File RTI applications, pay fee online; govt launches portal

August 21, 2013
New Delhi, Aug 21: Taking a step towards greater transparency in governance, the government today launched an exclusive portal to enable citizens to file RTI applications online for all central government ministries. RTI

The portal--www.rtionline.gov.in-- was launched today by Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions V Narayanasamy here.

"This is a very important initiative by the government. Without filling any paper or going to any office, citizens can file RTI applications online," he said after inaugurating the website.Narayanasamy said the RTI was a weapon in the hands of people and it was doing wonders across the country.

"At present, about 82 central government ministries have been covered with this portal. Soon we will bring all Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) under it," the Minister said.

The Ministry of Personnel, which acts as administrative department for implementation of the transparency law, will also write to all state governments asking them to adopt this platform of online filing of RTI applications.

"We will be writing a letter to all state governments asking them to follow this facility," he said, adding the government intends to strengthen people by many more such steps.

The Centre's flagship Right to Information Act, which was enacted in 2005, mandates timely response-- within 30 days -- to citizen requests for government information. One has to pay a fee of Rs 10 for seeking information.

An information seeker can submit a fee of Rs 10 via Internet banking through SBI and its associated banks using the website. One can also use credit or debit cards.

At present, the text of an application that can be uploaded at the prescribed column (on the website while filing application) is confined to 3,000 characters only.

In case an application contains more than 3,000 characters, it can be uploaded as an attachment. An applicant also get an alert on his or her mobile about movement of the applications.

Secretary in the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), S K Sarkar, who was also present at the function, said the launch of RTI portal is a "culmination of efforts being put up by the government since 2005" towards strengthening people's right to know.

"There has been increase in filing of RTI applications. There were about 24,000 RTI applications filed in 2005-06. In 2011-12, the number has touched 6.7 lakh," he said.Central Information Commissioner (CIC) Satyanand Mishra said it was an extremely relevant contemporary step.

"The information can be sent online via database or scanning hard copies of documents. There will be no exchange of papers. Online filing of RTI applications will take away the use of papers," Mishra said.

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News Network
April 8,2020

Jamnagar, Apr 7: A 14-month-old baby boy, who had tested positive for coronavirus in Gujarat's Jamnagar district on April 5, died of multiple organ failure on Tuesday, said officials.

The toddler, son of a migrant labourer-couple having no recent travel history, died in the evening at a government hospital in Jamnagar, said an official release.

He was in a critical condition ever since he was admitted to the hospital, it said.

The boy, who tested positive for coronavirus two days ago, was as on ventilator support and eventually died due to multiple organ failure, said the release.

He becomes the youngest patient to succumb to COVID-19 in Gujarat, where the death toll has now gone up to 16.

The baby was the first and the only case of coronavirus infection so far in entire Jamnagar district and the youngest to be diagnosed with the disease in Gujarat.

Ever since he tested coronavirus positive, the authorities had been tracing the source of his infection.

His parents are from Uttar Pradesh and work as casual labourers in factories in the port city.

His parents, who have no travel history in the recent past, are asymptomatic (not showing symptoms) and kept under quarantine, officials said.

The locality where the couple resides in Dared village near Jamnagar city has been put under complete lockdown to check the spread of the virus, they said.

Gujarat has so far recorded 175 coronavirus positive cases and 16 fatalities.

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Agencies
March 8,2020

Mumbai, Mar 8: A day after the Enforcement Directorate registered a money laundering case against Yes Bank founder Rana Kapoor and raided his premises, he was taken to the agency's office in Mumbai on Saturday for further questioning.

Kapoor, who was grilled by central agency's officials on Friday night at his Samudra Mahal residence in Mumbai, was shifted to the ED office in the metropolis around 12.30 pm.

ED officials said Kapoor was questioned throughout the night, with some rest time.

A senior ED official connected with the probe told IANS: "Kapoor will be questioned about Yes Bank loans to Dewan Housing Finance Limited (DHFL)."

The official said that during searches a lot of incriminating documents were found and the agency wanted to grill him on his links with DHFL promoters and other companies.

Kapoor's alleged role in the disbursal of loan to a corporate entity and kickbacks reportedly received in his wife's bank account are also under probe.

The ED had filed the money laundering case against Kapoor and raided his residence, apart from issuing a look-out circular so that he does not flee the country.

The ED registered a money laundering case against Kapoor as a continuation of its probe against the DHFL wherein it was allegedly found that Rs 12,500 crore was diverted to 80 shell companies using one lakh fake borrowers. The transactions with these shell companies date back to 2015.

An ED official in New Delhi told IANS that the DHFL probe revealed that funds diverted by the DHFL originated from Yes Bank.

He said that the searches at Kapoor's residence on Friday night were meant to find out any irregularity in grant of loans to the DHFL by the Yes Bank.

The ED has accused Kapil and Dheeraj Wadhawan of DHFL of purchasing shares in five firms -- Faith Realtors, Marvel Township, Abe Realty, Poseidon Realty, and Random Realtors -- after which they were amalgamated with Sunblink.

The outstanding loans of these five firms, totalling around Rs 2,186 crore till July 2019, were allegedly appropriated onto the books of Sunblink to cover up the diversion of loans acquired from DHFL.

The ED's action comes after the RBI superseded Yes Bank Board for 30 days and appointed an administrator, putting a cap of Rs 50,000 on withdrawals by account holders for a month.

The RBI said that the bank's board was superseded "owing to serious deterioration in the financial position of the bank".

Former SBI CFO Prashant Kumar was appointed as administrator of Yes Bank, which has over 1,000 branches and 1,800-plus ATMs across the country.

On Thursday, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that the bank was on watch since 2017 and developments relating to it were monitored on a day-to-day basis.

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News Network
April 21,2020

New Delhi, Apr 21: India's count of positive coronavirus cases reached 18,985 after 1,329 new cases were reported in the last 24 hours, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Tuesday.

Out of the total cases, 15,122 are active cases, 3,259 have been discharged or cured and one has migrated. With 44 new deaths reported in the last 24 hours, the toll stands at 603.

As per the evening update by the ministry, Maharashtra continues to be the worst-hit state with 4,669 cases, out of which 572 patients have been discharged and cured and 232 deaths.

Delhi's total count of confirmed cases stand at 2,081, which includes 431 cured or discharged cases and 47 deaths.

Gujarat has reported a total of 2,066 positive COVID-19 cases, out of which 131 patients have recovered or discharged, while 77 patients have lost their lives.

Madhya Pradesh's count of COVID-19 cases stand at 1,540, including 127 cured or discharged cases and 76 deaths.

Rajasthan has so far reported 1,576 positive cases, out of which 205 patients have recovered or discharged and 25 people have lost their lives.

Tamil Nadu's COVID-19 figure has risen to 1,520, with 457 patients recovered and 17 fatalities. Uttar Pradesh has reported 1,294 cases, out of which 140 patients have recovered and 20 are dead.

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