RTI: More needs to be done

Kohima, November 20 (MExN): To review the implementation of Right to Information Act (RTI) in the right perspective, a one-day state-level conference on Right to Information for all administrative heads and heads of departments was held at Zonal Council Hall in Kohima on November 20. The conference was organized by the Nagaland Information Commission on the theme ‘RTI and Good Governance.’    
Director General of Centre for Good Governance (Hyderabad) Dr. Rajiv Sharma, IAS, in his keynote address said good governance encompasses the important elements of transparency, efficiency and predictability. It should not only be confined to the parameters of RTI, he said.
Dr. Sharma said accountability mechanisms include social audits, public disclosures and even certain laws of municipalities. Since the implementation of the Act in 2005 a new era in making information transparent has been ushered in, he said. With regard to the Act, basic infrastructure has been set in place and many more remains to be done, such as review meetings at the top level, Dr. Sharma said.
Referring to the issues that were identified by the committee constituted by the Central Information Commission, Dr. Sharma said that suo moto disclosures are at the heart of the Act and the required information should be placed in public domain for transparency. He said   record management is very important, especially in the present context of information overload.
Capacity-building for information seekers as well as information providers is another area that needs to be addressed, according to Dr. Sharma. He said  knowledge about the Act can also be imparted to young students who are the  citizens of the future. He cited the examples of Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan where the subject has been included in the school syllabus.
He also highlighted examples of innovative practices adopted by different states in the country with regard to implementation of the Act. Although the RTI Act may seem innocuous, when authorities are approached with applications for information that is ‘rightfully entitled,’ it gets done, he said. Dr. Sharma expressed optimism that the Act would be a strong mechanism that will improve service delivery and ensure justice and fair play for the citizens.
Talking on the topic “RTI and Good Governance,” Chief Electoral Officer and Principal Secretary C J Ponraj, IAS, highlighted various areas as to how RTI can help the state of Nagaland. He said collective participation is required to implement RTI effectively. Ponraj stressed on the need to train civil organizations so to ensure good governance.
Also, Chief Information Commissioner of Nagaland Information Commission P Talitemjen Ao, IAS (Retd.) said that 74 public authorities including government departments, corporations and other bodies have made their disclosures available in the Nagaland Information Commission website. There are over one thousand public information officers and assistant public information officers in the state at present. Over half of them have been trained, Talitemjen said.
The former Nagaland Chief Secretary said that while the RTI Act is a powerful tool for citizens, it should not degenerate into a tool merely for settling scores but should aid in achieving the ideals of democracy into informed citizenry.
In the panel presentations, several speakers from different backgrounds delivered presentations on different topics. The conference was attended also by Nagaland Chief Secretary, Lalthara, IAS, senior government officials and heads of departments, representatives of NGOs and civil society and the Media.

With inputs from DIPR