Imphal: Manipur’s Social Welfare Minister Heikham Dingo Singh urged the people to use the Right To Information (RTI) Act as a tool to bring down the level of corruption in the state.
The BJP-led state government was trying to be more transparent in its functioning and bring the people closer to the government with programmes like ‘CM Dai Haisi’, said Dingo, while participating in the opening ceremony of the RTI Week Celebration 2022 held here Wednesday.
The RTI Week Celebration was organised by the Manipur Information Commission as a part of the all-India programme sponsored by the Department of Personnel & Training, Union Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pension. The opening ceremony cum state-level workshop was organised Wednesday at the Conference Hall of SCERT, Lamphal.
The Commission, the Minister said, has been playing a pivotal role in eliminating corruption in the state. However, some people with vested interest are trying to misuse it for their gain, which is unfortunate, he added.
M Rameshwar Singh, MLA, who participated in the celebration as Guest of Honour, called for the need to start e-filing of RTI applications in all government departments. He urged the MIC to bring a more citizen-friendly online portal.
RTI is a pro-people Act and is a feather in the cap of Indian democracy, the lawmaker contended.
Oinam Sunil Singh, State Chief Information Commissioner, who presided over the function, highlighted the various tasks performed by the Manipur Information Commission to make RTI a people’s movement. He said the RTI Act helps bring transparency in the government departments and also fights corruption.
Terming the RTI Act as an anti-corruption weapon, Sunil urged both SPIOs and RTI activists to help the Commission in the implementation of the Act. He further said the Commission is giving more emphasis to the roles and duties of SPIOs in this year’s RIT Week Celebration.
Three resource persons – Md Yasser Ahmed Khan, Deputy Secretary/Joint Director (MAHUD), Salam Shantakumar Singh, Deputy Inspector of School, Zone-II, Imphal East and W Joykumar Singh, Advocate/Co-convenor, Movement for People’s Right to Information – spoke in the workshop on the topic – “RTI Act, 2005 – Issues and Challenges.”
As part of the Celebration, the MIC and Kangpokpi District Administration jointly organise a workshop at the Kangpokpi district headquarters on October 7. An essay competition on the RTI Act is also being organised this month by the Commission along with the DM University, Imphal.
