Provide all info on websites, demands RTI meet
ANIL LAAD, MADKAI | 22 April 2013 00:59 IST
The first ever Right to Information rural convention held in Madkai yesterday demanded that Goa government should implement section 4 of the Right to Information Act by providing all the information on government websites, with regular updates.
Updating the database of all the government departments and making it available online was the main demand of almost all the speakers at the convention.
Major General (Retd) S C N Jatar, the chief guest from Nagarik Chetana Manch of Pune, however focused on three major objectives of RTI - empowerment of citizens, transparency in administration and containing the corruption.
He also said the colonial mindset needs to change as not providing true information has been inherited from British rulers, who looted our country and did not want the public to know about it.
More than individual efforts, Jatar felt the NGOs and media groups should come forward to establish good governance through RTI.
Vishwas Sahastrabuddhe, an Electronics Engineer and RTI activist from Pune, also stressed upon Section 4, in order to disclose all the government information to the public.
He narrated how his Sajag Nagarik Manchm was instrumental in making the government to implement Section 4 effectively.
Motilal Keny, former Goa State Information Commissioner, also explained vital importance of Section 4, which if implemented judiciously, will avoid wastage of time and energy of the public and NGOs in obtaining the information.
“It will also save time and energy of the government machinery in providing all the information to the public”, he said.
Nandini Sahay, president of The Goa RTI Forum the director of the International Centre Goa, narrated her struggles with Aruna Roy and others in bringing the RTI Act into force in 2005.
Shrikant Barve, secretary of Goa RTI Forum, welcomed while Nitin Ghaisas proposed a vote of thanks. Namdeo Naik compered.
Most of the Goa Government websites do not have correct Telephone nos. or email addresses.
Anyone trying to contact any Department by email will have a Postmaster failure,(Undeliverable).
Anyone trying to contact any Government department by Telephone will need to wait for a long while to be answered.
Even when the call is answered, you will be asked to come into the office, should your inquiry be of a general nature.
I guess asking people to come into the Office is one sure-fire method of eliciting Bribes.
If you explain to the person answering the Phone ,you live abroad, they still insist you come into the office, when if trained sufficiently the matter could be dealt with on the phone.
One of the most used ,of excuses or most common is that the person who should be dealing with the issue is "out of station".
My heard bleeds for my brethren in Goa who have to deal with such incompetence's of Goa Government Departments.
I would love to hear from other readers here about their experiences.
When in opposition a Political Party favours the RTI. But when in Power, it is a thorn in their sides and a deterrent to their corrupt aims & objectives.