| Knowledge will forever govern ignorance, and a | | | | Naveen Patnaik and other two members, Leader of |
| people who mean to be their own governors, must | | | | the Opposition J B Patnaik and Panchayatiraj Minister |
| arm themselves with the power knowledge gives. A | | | | Damodar Rout. The names of Chief Information |
| popular government without popular information or | | | | Commissioner and Information Commissioner were |
| the means of acquiring it, is but a prologue to a farce | | | | announced by the Chief Minister before media |
| or a tragedy or perhaps both. | | | | persons after the hour-long meeting at the State |
| -- James Madison | | | | Secretariat in Bhubaneswar. Senior IAS officer |
| Want to know how much money was earmarked for | | | | Direndranath Padhi was chosen to be Orissa's Chief |
| repairing roads in KBK district, or how much money | | | | Information Commissioner in the wake of the Right |
| government allocates for your village medical? Now | | | | to Information Act enforced in the state. Economist |
| just ask the government and it is obliged to provide | | | | and environmental activist Radhamohan was also |
| the answer of your question with in a specified time. | | | | appointed as Information commissioner for the State. |
| In the age of information affluence, everyone is | | | | As per the Act, the citizen can apply for any |
| starving for information. It may be related to the | | | | information in the prescribed application format 'from |
| family, village, town, district, state or nation. We have | | | | (A) to the public information officer by depositing Rs |
| a custom to keep the essential information secretly. | | | | 20. The application fee will be exempted in case of a |
| We have also a misconception that if we hide some | | | | person having Below Poverty Line (BPL) card. |
| relevant information from the public then the | | | | The Public Information Officer (PIO) after being |
| importance of that particular person relating to that | | | | satisfied with the identity of the applicant will intimate |
| particular issue is always been there. Those days are | | | | in form B the amount of cost for providing |
| gone when everyone has tried to exercise power | | | | information required to be paid by the applicant in |
| over each other by controlling access to information | | | | cash. For inspection of documents, applicants will have |
| and knowledge. Now sharing of information is the | | | | to pay Rs 15 per hour or fraction thereof. Typed |
| main mantra of good governance. Transparency and | | | | copy or photocopy will cost Rs 5 per page where as |
| good governance are parallel to each other. | | | | print out from computer will cost Rs 10 per page. |
| Transparency is nothing but the availability of | | | | The amount will have to be paid in cash by the |
| information to the general public and clarity about | | | | applicants. The cost of CD with cover has been fixed |
| government rules, regulations, and decisions. In a | | | | at Rs 100. Floppy diskette will also cost the same |
| state like Orissa, the generators and very limited | | | | amount. The PIO will fix the cost taking into account |
| persons can access to any information, which should | | | | the labour, material and equipment for maps and |
| be disseminated among the citizens. That is main | | | | plans, videocassette, microfilm and certified sample of |
| reason for the state to stand in the third position in | | | | material. |
| the less developed states. Access to accurate and | | | | However, request for information can be rejected by |
| timely information about the economy and | | | | the PIO. The applicants can go for appeal against the |
| government policies can be vital for decision making | | | | decision of the PIO before the appellate authority |
| on any issues by the citizens. On grounds of | | | | appointed by the Government. A person aggrieved |
| efficiency alone, such data should be freely and | | | | by the decision of the appellate authority can go for |
| readily available to civil citizens. | | | | second appeal before the Information Commission. |
| From Official Secrets Act to Right to Information | | | | The applicant will have to pay court fee stamp of Rs |
| Act, we have covered a long journey with many ups | | | | 40 for the first appeal and court fee stamp of Rs 50 |
| and downs. After nearly a decade of hectic lobbying, | | | | for the second. The Information and Public Relations |
| we have won the hard-fought struggle for the | | | | Department will be nodal department while the |
| freedom of Information. The campaign for | | | | Secretary of the Department will be the nodal |
| entrenching the right to information in India were | | | | officer. |
| finally rewarded on 15 June 2005 with the President's | | | | New information and communication technologies |
| assent to the Right to Information Act 2005. Now, it | | | | (ICTs) are considered to be powerful communication |
| is the time to celebrate the occasion because the | | | | tools for this new law. Now the next step towards |
| Right to Information became 'fully functional' from | | | | transparency is the e-governance. All the government |
| 12th October, 2005. This law, which places India | | | | departments should be connected through the |
| among 55 countries in the world to have such | | | | innovational tools of information technology, which |
| legislation. The new law covers all central, state, local | | | | facilitate the exchange of information more |
| and panchayat government agencies; with the | | | | accurately, swiftly, and without interruptions. The |
| exception of those in the state of Jammu and | | | | government departments and agencies use the digital |
| Kashmir. Let us think about the state which is known | | | | information technology tools for such exchange. |
| as 'The Soul of India', and is also known for its | | | | These tools help to disseminate the information |
| poverty, drought, starvation deaths, and violation of | | | | pertaining to the government departments. The |
| human rights and perpetuation of rampant corruption | | | | implanting of such tools in government serves two |
| at all levels has not lagged behind in ensuring Right to | | | | purposes, exchange of information among different |
| Information to it's people. Yes, the new law does not | | | | departments and enhancing the efficiency of delivery |
| permit citizens to seek information on certain matters | | | | system of the government. Now Orissa government |
| affecting security or strategic, scientific and economic | | | | is initiating various programmes to gear up the |
| interests of the country. In the same time, it gives | | | | e-governance. The government has allocated 75 lakhs |
| the civil citizens the legal right to be informed about | | | | for establishing Kiosks in district head quarters. The |
| the utilization of public funds, progress reports of | | | | government also plans to set up 3,000 kiosks at |
| ongoing projects, state circulars, spending patterns, | | | | block headquarters during the period 2004-2007. |
| contracts etc. As far as the time frame is concerned, | | | | These paperless citizen-centric information-processing |
| the authorities are required to answer to queries | | | | centers help the citizens to acquire information from |
| within 48 hours if it is a matter of life and liberty, else | | | | different sources within very short time. The states, |
| the public information officers (PIOs), appointed by | | | | Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala Tamil Nadu and |
| different departments for this purpose can take 30 | | | | Madhya Pradesh made it possible to establish digital |
| days from the date of application. | | | | governance. Now Orissa government has to take all |
| The new law also provides for the establishment of | | | | the necessary steps to launch e-government |
| Central Information Commissions as well as State | | | | initiatives. |
| Information Commissions throughout the country. | | | | Transparency is the cornerstone of a true |
| The commissions will act as independent bodies to | | | | democracy. The doing and misdoings of the |
| handle appeals and monitor implementation. If the | | | | government has been swaddled in a shroud of |
| public information officer fails to furnish information | | | | secrecy. Right to Information is promulgated in the |
| sought by the citizens with in specified time, then it | | | | aim to build a transparent and corruption free society. |
| will be in the powers of State Information | | | | The main intention is to enable the common citizen, |
| Commission. The new Act also has severe penalties | | | | to question the functioning of government |
| with monetary fines ranging from Rs 250 per day to | | | | departments and agencies. In a state like Orissa, |
| maximum of Rs 25, 000. | | | | where the literacy rate is very low, the public |
| As per the Act, the State Information Commission, | | | | participation in any issue is very minimal; do you think |
| the highest appellate authority was formed by the | | | | this law makes any difference? |
| three-member committee headed by Chief Minister | | | | |