The inaugural session will be followed by technical sessions on themes focusing on the various aspects of working of the Commission and the benefits of the RTI Act, as observed during the decade.
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Member of Parliament Dr Th Meinya Singh and MLA of Yaiskul Assembly Constituency E Chand Singh graced the function as the chief guest and president respectively.
Delivering the keynote address, Dimapur DC Kesonyu Yhome highlighted the importance of RTI as an important tool for any public seeking information from any government institution. This non-seriousness about RTI Day is not merely due to an inconvenience of scheduling, it is a manifestation of the larger design to kill the Right to Information Act.
The Information Commissioner said that the RTI Act earned popularity because it is brief, clear, accountable, user-friendly, cost-effective and is mandated to provide information in definite time frame.
He added “To bring transparency and accountability, the public should utilize the provisions given by the Indian Constitution through the Right to Information Act 2005”.To make people more aware of the Act, he said, the State Government should stress more on providing education facilities so that there are healthy competitions among the students.
As part of the weeklong observation of the Right to Information Week, a quiz competition was held among five different colleges on October 8 and the Manipur College bagged the first prize, second position was secured by the DM College of Arts and third by DM College of Science & Imphal College and the consolation prize was received by GP Women’™s College.
Prizes to winners of the competition were distributed by the dignitaries.
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Asked if any changes had taken place in governance after the act was implemented, Gadhvi, a former IAS officer, said that it had led to positive changes among officers who might have earlier not been very cautious in making notes on files etc. But every officer was now very cautious and would do his best to make proper notes. While appealing to the gathering to meaningfully and tactfully utilise the Act, he also urged them to spread awareness among the public to seek information in the right perspective and within the right framework of the Act for the benefit of the community. It helps maintain transparency in government offices and most importantly, it helps in getting information.
