Mysore, July 23 (KCU&RK)- A two-day special training programme for strengthening, capacity-building and awareness generation for effective implementation of the Right To Information (RTI) Act-2005, organised by the Administrative Training Institute (ATI), commenced at the Zilla Panchayat auditorium here this morning.

About 100 officers of various departments are attending the programme today. Tomorrow there will be an interaction session with media persons and members of NGOs.

Launching the training programme, ATI Director-General Dr. Amita Prasad recalled the Supreme Court order: "People of the country have a right to know every public Act and everything done in a public way by their public functionaries. It is the responsibility of the officers to explain and justify their acts to safeguard the public from suppression and corruption."

Referring to the RTI Act, Dr. Amita Prasad pointed out that it was one of the best Acts in the world to bring in awarnesness among the citizens.

"The Government has brought out many schemes. For effective implementation of the schemes and make it beneficial to all, the officers should be thorough with the process of the schemes. They should be aware of the purpose behind RTI," she advised.

Transparency

Asking the officers to maintain transparency while divulging the information, she suggested them to seek the reason behind filing the RTI by the person or organisation but not to insist on that.

"Effort should be made to see that the information provided was not misused. However with computerisation picking up, e-governance has set in with the public having an access to the net to seek all the details about any scheme of the government. Nevertheless the officers should display boards regarding the RTI Act in their offices for the benefit of the public," pointed out Dr. Amita Prasad.

Resource persons of ATI have been deputed to groom the officers. Zilla Panchayat CEO Dr. N. Manjula was present.

Courtesy : Star Of Mysore