Janam Rai initiated civil rights

Darjeeling: Mr. Janam Rai, resident of Meribong Salu Tea garden, demonstrated the legal rights of Indian constitution under RTI Act. On 7 August, he submitted a letter to District Magistrate, requesting the detail development of his region. But the District Magistrate did not respond him.

Therefore, on 18 November, he complained regarding the matter to State Chief Information Authority. Without any delay, from the office of SCIA, instructed DM office to comply with Mr. Janam Rai’s matter. Subsequently from the office of DM, handed over the complete information of Lingia-Meribong development reports for the year 2005/06 to Mr. Janam Rai.

The Right to Information Act (RTI), 2005, since its inception in October, 2005, which, is an effective tool to fight corruption and maintain transparency in all government and semi-government organizations in the country, the areas where it has not made much of a difference. Darjeeling is one among those places.

After the enactment of the RTI Act, CAPIOs were appointed in 629 post offices in the country to collect RTI applications from citizens requesting information about the activities of different government and semi-government (partially funded by the government) agencies. The RTI empowers every citizen of India to:

1. Ask any questions from the Government (State and Central Governments) or ask for any information
2. Take copies of any government documents
3. Inspect any government work
4. Take samples of materials of any Government work.

However, disclosure of sensitive and classified information does not come under its purview.

Under this act, all public authorities were to designate Central Public Information Officers and State Public Information Officers in all administrative units or offices to provide information to persons requesting information.

Mr. B. B. Chettri, is the Central assistant public information officer (CAPIO), at the office of the Superintendent of posts, Darjeeling.

It is very easy to submit an application according to the RTI. An application can be drafted on a normal sheet of paper with a ten rupees postal order stamp and can be submitted by post or in person to the public information officer. The local people should be made more aware about the RTI to take advantage of this empowering tool.