Orissadiary.com:
Rayagada: Thursday, 17 September 2015.
Barring
particular group of people around the district and state capital headquarters,
the benefits of Right to Information Act are yet to trickle down to the rural
hinterland. The need of the hour is to take the process forward through the
literate and semi-literate youths in the rural areas, more particularly the
tribal villages of Odisha. Several NGO and RTI activists opined this during the
formation of District RTI forum in Rayagada.
“In our
primary school at Mandibsi village of Kashipur Block, when one teacher got
retired, I went to BDO to ask for appointment of another teacher immediately so
that the other teacher, who is burdened with several administrative work,
shares her time in teaching the tribal students. The BDO told that he did not
have such power to appoint. I gave an application to the Collector during a
grievance day. Collector directed me to DEO office. When I reached DEO’s office
and suggested a suitable teacher’s name for appointment, I was shouted at and
told that the teacher I was suggesting for had bribed me heavily and hence that
teacher had to be taken to task. I was shocked, ashamed and had to leave the
office. If a conscious tribal woman like me runs from pillar to post for a
societal cause and community right, gets harassed, what is the use of this RTI
Act ?”, lamented Sumoni Jhodia, a known tribal woman leader and Jamnalal Bajaj
Award winner from Kashipur. She also questioned the faulty policies of Govt
like excluding even BPL families from the new PDS system, no access of Jhodia
tribal children in schools due to their non-tribal status accorded to them by
Govt, etc.
According to
Sri Chitta Champati Ray, a noted social activist of the district, despite the
pro-people aspects of the Act, the percolation effect at the grassroots does
not show a good trend. The Act is hardly used for the entitlements of several
rights like NREGA, FRA and other social security schemes for the poor.
Somebody, sometimes works for the poor. The poor themselves have to be
empowered and help themselves to gainfully use this pro-people Act, said Sri
Ray.
“When one
uses this instrument to expose the corruption of the authorities in the
delivery mechanism, he is termed as miscreant, self-styled social activist,
extortionist, etc. Nevertheless, this is the only Act which is feared by the
govt servants. The activists need to be more and more information hungry and
strategic to face these derogatory remarks. After getting this information, the
activist needs to initiate a follow-up action and not back out till a logical
conclusion is arrived. We must repeatedly hammer at govt offices to have their
voluntary disclosure at place.” , said a prominent RTI activist Sri Rabindra
Patakhandala.
Ms.Sujata
Mandingi, Zilla Parishad Chairperson also opined that in spite of several
provisions in the Act, violations have been made by none other than the
implementers of the same Act. Several training and orientations are conducted
for the govt officials; but the impact is very less. “If the rules and
regulations meant for the schemes like ICDS, Primary Education, etc are followed
sincerely there is no need to use this Act. The community organisations like
Matru Mangal Committee, School Management Development Committee, etc have to
more and more pro-active to check the misutillisation.”, said Ms.Mandingi.
Sri Jayaram Jena,
veteran Sarvodayee Worker, presided over the workshop where PRI leaders
intellectuals, social activists, academicians, lawyers, retired govt. employees
& like-minded officials & social organisations participated. Sri Atul
Nayak, District Coordinator from Koraput facilitated the whole programme.
Bichitra Biswal, Dwitichandra Sahoo, Dambarudhara Pattanik spoke vividly on the
occasion. At last, Srinivash Das, Dist. Coordinator, extended vote of thanks to
all.
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