A three-day-long regional workshop on implantation of the RTI Act organised by Odisha Soochana Adhikar Abhiyan (OSAA) here on Thursday was inaugurated by former Odisha High Court Judge Justice Choudhury Pratap Keshari Mishra as chief guest. While senior journalist Rabi Das attended as speaker, lawyer Khirod Rout attended as guest of honour.
Though the RTI Act came into force in 2005, due to lapses in its publicity, many people in the State are not aware of it and hence fail to avail its benefit, the speakers told.
They also criticized the practice of appointing Information Commissioners as a rehabilitation of former bureaucrats. They said it is one of the reasons for the failure of the RTI law in the State and hence should be disbanded.
Speaker Rabi Das with certain examples apprised the participants how the State Government avoids providing papers to the CAG which is mandated to unearth corruption in various levels. When the Government is evasive, it can well be assessed how the PIOs must be working to provide information to the common people under the RTI law obligations, he said.
Other guests Khirod Rout urged the youth to use the RTI law as an instrument to fight against corruption. Among others, OSAA State convener Pradeep Pradhan, State committee member Sanjay Panda and Rourkela Municipal College Principal PK Patra spoke.