By A Staff Reporter GUWAHATI, July 5 – With the emergence of corruption as the greatest public enemy, the relevance of the Right to Information Act has become all the more relevant in a region like India’s Northeast. The Act could act as a tool to usher in probity in public affairs and also pinpoint accountability to all government functionaries and organisations receiving substantial government funds.Recently appointed Governor of Meghalaya and former State Information Commissioner, Assam, RS Mooshahary said this in Guwahati today. Delivering a talk on the RTI Act in a meet organised by the Gauhati Management Association, Mooshahary said that it was not enough that people received information through the process, but used that knowledge to identify corrupt practices and persons. Spelling out the Act in some detail, he said that it was a powerful tool that was brought in for greater transparency and accountability in governance. Because of its marked autonomy, the Information Commissions are held in high regard by various government departments. People could either approach the Public Information Officers in departments concerned to seek information, or approach the head of the office if there were not any PIOs. In case they failed to receive information, or believed that the information provided was doctored they could approach the State Information Commissioner.Significantly, he revealed that even though in most of the cases the authorities had 30 days to dispense information, in the event of “life and liberty,” government officials must provide information within a 48-hour time frame. He cited several instances, which showed how information was extracted from several government offices even though they were initially reluctant to provide it. In one case, gross irregularities were found in the working of the Public Distribution System of Golaghat district.Finally, information acquired through RTI applications were able to help investigation, which led to the arrest of several officials and streamlining of the system. This has been an eye-opening development for several other NGOs working in Assam.Mooshahary was of the belief that the RTI has been able to make a change in the mindset of some people as well as officials who are aware of its power. Officials now know that whatever notes they made on files could now be examined by a member of the public. With a note of regret, he mentioned that the Assam Government has not done much to spread public awareness about the Act. He said that much better awareness was necessary for the Act to be become a real harbinger of change. source: assam tribune
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Showing posts with label Right to Information Act. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Right to Information Act. Show all posts
Saturday, July 5, 2008
RTI Act powerful tool for transparency
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
1 crore Indians starve as grains rot in FCI godowns
1 crore Indians starve as grains rot in FCI godowns
July 02, 2008 11:01 IST
Over 10 lakh (1 million) tonnes of food grains worth several hundred crores of rupees, which could have fed over one crore hungry people for a year, were damaged in Food Corporation of India godowns during the last one decade.
The damages were suffered despite the FCI spending Rs 242 crore (Rs 2.42 billion) while trying to prevent any loss of food grains during storage. Ironically another 2.59 crore was spent just to dispose off the rotten food grains.
These startling facts came in reply to a Right to Information application filed by a Delhi resident. FCI informed that 10 lakh tonnes of food grain was damaged in the godowns of government owned agency which is responsible for procurement and distribution of food grains across the country.
It comes at a time when a United Nations report has claimed that 63 per cent children in India go to bed without any food.
The FCI informed that 183,000 tonnes of wheat, 395,000 tonnes of rice, 22 thousand tonnes of paddy and 110 tonnes of maize were damaged between 1997 and 2007.
The FCI said in the northern region -- UP, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh and Delhi -- the damage incurred was 700,000 tonnes and the PSU spent Rs 87.15 crore (Rs 871 million) to prevent the loss besides spending over Rs 60 lakh (Rs 6 million) to dispose off the damaged food grain.
"Keeping in view the amount of money spent by the FCI for preservation of food grains in its go-down, the quantum of damage is huge. Is it not a national shame?" the RTI applicant Dev Ashish Bhattacharya said.
Similarly in eastern India -- Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, Orissa, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal � the damage incurred was 1.5 tonnes of food grains while the FCI spent Rs 122 crore (Rs 1.22 billion) to prevent it from rotting. But the damaged lot was disposed off after spending another Rs 1.65 crore (Rs 16 million).
In the southern region -- Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala-- the damage incurred was 43,069.023 tonnes despite spending Rs 25 crore (Rs 250 million). This damaged food grain was disposed off after spending another Rs 34,867.
While damage in Maharashtra and Gujarat mounted to 73,814 tonnes, the FCI spent Rs 2.78 crore (Rs 27 million) to prevent the loss. However, this lot was also disposed off later at a cost of Rs 24 lakh (Rs 2.4 million).
In Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, the damage incurred was 23,323.57 tonnes of food grains and the amount spent to stop the damage was Rs 5.5 crore (Rs 55 million).
The story was no different from other go-downs as the FCI spent Rs 10.64 lakh (Rs 1.1 million) for disposing damaged food grains. source: rediff.com
Over 10 lakh (1 million) tonnes of food grains worth several hundred crores of rupees, which could have fed over one crore hungry people for a year, were damaged in Food Corporation of India godowns during the last one decade.
The damages were suffered despite the FCI spending Rs 242 crore (Rs 2.42 billion) while trying to prevent any loss of food grains during storage. Ironically another 2.59 crore was spent just to dispose off the rotten food grains.
These startling facts came in reply to a Right to Information application filed by a Delhi resident. FCI informed that 10 lakh tonnes of food grain was damaged in the godowns of government owned agency which is responsible for procurement and distribution of food grains across the country.
It comes at a time when a United Nations report has claimed that 63 per cent children in India go to bed without any food.
The FCI informed that 183,000 tonnes of wheat, 395,000 tonnes of rice, 22 thousand tonnes of paddy and 110 tonnes of maize were damaged between 1997 and 2007.
The FCI said in the northern region -- UP, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh and Delhi -- the damage incurred was 700,000 tonnes and the PSU spent Rs 87.15 crore (Rs 871 million) to prevent the loss besides spending over Rs 60 lakh (Rs 6 million) to dispose off the damaged food grain.
"Keeping in view the amount of money spent by the FCI for preservation of food grains in its go-down, the quantum of damage is huge. Is it not a national shame?" the RTI applicant Dev Ashish Bhattacharya said.
Similarly in eastern India -- Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, Orissa, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal � the damage incurred was 1.5 tonnes of food grains while the FCI spent Rs 122 crore (Rs 1.22 billion) to prevent it from rotting. But the damaged lot was disposed off after spending another Rs 1.65 crore (Rs 16 million).
In the southern region -- Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala-- the damage incurred was 43,069.023 tonnes despite spending Rs 25 crore (Rs 250 million). This damaged food grain was disposed off after spending another Rs 34,867.
While damage in Maharashtra and Gujarat mounted to 73,814 tonnes, the FCI spent Rs 2.78 crore (Rs 27 million) to prevent the loss. However, this lot was also disposed off later at a cost of Rs 24 lakh (Rs 2.4 million).
In Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, the damage incurred was 23,323.57 tonnes of food grains and the amount spent to stop the damage was Rs 5.5 crore (Rs 55 million).
The story was no different from other go-downs as the FCI spent Rs 10.64 lakh (Rs 1.1 million) for disposing damaged food grains. source: rediff.com
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Bureaucrat fined under RTI Act
Imphal, June 28: Ukhrul deputy commissioner Pankaj Kumar Pal was fined Rs 25,000 under the Right to Information Act for failing to furnish information sought from him.
Manipur chief information commissioner R.K. Angousana Singh issued the order today, directing Pal, the state public information officer, to deposit the amount in the government account within 15 days. The commissioner, in his order, said the information officer failed to furnish the required information despite repeated reminders from the commission.
The commissioner on June 13 asked Pal to furnish the information within seven days to R.K. Awungashi, chairman of an Ukhrul district NGO.
The commission also issued a show cause notice on the same date stating that fines should be imposed on him for failing to furnish the information.
The deputy commissioner, however, said he had directed the zonal education commissioner Ukhrul to furnish the required information to the commission.
Awungashi wanted information on the construction of 68 ramps in 58 schools of the district for the Assembly elections held in February last year. The construction cost Rs 1,30,092, provided by the school education department.
Awungashi, the petitioner, in his application dated March 27, 2007 told the information officer that he wanted to inspect the construction of the ramps after getting the relevant information from him.
The commission said the information officer neither rejected the petition, nor gave any response. The petitioner then moved the commission on July 24 last year. Source: telegraph india
Manipur chief information commissioner R.K. Angousana Singh issued the order today, directing Pal, the state public information officer, to deposit the amount in the government account within 15 days. The commissioner, in his order, said the information officer failed to furnish the required information despite repeated reminders from the commission.
The commissioner on June 13 asked Pal to furnish the information within seven days to R.K. Awungashi, chairman of an Ukhrul district NGO.
The commission also issued a show cause notice on the same date stating that fines should be imposed on him for failing to furnish the information.
The deputy commissioner, however, said he had directed the zonal education commissioner Ukhrul to furnish the required information to the commission.
Awungashi wanted information on the construction of 68 ramps in 58 schools of the district for the Assembly elections held in February last year. The construction cost Rs 1,30,092, provided by the school education department.
Awungashi, the petitioner, in his application dated March 27, 2007 told the information officer that he wanted to inspect the construction of the ramps after getting the relevant information from him.
The commission said the information officer neither rejected the petition, nor gave any response. The petitioner then moved the commission on July 24 last year. Source: telegraph india
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