DNA:
Bangalore: Friday, 25 September 2015.
Volunteer for
a Cause India is a NGO that has been supporting several social causes and
spreading awareness about the use of the Right To Information (RTI) Act through
their free workshops.
The
volunteers have been holding these workshops for around three years now. Speaking
to iamin about the RTI revolution and its importance, M Surendran, 28, founder
of Volunteer for a Cause India, said, “When we first filed a RTI regarding a
problem in BTM Layout, we got the work done. That was our first success story.
Once we realised that the government was responding to our queries, we thought
of educating people across Bangalore so that the urban community can question
the government to ensure transparency and accountability.”
He added,
“One does not need to know the law to file an RTI. It is all about questioning
the right department that is responsible for the job and about framing the
right questions. Any citizen can file a RTI. Voting alone does not make us a
responsible citizens.”
The
volunteers of the NGO feel that the induction of RTI Act has made a lot of
difference to the society - both in urban as well as rural areas.
RTI Diwas
To
commemorate the 10th year of RTI Act which came into effect in 2005, the NGO
members have organised a free RTI workshop called RTI Diwas on the October
11.
Speaking
about the RTI Diwas workshop, Surendran said, “The workshop will cover the
basics of RTI and how one can file it. We will tell citizens about which
department needs to be approached, how they can be approached and the time frame
in which one can expect to get a reply.”
The idea is
to make citizens who attend the workshop file a RTI on their own.
In the past
three years the members have conducted 13 successful RTI workshops with over
250 people attending it.
RTI Workshop
Success Stories
Kiran
Hattiholi, 26, a resident of BTM Layout who has attended the workshop in the
past, said, “Before the workshop I was not aware about the RTI Act and its pros
and cons. I got to know about the norms to be followed and how effective the
RTI can be in bringing about a change in the society. Till date I have filed
two RTI application - one related to a BBMP issue and other one related to my
hometown in Dharwad on the funds spent by the MLA for the development of the
area. RTI is a tool that every citizen must use for the welfare of the
society.”
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