Soon after a report published by The Hindu stating that the Centre was spending Rs 1.65 crore on 3D PM Modi selfie booths, an advisory was issued by the Railway Board making it mandatory for all RTI replies to be cleared by general managers (GMs) of zonal railways or divisional railway managers (DRMs).
The Hindu report was based on an RTI filed by a retired railway official Ajay Bose. In response, the Central Railways stated that the Union government planned to install two types of selfie booths – permanent and temporary. The reply, however, failed to mention the names of the agencies involved.
According to the Railway Board advisory, the “quality of RTI replies handled by zonal railways and other field units had deteriorated”.
“Timelines for disposal of RTI applications were surpassed in many cases resulting in a large numbers of appeals filed before the first appellate authority or the central information commission, not only increasing the quantum of work but bringing disrepute to the organisation,” it said.
“RTI replies would henceforth be approved respectively at the level of the general manager (GM) in zonal railways and divisional railway managers (DRMs) in the divisions. Similarly, replies to first appeals received under the RTI Act need to be shown to the GM and DRM concerned,” the advisory said.
On January 3, the Central Railways chief public relations officer (CPRO) Shivraj Manaspure, who the provided information under RTI regarding the cumulative expenditure of the selfie booths, was unexpectedly transferred before the end of his tenure.
The CPRO tenure lasts for two years. Manaspure an IRTS officer of the 2011 batch, took charge only in May last year. On December 29, 2023, he was transferred to the Central Railways Mumbai headquarters without any reason.
