The
Shillong Times: Guwahati: Thursday, 08 October 2015.
Access to
Right to Information must be ensured to the deprived and marginalised segments
of the society, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Wednesday said.
“Right to
Information can be made an effective tool by ensuring that the voices of the
deprived and marginalised segments of the society are heard loud and clear,”
Gogoi said while inaugurating the one-day Regional Workshop on Right to
Information Act, 2005.
Assam was one
of the pioneer states, which introduced the Right to Information by a separate
State Act in 2002, he said.
“Public
servants who serve the people with good faith and intention must be protected
unlike those who have malafide intention and are in nexus with vested circles.
Those who take risks and take hard decisions without fear or favour for the
common good, must be given protection,” Gogoi said.
Favouritism,
nepotism and corruption must be weeded out by ensuring transparency and
accountability in governance, vital for strengthening the roots of democracy,
he said.
The Chief
Minister pointed out the need for involvement of civil societies and NGOs in
removing the lacunae in implementation of the RTI Act.
“More and
more people are coming forward to assert their rights and dues and this is
definitely a healthy sign of democracy. The RTI Act can play a pivotal role in
making people aware of their rights by creating awareness,” he said.
State Chief
Information Commissioner, H S Das said the RTI Act enacted in 2005 has
completed ten years of its implementation.
The good
practices adopted by various states together with the problems confronting the
states in implementing the RTI Act would be deliberated upon and the vital
inputs would be placed before the National Convention to be held on October 16
and 17 in New Delhi.
The idea of
the Right To Information (RTI) is to make citizens aware about their rights and
also to eradicate corruption.
To make a
government transparent RTI is of utmost importance.But this is not being
utilized by the marginalised and they are the worst sufferers of
corruption. (PTI)
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