Standard Operating Procedure for the Public Information Officer’s (PIO’s)

1. Every public authority is required to take steps in accordance with the

requirements of clause (b) of sub-section (1) of Section 4 of the RTI Act,
2005 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 the use of this Act to obtain
information as per Sub-Section (2) of Section 4 of the Act.

2. In order to implement Section 4(1)(b) of the Act effectively, Information

and Public Relations Department has launched a web portal with URL
www.rtiodisha.gov.in for all Departments/ Sub- ordinate Offices/PSUs
working under the Government of Odisha. This portal has facilities of
disclosing information under Section 4(1)(b) of the Act, filing online RTI
applications and first appeals to different public authorities of
Government of Odisha .

3. In compliance with the provisions of Section 4 of the RTI Act, 2005, the
Public Authorities may proactively disclose information in the Government
RTI Portal www.rtiodisha.gov.in both in English and Odia by using their
User Id and Password. The disclosures may be updated in lucid form at
regular intervals so that public can easily access and understand the
information. This will result in reduction of filing of RTI applications and
optimum use of human resources in the public services. The disclosure of
Information may be made by public authorities keeping in mind the
provisions of Section 8 to 11 of the RTI Act.

4. All Departments/ Sub-ordinate Offices/PSUs under the Government of

Odisha should ensure that suo motu disclosures are being updated both in
English and Odia in the Government RTI Portal regularly. If any public
authority has forgotten its User Id or Password or faces any technical
problems relate to Rule & Acts, then it may contact with the Project
Management of I&PR Department. Their Contact Numbers are: (1)
9238104446 (2) 0674-2391356
5. Besides, it has been decided to collect information from all Public
Authorities for generation of the Report through RTI Central Monitoring
Mechanism (www.rtiodisha.gov.in). For this purpose, all public authorities
are required to upload requisite reports through this portal. Steps are being
taken to integrate Odisha Information Commission with this system for
accessing information pertaining to Annual Report, suo motu disclosures
and appeal cases.

6. PIOs are required to be integrated with the State RTI Portal

(www.rtiodisha.gov.in) in order to get their credentials (User ID &
Password).
7. By using their credential, the PIOs will login to respective Public Authority
Account in the State RTI Portal.
8. After entering into the Portal, the PIOs will find respective Dash board and
Home Page.
9. On the left side of menu bar, the PIOs will find the PIO Desk menu under
which they are able to see the option of “Accept RTI Application” received
online.
10. By clicking the “Accept RTI Application”, the PIOs will view the list of
Online RTI Applications from the different citizens who have applied for the
information.
11. On that Screen the PIO can see the Sl No, Applicant’s Name, Application
Submitted On, Subject Matter, Days Passed, Status, View, Accept, Online
Payment Details (Challan Reference ID, Bank Transaction Id, Date).
Each PIO has an option to confirm the payment information through
‘Click here to verify’ link.
12. The PIOs need to click on the Accept option for accepting any online
application. After clicking on the accept button, the date screen will appear
where the PIO will choose the date and click on accept.
13. Once the Online Application is accepted by the PIO, the existing RTI
Application number is converted into the RTI Application ID as per the RTI
Portal Codification System. This is intimated to applicant as
acknowledgement card while intimating cost of information through email.
14. This RTI Application ID needs to be referred by the citizen as well as the
Public Authorities for further action while dealing with 1st Appeal / 2nd
Appeal / complaint case.
15. It is recommended here that the PIOs need to login the RTI Portal on
daily basis and whenever a new application arrives, they have to accept
the same immediately by putting the current date.
16. Once the PIO accept the application, it is shown in the List of Applications
Section under the menu bar of PIO DESK which shows as ‘Name of
Applicant, Application ID, Status, Subject Matter, Action, Day Count,
View, Action, Delete, Forward’’.
17. On list of applications Section the PIOs can click on Take Action button it
directly goes to the application for Information web page like Supply of
Information / Transfer the applications/ Reject of Application through online
mode.
18. In the Case of forward application click on the forward button in list of
application under PIO DESK (Dash Board Menu). Before doing this PIO
should check the Manage section and Manage PIO to see that the relevant
office is available.
19. Apart from the applied online applications, the PIOs will digitize the RTI
applications in to the RTI Portal, which they are receiving in hard
copy/manually from the citizen.
20. The PIO will digitize the RTI Applications in the Add offline Application
under the menu of PIO desk.
21. Once the offline application is digitized by the PIO, the RTI Application ID
will be generated for the further use of PIOs.
22. In this online platform of RTI application, stamp signature of PIO is not
necessary while providing information to citizen. Only PDF copy is to be
attached.
23. The PIOs shall open a Zero Invest Bank A/c in his designation in the nearest
scheduled Bank and deposit the total amount towards cost for providing
information in a day in the Bank account in the very next day. This Bank
A/c Number should be given to applicant to deposit the total amount
towards cost for providing information
24. Each scan copy rate will be as per the local price which will be intimated to
citizen by PIOs.

25. All public authorities including PIOs/FAAs working under their

administrative control need to register their contact number with the RTI
Portal soon after they are designated to act as PIOs/FAAs.