The Telegraph: Ranchi: Tuesday, December 19, 2017.
Is
implementation of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005, still in its
infancy or is it budding to uphold its two salient features - transparency and
accountability?
Central
information commissioner Yashovardhan Azad raised this question before
officials of public sector enterprises dealing with RTI in his inaugural
address at the 11th Symposium on RTI Act, organised by Standing Conference of
Public Enterprises (SCOPE) at a city hotel on Monday.
"Your
grievance redress system should be successful," he told the 100-odd
delegates, adding that they must introspect by reviewing applications they
receive and find out exact focus areas.
"Suo
motu disclosure by public sector enterprises should reflect their commitment
for sharing information," Azad said, adding that many PSEs did not have
websites with adequate information because the sites are rarely ever updated.
"Commitments of public authorities will help strengthen democratic
norms."
Aditya
Swaroop, chief information commissioner of Jharkhand, said the act ensured free
access for citizens so that they could judge any decision taken. The focus, he
said, was on good governance through transparency and accountability.
"The
purpose of the RTI Act will be successful if those responsible for sharing
information adhere to the motto of the Act: maximum disclosure and minimum
exemption," Swaroop added.
SCOPE is a
professional outfit that acts as an interface between the government and
central public sector enterprises, its director-general U.D. Choubey said.
"Ten similar symposia have been held across the country to enable public
information officers and appellate authorities to have better appreciation for
the RTI Act and issues involved," Choubey said.
The basic
object of the RTI Act is to empower citizens while containing corruption. An
informed citizen is better equipped to keep vigil on the instruments of
governance and make the government more accountable to the governed.
The two-day
symposium in Ranchi will have eight technical sessions with topics like "
Larger public interest versus disclosure of personal information". Legal
issues and landmark court decisions will also be discussed.
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