http://www.parivartan.com/rti/#
We all pay taxes. Even a beggar on the street pays tax. When he buys anything like a soap or a matchbox, he pays taxes in the form of sales tax, excise duty etc. This money belongs to us.
On paper, so much money is supposedly spent on our welfare, but where does all this money go? Why are there no medicines in the hospitals? Where have all the teachers in the government schools gone? Why are the people dying of starvations? Why are the roads in such pathetic conditions? Why are the streets so dirty?
The citizens are the masters of this country. The primary duty of a master is to take accounts from his servant from time to time. We, the masters, never took accounts from the governments. Because, within the existing legal and administrative frameworks, it was not possible to do so.
But, now we have a right to question governments. The governments are legally bound to provide us information. A number of state governments have passed Right to Information Laws, which empower the citizens to question governments, inspect their files, take copies of government documents and also to inspect government works.
Some people feel that if we had good politicians and bureaucrats, India would be a better place to live in. However, we feel that real change would come when the people start demanding accountability and the government is forced to respond. Then it would not be easy for the governments to go astray.
Right to Information is the first concrete step in that direction. People are already holding governments accountable by seeking details of funds spent in their areas.
* Municipal Corporation improved quality of roads when people demanded copies of contracts in some areas.
* Street lights, which were not functioning for years, lit up with the use of right to information.
* People started getting rations after years when records of ration shops were sought.
A number of people have also been able to get their work done without payment of bribes in Government departments using RTI.
_____ _/ ____\____ Frederick Noronha * Freelance Journalist * Goa \ __\/ \ India T +91.832.2409490 M +919822 122436 | | | | \ http://fn.swiki.net http://goabooks.swiki.net |__| |___| / http://www.bytesforall.net http://www.bytesforall.org \/ ----------------------------------------------------- Sign up for low-volume, high-quality news summaries and updates from Goa at http://newsfromgoa.swiki.net * It's free and volunteer-driven.
