BANDIPORA, MAY 13: Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI), New Delhi in collaboration with Jammu & Kashmir RTI Movement and District Administration, Bandipora today organized a day-long RTI workshop and awareness programme at Bandipora.
The programme was presided over by Chairperson, CHRI Wajahat Habibullah while as District Development Commissioner Bandipora, Khursheed Ahmad Sanai, Chairperson Jammu & Kashmir RTI Movement, Dr. Shiekh Ghulam Rasool were also present on the occasion.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chairperson CHRI said that the main objective of holding the workshop is to sensitize Public Information Officers (PIOs) to provide required information to the people under section 4 of RTI Act. He urged upon all the stakeholders to make the RTI Act as stronger as possible so that no one could be the victim of misinformation.
He further said seeking information from the government is the right of the information seeker while as it is the responsibility of an officer to give him information in a time-bound manner. He asked DDC Bandipora to constitute a committee of Officers for assistance in overseeing the issues regarding implementation of RTI Act in rural areas. He said Officers ought to provide information voluntarily to the public so that people do not feel the need to seek information through RTI act and public participation in governance is the ultimate objective of democracy.
DDC Bandipora briefed about the objectives of RTI Movement with special reference to district administration while as, Chairperson J&K RTI Movement gave the historical background of the RTI Movement in Jammu and Kashmir.
A question-answer session was also held during which queries raised by different stakeholders were cleared by the speakers. Besides, a documentary film, depicting the values of RTI act was also screened in the programme.
Among others, Assistant Commissioner Revenue, HameedaAkhter, Deputy District Election Officer Rafeeq Ahmad, Chief Planning Officer Abdul Majeed, Programme Coordinator CHRI Venkatesh Nayak, Programme Officer CHRI Shikha Chibbar, Public Information Officers (PIOs) of various departments, District Officers, RTI Activists, Members of Civil Society, Media Persons and a group of people representing various communities attended the programme.
