People’s Forum for Information to hold first State meet in December

Hyderabad: The People’s Forum for Information (PFI) has decided to hold its first State level meeting in the second week of December to create mass awareness campaign among people about the Right to Information Act (RTI).

Speaking at the Reception Committee meeting held here on Sunday, several speakers highlighted the key aspects of the RTI Act and its objectives to use it as a means to address the shortcomings in the functioning of the government machinery.

Former MLC and the Reception Committee Chairman Prof K Nageshwar said that the end goal of the Act is meant to see such change in the governance that they would no longer need an Act like RTI.

Social legislations like Anti-Dowry Act are meant to achieve putting an end to such practices. Similarly, the RTI Act, as a social legislation, aims to bring in a transparent and proper functioning of the governments. Citing frivolous RTI applications, he said that the RTI Act should be used to support people’s movements aiming to bring justice to the people than to satisfy one’s own curiosity or anxiety.

Good governance, justice, giving voice to the voiceless should be the main motto for the RTI activists and asked the PFI to work in that direction. The PFI General Secretary K Partha Sarathi highlighted how the RTI Act had helped in unearthing the shortcomings in the implementation of the State government’s three acres land distribution scheme for SCs, lack of drinking water supply to several welfare hostels and withholding uploading of government orders online and several other important issues.

Presided by the PFI President V Yadaiah, the meeting discussed about the problems being faced by the RTI activists and resolved to chalk out an action plan to take up a State-wide campaign to create awareness on the Act’s importance among people.