The Right To Information Act (RTI), intended to empower the public and bring out administrative transparency, has turned into a nightmare for the fledgling Telangana University based in Nizamabad. The authorities of the university, who have neither trained personnel nor enough funds to serve the public under the Act, are at their wits end as to how to cope with the pressure generated by genuine and motivated applicants, without attracting the contempt of the State Information Commission.
What has hit Telangana University is a recent request by two of its students, C Varadaiah and N Soundarya, who sought information related to all recruitments done in the past three years ever since the varsity was set up. Normally, a request for providing information does not pose a problem for the university as it would levy charges for the stationery and photocopying of the documents.
But the present case is posing a huge problem for the varsity. This is because as per rules, anyone who falls in the Below Poverty Line (BPL) category should be provided the information without being charged for the stationery and photocopying. All the applicant needs to do is attach a copy of his BPL ration card with his request, said officials.
