Suo motu disclosure on official tours of Ministers and other officials.

                              Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions

                                         Department of Personnel & Training

                                                  North Block, New Delhi

                                                                                                                    Dated:llth September, 2012

                                                   Office Memorandum

Sub: Suo motu disclosure on official tours of Ministers and other officials.

Sub-Section (2) of Section 4 of the RTI Act, 2005 requires every public authority

to take steps in accordance with the requirements of clause

 

(b) of sub-section (1) to

provide as much information

suo motu to the public at regular intervals through various

means of communications, including internet, so that the public have minimum resort

to use the Act to obtain information.

2. It has been brought to the notice of this Department that public authorities are

receiving RTI applications frequently asking for details of the official tours undertaken

by Ministers and other officials of the Ministries/Departments concerned. In compliance

with the provisions of Section 4 of the RTI Act, 2005, it is advised that Public

Authorities may proactively disclose the details of foreign and domestic official tours

undertaken by Minister(s) and officials of the rank of Joint Secretary to the Government

of India and above and Heads of Departments, since 1s` January, 2012. The disclosures

may be updated once every quarter starting from 1s` July, 2012.

3. Information to be disclosed proactively may contain nature of the official tour,

places visited, the period, number of people included in the official delegation and total

cost of such travel undertaken. Exemptions under Section 8 of the RTI Act, 2005 may

be taken in view while disclosing the information. These advisory would not apply to

security and intelligence organisations under the second schedule of the RTI Act, 2005

and CVOs of public authorities.

4. Contents of this OM may be brought to the notice of all concerned.

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