Dear Sirs, Thanks for your compliments. Noted your Points, & will do our level best in the subject matter. ( i.e. include your points in RTI Demands/ Charter) Thanks & Warm Regards, Vihar Durve ( on behalf of Vivek Velankar, Jugal Rathi, Dr Pande, Vijay Kumbhar, Shahid Burney, Krishraj Rao , Mohmmed Afzal, Goran Vora & millions of Indians)
--- On Tue, 24/3/09, Transparency International India <tiindia.newde...@gmail.com> wrote: From: Transparency International India <tiindia.newde...@gmail.com> Subject: Re: [rti4empowerment] RTI activists make 10-pt draft for political parties To: "Vihar Durve" <natureind...@yahoo.co.in> Cc: rti4empowerm...@yahoogroups.com, rtimahilamanc...@yahoo.co.in, rti_india@yahoogroups.com Date: Tuesday, 24 March, 2009, 11:52 AM Dear Friends, Our compiments for your efforts. Besides, a detailed study of the RTI Act, with a practical session, should be introduced in all schools and colleges," we feel the need of empowering the common man through the effective implementation of Citizens' Charters - introduced in 1997 to provide hassel-free public services to which the common man is entitled to. If these services are available to the common man in the normal course, there may not be any need to use RTI to such an extent. However, the present Citizens’ Charters in general have been found to be deficient particularly in motivating the service providers to provide hassle-free public services. Therefore, following steps are suggested – Awareness and Consultation: About 70% of the intended beneficiaries are not aware of the existence of the Citizens’ Charter at all. How can then they ever demand its implementation? What is worse, most of the personnel in a Government department themselves are not aware of the existence of a Citizens Charter in their department. Consequently, it is, inter alia, recommend that – - The Citizens’ Charter should be prepared in consultation with all the stakeholders, like employees of the department dealing with the public, service users and the concerned NGOs, by publishing the draft charter and inviting suggestions from all concerned. - The Citizens’ Charter shall be displayed (in English, Hindi and the local language) prominently at the entrance of the department concerned, These should be printed and made available with the Receptionist or the Public Relations Officer (PRO), so that any citizen going to the Department can have it free of charge. - Alongwith RTI, Citizens’ Charters should also be mentioned in the curriculum at school level to create awareness about them among the future citizens. Introduction of e-Governance: All incoming letters, applications and complaints should be computerised, and the current status is reflected on the website. As a result, it should be possible for any applicant or complainant to ascertain the progress in his case without visiting the Office or to take the help of a Dalal or tout. Further, it should be incumbent on the Department on receipt of any Application to immediately point out if there is any deficiency in the Application. Compensation: It is essential to insert a compensation clause on the pattern of Central RTI Act 2005 and some other similar states’ Acts in all Citizens’ Charters if the promised service standards are not adhered to. This alone will make the officer concerned with the delivery of the specific service fully accountable for any delay or denial of that service. Such a provision exists in several Citizens’ Charters (particularly relating to the critical services like water, electricity, telephone and gas) in U.K. In certain Citizens’ Charters in Andhra Pradesh, provisions have been made to suitably compensate service seekers for deficiency in promised standards of services. Review: Every Citizens’ Charter should be reviewed periodically by the Head of the Department concerned, in consultation with the service users and the Citizens’ Ombudsman. The date of issue of every Citizens charter shall be mentioned on it. Hope you people may like to consider the above suggestions. Thanks & Regards S K Agarwal On 3/20/09, Vihar Durve <natureind...@yahoo.co.in> wrote: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Pune/RTI-activists-make-10-pt-draft-for-political-parties/articleshow/4294754.cms TIMES NEWS NETWORK Pune: RTI activists from the city, on Friday, demanded that political parties should give priority to the RTI Act in Pune: RTI their election manifesto. These activists have together penned a 10-point draft that they want included in all contesting parties' election manifestos and also displayed on their respective websites. Addressing a press conference here on Friday Vivek Velankar, president of Sajag Nagrik Manch, said, "Lakhs of citizens are facing many obstacles in submitting RTI applications and getting proper response from various authorities. Hence, we have demanded for an official RTI rubber stamp, properties of public servants should be made public, citizens should be consulted before appointing information commissioners and adequate budget for RTI implementations among other things." Activists said that these demands were reasonable, easy to implement and well in accordance with the preamble to the RTI Act and the Constitution of Indian. In their 10-point draft the activists have also demanded that in compliance with the RTI Act Section TV, state information commissions and state government bodies must have specific websites under the National Informatics Centre. They also said that online filing of forms, standard of performance, list of documents, complaints and inquiries regarding the status of files should be added displayed on these websites. "Post offices must accept RTI applications, first and second RTI appeals for all public authorities under all state and central governments. In fact, a detailed study of the RTI Act, with a practical session, should be introduced in all schools and colleges," Velankar said. Other activists like Jugal Rathi of PMP Pravasi Manch, Vijay Kumbhar, president of Surajya Sangharsha Sami-ti and Vihar Durve, among others, have also supported this move. Get rid of Add-Ons in your email ID. Get yourn...@ymail.com. Sign up now! Get your own website and domain for just Rs.1,999/year.* Go to http://in.business.yahoo.com/ [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
