Better access to RTI Act demanded

Staff reporter
GUWAHATI, Sept 27 – In a bid to press for better use of the Right to Information Act in Assam, North East Network, an NGO, and partnering organisations have demanded that the Assam State Information Commission be shifted from the high-security capital complex at Dispur to another place more accessible to the common person.

It has been reasoned that because of its location, people have inhibitions to visit the office, which serves as the apex body regarding the RTI Act. Although the demand has been there for some time now, it has become stronger following the blaze that ravaged the Commission’s office and its temporary shift to the Assam Secretariat.

NEN and some other organisations working to promote the RTI have also called for the immediate appointment of a Chief Information Commissioner of Assam, a post that fell vacant after the previous incumbent RS Mooshahary took over as the Governor of Meghalaya.

In a related development, the need for appointing nine more Information Commissioners from various fields of social activism, women’s issues, academic, media, law has been underlined. It is worth mentioning the RTI operations in the State are now being managed by a single commissioner.

Another major demand is to strengthen the financial support available to the State Information Commission, which has been considered inadequate. Specific budgetary allocation within the state planned budget for the autonomous office space of the Assam State Information Commission has been asked for.

Another demand called for effective implementation of Sec 26 of the RTI Act 2005 to make specific programmes for the awareness and education of the common public. This is in response to reports that the State Government has done precious little to promote the RTI act among the masses leading to its low use.

NEN and its partners have further emphasised the need for better maintenance of public records, to ensure that they would be available to RTI applicants as and when necessary.

A day after commemorating the International Right to Know Day on September 28, NEN would hand over a memorandum containing these and other demands to the State Chief Minister on September 29. source: assam tribune