Network upgrade in State must for results
In a concerted bid towards effective implementation of the Right To Information Act 2005 in the State, several organisations today adopted resolutions, which included a demand for the immediate appointment of the State Chief Information Commissioner and nine other Information Commissioners. The absence of the CIC after the last incumbent moved on to another position, and the dearth of 10 Information Commissioners have, according to RTI activists, undermined information dissemination in Assam. The organisations active in the area of RTI Act implementation further demanded that SEBA and CBSE lower the amount taken for crosschecking a single answer script from the present fee of Rs 500, which was “unreasonable and unjustified”. Shifting the office of the State CIC from the Janata Bhawan complex to a more public-friendly area was the third resolution adopted by all the stakeholders who were participating in a seminar organised by the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samity, a group that was instrumental in streamlining the PDS system in three districts by using the RTI Act. Those attending the seminar laying stress on expanding the use of the RTI Act said that if the state government did not respond to their appeal, they would take recourse to protest action across Assam. Speaking at a press meet later, noted RTI activist Sandeep Pandey termed the implementation of RTI Act in Assam as poor compared to its efficacy in states such as Gujarat, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. “The Assam Government alone would know why it has failed to appoint the Chief Information Commissioner, a key figure to ensure implementation of the Act.” The youngest Indian to win the Magsaysay Award, Pandey also found it surprising that the State had just one Information Commissioner. States that were serious about the RTI Act had eight or nine similar officials leading to better utillisation of the legislation. Referring to the posts of Information Commissioner being filled with former bureaucrats, policemen and judges, he said that it could have been more effective had people with sound public-service credentials were appointed instead. In the national context, Pandey found it worrying that most state governments had a clear intent to appoint only those people to the posts of Information Commissioner who were close to their party. As a result, objectives of the Act like ushering in probity and transparency were shown the door. Speaking on the occasion, noted RTI activist Akhil Gogoi stressed that unless the Act was effectively implemented, a large section of people, including the poor and the vulnerable would be denied their rights in the democratic order. He said that a unified approach would yield better results in the campaign favouring the RTI Act. Today’s seminar witnessed the participation of a cross-section of people cutting across economic and social lines. Common to many was the concern that the state government was not doing enough to popularise the Act, and was least bothered about its implementation in the state. A few speakers also highlighted the difficulties faced in acquiring information, because of the absence of Public Information Officers, and the hurdle created by PIOs who did not possess adequate training about the Act and its provisions. More :