About RTI in Bihar

[Social Governance]

Dear Friends,

I dont know much about other states but i know very well about Bihar, Chhattisgarh (specially south bastar region), Alwar Region in Rajasthan etc that RTI activities are tending to zero level.
In Bihar in many districts there are not any information of Public Information Officers or Appeal Officers. Common public dont know that there is any act of this type.
In Bihar some workers of NGOs are filing cases of RTI only to fill their register to show the number of cases in RTI.
We sent our representative in State Information Commission, Patna, Bihar. After discussion it was informed that we should wait till first week of June for Public Information Officers in Each Districts of Bihar, we are waiting for it.

In Khagaria District, the NGOs workers, who got fund from SANSARG and organized weekly camp of RTI Act, i dont think that any of them filed any case under RTI. I spent my more than two months in Khagaria, i tried to initiate RTI Activities there with the help of those NGOs but there was no response in activity only in hollow words.
Then we started RTI activities out of these NGOs.

When we were in foot march and marching  each PANCHAYAT, we got that even so-called very aware young elected representatives did not know about this act. We marched in more than 110 Panchayats and 7 Blocks and in Khagaria there are 129 Panchayats and 7 Blocks. I could not understand where those NGOs are working for RTI. I spent some days in villages of Begusarai also, i got same situation there.

Thus we started an Experiment there we started to keep 10 Rs Postal Order with us and we filed some cases in the time of village to village foot march, more than 10 cases we sent in state information commission, in 2 cases we got positive responses and for rest we are waiting.

Now, in Khagaria district, our team has started to establish Independent Public Information Center in Panchayat Level, we are initiating this experiment by two Panchayats only as model centers, after success, we will open Block Information and District Information Center.

Personally, i think that the NGOs, who are getting fund from any government agency/ department/ organization, can not be honest for RTI Act, and also who have relation with local politicians can not be honest for RTI Act.

I personally know, some true RTI activists, who have no money to go to attend meetings of RTIs in various states, they are not workers of any NGO and they are not interested in media but they have been working hard for RTI as they can by burning their own home. I think, we should also appreciate them and encourage them.

A simple true example, i got a mail from a group in which a guy wrote that he knows and works for RTI thus he will teach us how to fill a form for RTI, after this mail an virtual online discussion of learning and teaching was started without filing a single cases under RTI. Now we have arrived in the state of online virtual mass movements and we always appreciate these virtual so-called mass movements.
I have a very simple request that if we can appreciate virtual things then we must appreciate real things with first priority above than our individual identities or organizational identities. We should also appreciate unknown ground activists by supporting them will all means. (it is just a request only not a debate).
I didnt want to hurt anybody but if i did without our knowledge. I feel extremely sorry for that.
love
vivek


--
Vivek Umrao
(Committed to Last Person of Society with Social Governance)
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**** Former Researcher- Indian Institute of Management (IIM)
* Coordinator- Local Governance & Decentralized Economy Social Group
* Vice Chairman- Koya Wes Institute
* Member- Tarun Bharat Sangh, Jal Biradari
* Former Secretary-to-Trustee Secretary.- GSN, Rajghat, ND
* Former Member- National Projects Coordination Committee ASHA

***WORK FIELDS ---
Decentralized Economy, Social Democracy, Water Issues, Education, Human Values, Decentralized & Local Technology, Street Play, Tribal Solutions, Social Corporate systems, Alternative Writings.