plans to collaborate with NCC and NSS units to spread awareness. Government offices and schools will also be actively engaged as part of this outreach initiative. Maharashtra had been without a CIC since April 2023. Pande's appointment is for a three-year term. Earlier, he served as the information commissioner for the Nagpur division from October 2021 to 2024. During his tenure, he also held additional charge of the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Amravati divisions, gaining extensive administrative experience within the Commission.
