Only 2% of Indians used RTI Act in 10 years: CIC

The Hans India: Warangal: Sunday, 06 December 2015.

The Right to Information Act (RTI Act), which came into implementation in 2005, has become more popular than the Indian constitution, stated Central Information Commissioner (CIC) M Sridhar Acharyulu.

However, during the last one decade a mere two percent of the country’s population has made use of the act to seek information on government functioning. The people should come forward to use act extensively, he said.

Sridhar Acharyulu delivered a lecture on ‘A decade of right to information act-emerging challenges’ at Arts and Science College in Hanamkonda on Friday. The programme was organised by Sri Parcha Ranga Rao Memorial Charitable Trust.

Addressing the gathering, he stressed on the need to employ the provisions of the Act in a constructive manner. Many times the government officials were misrepresenting the RTI Act and sometimes the citizens were also misusing it.

The success of any legislation depends on how the public and the officials concerned employ it the CIC said while giving examples. One could solicit information in government records using the RTI Act.

Rights activists like Aruna Roy and Arundhati Roy have made great efforts in enactment of the RTI Act. ‘The act empowers the common man and provides confidence to protect his rights,’ he added. 

On the occasion, Sridhar Acharyulu released a booked titled ‘RTI Act-2015’ written by KU Law College Principal T Vijay Chander. Prof S Lakshmana Murthy released a book titled ‘RTI Act Use and Abuse’ written by Sridhar Acharyulu. 

The Trust Chairman P Mohan Rao and its Secretary P Kodanda Rama Rao, Arts College Principal K Ramanuja Rao and others participated in the programme.

Later in the day, Sridhar Acharyulu attended a seminar on ‘Importance of constitutional article 19’ at Vaagdevi College at Naim Nagar in Hanamkonda. A book titled ‘Rajyanga Shilpi’ written by B Ankaiah was released during the programme.