NAHARLAGUN, Oct 12: State Information Commission organized an awareness programme on effective implementation of RTI Act 2005 in collaboration with DOPT, GoI here today.
Elaborating on detailed insights of the Act in his keynote address, Chief Information Commissioner (CIC), Dr. Joram Begi said the RTI Act, 2005 is a landmark legislation that has transformed the relationship between the citizen and the State. The necessity to enact the Act was to combat the numerous scams that were prevailing in the country, to bring about transparency in the system, with the objective to empower the citizen and to promote transparency and accountability in the working system of the governance on day-to-day basis. 
It is more than a decade since the RTI Act has been operational in the State. The State Information Officers and Appellate Authorities are quasi-judicial functionaries under RTI Act with distinctive powers and duties as envisaged in the Preamble of the Right to Information Act. Together, they can create  an effective, mechanism for disposal of increasing number of requests for information being received from the citizens of India,  the CIC informed. Terming the RTI Act also as “Sunshine” Act which is working towards transparency and corruption free Governance, Dr. Begi  advised the information seekers and information givers (PIOs) not to misuse the Act.
The Chief Information Commissioner, advised the media persons as they, being the fourth state organ, shoulder the  responsibility to make the state accountable and transparent. As most people are not aware of exercising their right to freedom of information in a direct and personal way, the media’s role and significance of empowering the public about legal advantages  of RTI as an anti-corruption weapon has become all the more important, he said.
State Information Commissioner (SIC), AK Techi, in his power point presentation made a brief report on APIC.  He disclosed that from 2014 till date there were 2246 cases registered, 68 cases were imposed penalty, 1041 cases disposed off by the Commission and 61 cases still in progress.
In the daylong awareness programme, SIC, Nanong Jamoh, who attended the programme as coordinator and resource person  talked about how to seek information by the information seekers (Section 7 of RTI Act 2005) and third party information (section  11 of RTI, Act 2005) while SIC, Mathiem Lenggi talked about Obligation of Public Authorities- Suo Motu disclosure of Information  (Section 4 of RTI Act 2005) and exemption from disclosure of information (Section 8 and Section 9 of RTI Act 2005) in the  technical session.
Commissioners, Secretaries, Chief Engineers, DC, Directors, HOD, FAA, PIO, Teachers and Students of University and Colleges,  RTI Activist and Media Persons, NGOs attended the programme.

---

Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

<< Back to News List