http://www.navhindtimes.com/stories.php?part=news&Story_ID=020723
Mass participation essential for new legislations to be effective NT News Service Mapusa Feb 6: The active and mass participation of people at the grassroots level is essential if the two new legislations, National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) and Right to Information Act (RIA), are to be effective not only in curbing corruption but also in boosting employment generation and wealth creation. This was the consensus of a two-day workshop organised recently at Pune by the National Institute of Rural Development (NIRD), Hyderabad. These are two epoch-making legislations, said NIRD Director General, Mr V S Sampath at the workshop. But things like transparency are the objectives of most legislations. If the results are to reach the beneficiaries in the intended manner, then all stakeholders must form a network and work together to expedite the implementation of programmes that will benefit the masses. How applicable the NREGA is to Goa remains to be seen, but regarding the RTI it is crucial in ensuring transparency in governance. The state government is yet to constitute the State Information Commissioner. The date for the implementation of RTI, stipulated by the central government, expired on October 12, 2005. The two-day workshop on 'Transparent and accountable implementation of rural development schemes' especially the NREGA and the RTI, was organised in collaboration with the National Centre for Advocacy Studies (NCAS) and Unique Features. Held at the the Yashwantrao Chavan Academy of Development Administration (YASHADA), Pune, the workshop hosted participants from Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Chattisgarh and Goa. With the participants having contributed their inputs and shared their experiences, the recommendations of the workshop were summed up by NIRD professor, Dr S Rajakutty. One was that the scope of the manuals on the Right to Information should be enlarged to provide for greater awareness at the grassroots level. Organisation of workshops at the state level and the sub-state level, preparation of simple and clear IEC (Information, Education and Communication) material for wider dissemination and simultaneous sensitisation of senior government officials was also recommended. The workshop recommended that the message of the two legislations should be disseminated to the grassroots level through a close co-ordination between the government, Panchayati Raj institutions and elected representatives on one side, the citizen groups, activists and the media on the other side, besides the community itself. Some sessions were especially illuminating. Capt A V Deshpande, IAS (Retd) of Yashada, explained in detail Section 4 of the Right to Information Act under which, public authorities are required to proactively publish information concerning the organisation, functions, duties and so on. The proactive disclosure requirement under Section 4(1)(b) of the Act came into force with the enactment of the Act on June 15, 2005. In any case, the public authorities had to comply with the provisions of the Act within 120 days from the enactment. Some of the experiences shared by the participants were touching. Ms Soumya from the Majdoor Kissan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS), Rajasthan, explained how under the RTI Act, their volunteers had unearthed scams regarding the allocation of work and payment of dues to very poor beneficiaries of the NREGA in the rural Rajasthan. Worse was their confrontation with the powerful men, including sarpanchas and ministers responsible for siphoning off funds through the NREGA. Similar experiences were related by volunteers monitoring the NREGA with the help of the RTI Act in Thane district of Maharashtra. While the arrogance and high-handedness of authorities still continue, participants expressed hope that with the greater participation of the masses in these two legislations, citizens will be empowered enough to force authorities towards transparent governance. -- Salaam ali kum. Gabe Menezes. London, England
