Drastic amendment of Orissa RTI Rules,
Demand raised in the Seminar at Rajkanika in Kendrapara district
A full-day Block level Seminar on RTI Act and Orissa Rules was held on 11th December 2005 at S.N.College, Rajkanika in Kendrapara district under the aegis of CAAD ( Centre for Assistance and All Round Development) in collaboration with Orissa Right to Food Campaign, supported by Action Aid Orissa, involving persons from various walks of life.
The Seminar started with a brief, introductory note given by Sri Khirod Kumar Rout, Joint Secretary Orissa High Court Bar Association, who observed that the Seminar was called to discuss how far the Orissa RTI Rules were in conformity with the Right Act 2005 made by the Parliament. Though it is a settled fact of law that no Rule made under an Act can go against the intentions or provisions of the latter, the Orissa RTI Rules are however found in many respects to be contrarily disposed against the mother law, observed Sri Rout.
The Chief Guest on the occasion was Sri Durga Charan Sahoo, Additional Tahsildar of Rajkanika Tahsil. He said that the District Collector Kendrapara during the training camp for the officers of the district on implementation of RTI has advised all the officers to give away as much information as wanted by the people, irrespective of what the Rules say about the norms and procedure of disclosing the official information. However the Collector had cautioned that a PIO might not disclose the information sought, only when he has sure doubt about the identity of the person seeking the information.
Sri Ranjan Rout a social activist at State level, who belonged to the Rajakanika Block placed a comparative view of the Orissa RTI Rules vis-à-vis the RTI Act 2005 and opined that the high rate of fees and the complex procedure for application as prescribed by the Orissa Rules would discourage the common man to seek official information under the Act.
Sri Kapilendra Mallick, a Member Kendrapara Zilla Parishad who was a guest speaker on the occasion said that such types of debate and discussions should be held more and more through out the State, and people be made aware about both RTI Act and Orissa Rules made under it. And then only, the Government shall feel impelled to plug the loopholes in the State Rules made under the central RTI Act.
Joining in as the Chief Speaker on the occasion, Sri Chitta Behera a social scientist presented an overall critical analysis of the omissions and commissions on the Orissa RTI Rules vis-à-vis the wholesome provisions of the central Act and Central Rules and that of the Rules made by some other State Governments. Sri Behera in his concluding note called for the people to boycott the present anti-people Orissa RTI Rules which is ultra vires the mother law too, and demand its replacement by the citizen-friendly Rules to be made in conformity with the mother Act, based upon the public opinion.
At the end, Sri Rout taking the consensus of the house declared that a Memorandum shall be addressed to the Governor Orissa with intimation to Chief Minister, Minister of State for I and PR and Speaker of the State detailing the reasons for which the Orissa RTI Rules should be amended at the earliest.