Outlook: Patna: Saturday, March 03, 2012.
Anguised over large number of complaints about RTI applicants being implicated in false cases or attacked, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today warned stern action against those responsible.
He also said that steps would be taken to strengthen the State Information Commission (SIC), which will have the authority to monitor these complaints.
Inaugurating an international conference on the Right to Information, Kumar said, "complaints have been pouring in about RTI applicants being implicated in false cases or being attacked."
"The state home department, its principal secretary and director general of police take action against the officials harassing the RTI applicants ... Now we will take steps to ensure that such cases are being monitored by the State Information Commission (SIC) which will have the authority to monitor the complaints," he said.
Kumar said Bihar has made "very significant" progress in the field of RTI.
"But it is necessary to vest more and more powers to the SIC ... It is required to bring an amendment to the RTI Act to devolve more powers to the SIC," he said.
The conference was organised to review the implementation of RTI Act during the last six years in the state under JD(U) rule and to explore possibilities to strengthen it in future.
"It is necessary to make the State Information Commission's (SIC) right's broad-based.... In the cases of harassment, the SIC's powers be given an institutional and statutory shape so that it should also safeguard the interests of RTI applicants apart from Home Department and Human Rights bodies," Kumar said.
He said in the event of complaints against officials, subordinate of District Magistrate and Superintendent of Police, the SP should probe it, and if the complaints are against the DM and SP, the DIG should take note of it and ensure inquiry within one month.
"We will make necessary provisions for the purpose," he said.
Kumar said RTI had ensured transparency in democratic set up and now this transparency has taken the centre stage in place of confidentiality.
"The RTI has strengthened the democracy," he said, explaining about the Jankaari programme launched by the state government.
He said the Jankari call centre has already received 1.06 lakh phone calls.
Kumar said even the corporate houses and the schemes under Public Private Partnership (PPP) should be brought within the ambit of RTI.
He called for immediate action against "incompetent" officials who fail to discharge their duties with respect to making available informations to the applicants under RTI Act.
He also said that steps would be taken to strengthen the State Information Commission (SIC), which will have the authority to monitor these complaints.
Inaugurating an international conference on the Right to Information, Kumar said, "complaints have been pouring in about RTI applicants being implicated in false cases or being attacked."
"The state home department, its principal secretary and director general of police take action against the officials harassing the RTI applicants ... Now we will take steps to ensure that such cases are being monitored by the State Information Commission (SIC) which will have the authority to monitor the complaints," he said.
Kumar said Bihar has made "very significant" progress in the field of RTI.
"But it is necessary to vest more and more powers to the SIC ... It is required to bring an amendment to the RTI Act to devolve more powers to the SIC," he said.
The conference was organised to review the implementation of RTI Act during the last six years in the state under JD(U) rule and to explore possibilities to strengthen it in future.
"It is necessary to make the State Information Commission's (SIC) right's broad-based.... In the cases of harassment, the SIC's powers be given an institutional and statutory shape so that it should also safeguard the interests of RTI applicants apart from Home Department and Human Rights bodies," Kumar said.
He said in the event of complaints against officials, subordinate of District Magistrate and Superintendent of Police, the SP should probe it, and if the complaints are against the DM and SP, the DIG should take note of it and ensure inquiry within one month.
"We will make necessary provisions for the purpose," he said.
Kumar said RTI had ensured transparency in democratic set up and now this transparency has taken the centre stage in place of confidentiality.
"The RTI has strengthened the democracy," he said, explaining about the Jankaari programme launched by the state government.
He said the Jankari call centre has already received 1.06 lakh phone calls.
Kumar said even the corporate houses and the schemes under Public Private Partnership (PPP) should be brought within the ambit of RTI.
He called for immediate action against "incompetent" officials who fail to discharge their duties with respect to making available informations to the applicants under RTI Act.
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