RTI units in 978 grama panchayats, 60 municipalities and five corporations in the state
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THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala chapter of the National Campaign for People’s Right to Information will form RTI units in all the 978 grama panchayats, 60 municipalities and five corporations in the state before October 13 this year, the 10th anniversary of the RTI Act. “It will be the first time in the country that RTI units are started at the panchayat level,” said social activist Aruna Roy, one of the leading lights of NCPRI.
The panchayat-level RTI units, like underground Communist cells of yore that stealthily spread Marxist ideals in the country, will create an understanding about the RTI Act among the local populace and inspire them to take up the Act to fight corruption and further local causes. And just like the former Communist movement, the RTI activists too will use songs and slogans to get the message across and galvanise the masses.
“Since songs cut across all man-made barriers, our movement needs to use them in a big way,” Ms Roy said. While enhancing accountability at the grassroots level, these units will also create a state-wide anti-corruption network of RTI activists. “The idea is to create a vigilant citizenry at the grassroots level equipped with an understanding of the RTI Act and ready to use it for a public cause,” said Mr Abey George, NCPRI’s state coordinator.
The Kerala chapter of NCPRI has active RTI working groups in at least eight districts in the state. “In these districts, there are strong RTI groups at the taluk and block levels, which regularly get together and discuss various issues related to RTI Act and its implementation” Mr George said.
Since RTI units will be formed before October 13, they will be ready to take on the new governing councils of local bodies that assume office on November 1. The first task of these units will be to publish the assets of the new panchayat, municipality and corporation representatives. “We have found that people are getting immensely rich in a very short time,” Mr George said.
( Source : dc )
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