Over 12.33 lakh RTI pleas received in 2017-18

New Delhi, Jan 3 (IANS) Over 12.33 lakh applications under the Right to Information (RTI) Act were received in 2017-18, an increase of 26 per cent as compared to the previous years figure, according to the annual report of the Central Information Commission (CIC) made public on Thursday.

As per the report, a total of 12,33,207 RTI applications were received by registered Central public authorities in the year which is higher by 3,17,458 or 26 per cent than what was reported during 2016-17. 

The Central public authorities rejected 63,206 or 4 per cent of the RTI applications processed during the year, showing a downward trend in rejections, down by 2.59 per cent from the 6.59 per cent reported in 2016-17.

Public authorities collected Rs 1.26 crore in the year through application fees, additional charges and penalty. 

The Ministry of Finance with 1,99,923 received the most number of RTI pleas in the year of which it rejected 28,145. The highest percentage of RTI applications rejected was reported by the Delhi High Court with 18 followed by the Ministry of Home Affairs with 15.16 per cent. 

The CIC disposed of 29,005 second appeals and complaints cases in 2017-18.