DNA: Mumbai: Monday, August 03, 2015.
There is a
ray of light for better and easier access to information for citizens. The
state information commission in an order has directed the state government to
form a technical advisory committee (TAC) in the lines of BMC for better
implementation of the Right To Information (RTI) Act, and in particular, the
suo motu disclosure. An order was passed by the state chief information
commissioner Ratnakar Gaikwad on July 30. It was passed after Bhaskar Prabhu,
convenor of Mahiti Adhikar Manch, an organisation that promotes RTI, filed a
complaint and sought measures where in corrective inputs for better implementation
of the RTI Act can be done. It has already taken up such initiatives in the
Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) wherein a TAC committee is formed and
headed by former central information commissioner Shailesh Gandhi.
"The
reason for filing a complaint was that there needs to be a continuous dialogue
for better implementation of the Act. Just having an Act is of no use. The
feedback from the society on its implementation is necessary. The government
should have a transparent way of functioning and all the details should be
available on website. How the website needs to be up to date needs a dialogue.
Same thing was felt by Yashada and a DoPT in centre also advocates the same. In
BMC, we have managed to make sure that manual of functioning of each department
and other important details are put on website. Similar thing was needed for
government too," said Prabhu who is member of TAC.
In its order,
the commission stated: "Undoubtedly, there are gaps in the implementation
of RTI Act, 2005 in the Maharashtra state and there is an urgent need to
address various impediments and shortcomings in the implementation of RTI Act,
2005." It added: "Regarding setting up of institutional mechanism on
the lines of technically advisory committee of BMC is definitely worth consideration."
The order directs the chief secretary of Maharashtra that by August 31 an
institutional mechanism involving civil society organisation/experts in RTI be
set up so as to enable constant dialogue facilitating taking corrective
measures on regular basis with regard to implementation of the RTI Act, 2005.
Swadheen
Kshatriya, chief secretary, told dna, "We will comply with the directives
of the honorable commission. They have given us time till August 31 and we will
do so by then."
Head: Info
chief's order
An order was
passed by the state chief information commissioner Ratnakar Gaikwad on July 30.
It was passed after Bhaskar Prabhu, convenor of Mahiti Adhikar Manch, an
organisation that promotes RTI, filed a complaint and sought measures where in
corrective inputs for better implementation of the RTI Act can be done.
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