Interactive session organized on the RTI Act at conference room of Information Commission, Assam

GUWAHATI: An interactive session on the RTI Act with SPIO and CPIO, Government of India, and Government of Assam was organised on Wednesday. It saw the presence of Heeralal Samariya, Chief Information Commissioner, Central Information Commission, Government of India, and Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta, State Chief Information Commissioner, Assam Information Commission. It was held in the conference room of the Information Commission, Assam.

At the outset, Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta welcomed the Chief Information Commissioner of the Central Information Commission and delivered a valuable speech on various aspects and issues relating to RTI. Further, Dr. Reep Hazarika, State Information Commissioner, Assam Information Commission, also gave a presentation on the major achievements of the Assam Information Commission, such as the minimal pendency of appeals and complaint cases, etc. E-filing facilities for appeals and complaints are provided to citizens through the official website of the commission. The Commission also hears appeals and complaint cases through the hybrid mode of hearing. The daily cause list is also uploaded to the official website of the AIC.

Further, the setting up of an online RTI portal for Assam is being developed by NIC. The Commission organised a number of seminars and workshops to orient public authorities in different districts. This has resulted in better disposal of RTI applications at the first step itself. Now, the Commission is working fully in e-office mode.

Heeralal Samariya, in his speech, presented an overview of the RTI Act, 2005, and its challenges. He stressed the maintenance of all its records, duly catalogued and indexed, so that excess is facilitated. He also pointed out that it shall be a constant endeavour of every public authority to take a step to provide as much information suo-motu to the public at regular intervals through various means of communication so that the public has minimum resort to use this act. During his speech, he categorically remarks that the past 17 years have seen a great deal of progress, though there is still some way to go before setting out a practical regime of RTI to achieve informed citizenry, thereby achieving the fruits of democracy. The important role of the RTI Act is to ensure social justice and transparency, to make governments accountable for their actions to contain corruption, and to hold governments and their instrumentalities accountable to the citizens. In the meeting, a number of CPIOs and SPIOs attended the programme and took part in the interactive session. In the end, the vote of thanks was given by SIC, the Assam Information Commission.

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