Nearly 15 women in Sri Lanka’s Eastern Province have submitted applications to the District Secretariat, the provincial and district Police Headquarters, the Human Rights Commission and the Prisons Department asking for details on their missing family members, the Hindu reported today.

The Hindu said the women were met with apathy as many of the officials were not aware of the RTI Act or prepared to receive applications.

It quoted Media Minister Gayantha Karunathilake as saying that since the Act was new to the country, things were not a’ 100 per cent right just as yet.’

The RTI Act came into effect on midnight Friday (Feb.3).

It was passed in Parliament in June 2016, and signed into law on August 4.

A period of six months was allowed for preparations.