‘RTI easiest tool, of great utility to people’

Times of India: Nagpur: Thursday, 08 October 2015.

Inaugurating the Right to Information week at Sant Gadgebaba Amravati University here on Tuesday, state information commissioner Dattatreya Bansod said RTI was the easiest tool people had got to seek information about government decisions. "Since the RTI act lays down the easiest procedure for seeking official information, it is of great utility to people," he added.

Bansod said that save information mentioned in Section 8 of the act and that concerning personal affairs, the RTI enabled people to seek any kind of information about government resolutions, notes, decisions etc in electronic form. He said RTI act had proved useful in bringing in transparency in government functioning. He was all praise for SGBAU for its meticulous implementation of RTI act.

Advocate Ganesh Halkare observed that in a country of 128 crore people, only one crore were even aware of the act. "As such, rural and tribal population in the country is still far from reaping the benefits of the act. Halkare, quoting a report submitted to the government recently, said 67% applicants seeking information under the act were government employees. He regretted that some who understood the act also misused it.

V-C Mohan Khedkar termed RTI act as a revolutionary one, having potential to facilitate the nation's progress, if used properly.