Two weeks, 35 questions at KMC’s RTI cell
Express News Service
Kolkata, March 12: TWO Weeks after the first Right To Information (RTI) cell was set up in the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) premises, the State Public Information Officer (SPIO) of KMC claims that the response of the people has been phenomenal.
“We have received 35 applications till date, of which, 15 are queries regarding buildings and constructions. The number of questions on assessment and licence are eight and four respectively,” said Pashupati Barik, the SPIO of KMC and the Deputy Municipal Commissioner (personnel).
According to Barik, those who wish to make use of their RTI, need to do so through written applications.
“A Rs 10 court fee stamp must be attached to the application. The application can be written on a white sheet of paper and then addressed to the SPIO of KMC along with the name, address and contact number of the sender. All the 35 applications received so far are still being processed,” he added.
“The RTI act states that response to an application should be made within a month’s time and we are trying to do exactly that. Ideally, we should transfer applications to the respective departments within five days of receiving them. These departments in turn need to prepare a response within 10 days. We are still trying to quicken the the process,” said Barik.
The RTI cell will not only help the common man get the right information but will also make the KMC’s dealings more transparent.
“Transparency and impartiality is what we are aiming for through the RTI cell,” said Barik.
But although officers at the RTI cell of KMC want to provide people with information, they also feel there should be a limit to it.
“We cannot provide private information. For example, if a person wants to know whether his neighbour has a trade licence, because according to him the trade is illegal, we can provide the information. But we cannot disclose what trade the man is involved in,” added Barik.
Published in Kolkata Newsline, Indian Express, March 13 2006
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Friday, March 9, 2007
Please join the RTI workshop organised by West Bengal RTI Manch
RIGHT TO INFORMATION ACT
"As citizens of this democracy, you are the rulers and the ruled, the lawgivers and the law-abiding, the beginning and the end." Adlai Stevenson (1956)
As a Volunteer I pledge that
“ I will never pay any bribe. I will rather use RTI.”
People have to pay bribes in their daily interaction with Government Departments – be it getting a passport or a ration card or a license or an income tax refund etc. Everyone has to either pay a bribe or face harassment. Sometimes, even if a bribe is not directly asked, still your work is not done because of laziness or simple bureaucratic delay. What does one do in such a situation? So far people were helpless. They could only curse the system and do nothing. Each one of us when faced in a similar situation wondered whether there would ever be a time when our country would get rid of this curse of bribery. Maybe that time has come. Now we need not pay a bribe in such a situation. We have “Right to Information Act” now, which gets the work done. We, from the West Bengal RTI Manch sincerely request you all to be a part of this campaign, which is about helping people in getting their work done without facing bribery or harassment using this revolutionary tool, i.e. the “Right to Information Act 2005”. In congruent to this, we are organizing a RTI Work Shop/ Interactive Session to be held on SATURDAY, 10TH of MARCH 2007 at 16:00hrs. over the premises of the Advanced Center for the study of Philanthropy and Development Affairs, Azad Palace, 1st. Floor, 81C, Narkeldanga Main (New C.I.T.) Road, Kolkata - 700054. This building is located diagonally opposite to Swabhumi (The Heritage Park), just behind Subhas Sarobar.
TIME: 16:00 HRS
* 2 (two) episodes of “Ab to hum janenge” by CHRI (20mins. Approx.)
* Individual interaction with the participants, sharing experiences, RTI success stories in West Bengal & outside.
* Filing of RTI Applications,
* Distributing Court Fee Stamps of Rs.10/- to the participants against a payment of Rs.10/- only. [Subject to availability.]
THIS IS YOUR RIGHT, COME FORWARD & USE IT !
FOR ANY FURTHER CLARIFICATION (S) PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CALL
MALAY BHATTACHARYYA at 9231413834 or ASHISH BISWAS at 24278451
RIGHT TO INFORMATION ACT
"As citizens of this democracy, you are the rulers and the ruled, the lawgivers and the law-abiding, the beginning and the end." Adlai Stevenson (1956)
As a Volunteer I pledge that
“ I will never pay any bribe. I will rather use RTI.”
People have to pay bribes in their daily interaction with Government Departments – be it getting a passport or a ration card or a license or an income tax refund etc. Everyone has to either pay a bribe or face harassment. Sometimes, even if a bribe is not directly asked, still your work is not done because of laziness or simple bureaucratic delay. What does one do in such a situation? So far people were helpless. They could only curse the system and do nothing. Each one of us when faced in a similar situation wondered whether there would ever be a time when our country would get rid of this curse of bribery. Maybe that time has come. Now we need not pay a bribe in such a situation. We have “Right to Information Act” now, which gets the work done. We, from the West Bengal RTI Manch sincerely request you all to be a part of this campaign, which is about helping people in getting their work done without facing bribery or harassment using this revolutionary tool, i.e. the “Right to Information Act 2005”. In congruent to this, we are organizing a RTI Work Shop/ Interactive Session to be held on SATURDAY, 10TH of MARCH 2007 at 16:00hrs. over the premises of the Advanced Center for the study of Philanthropy and Development Affairs, Azad Palace, 1st. Floor, 81C, Narkeldanga Main (New C.I.T.) Road, Kolkata - 700054. This building is located diagonally opposite to Swabhumi (The Heritage Park), just behind Subhas Sarobar.
TIME: 16:00 HRS
* 2 (two) episodes of “Ab to hum janenge” by CHRI (20mins. Approx.)
* Individual interaction with the participants, sharing experiences, RTI success stories in West Bengal & outside.
* Filing of RTI Applications,
* Distributing Court Fee Stamps of Rs.10/- to the participants against a payment of Rs.10/- only. [Subject to availability.]
THIS IS YOUR RIGHT, COME FORWARD & USE IT !
FOR ANY FURTHER CLARIFICATION (S) PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CALL
MALAY BHATTACHARYYA at 9231413834 or ASHISH BISWAS at 24278451
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)