RTI exposes SPIO's misinformation

Imphal, Jan 14 : A SPIO under the RTI Act, 2005 in Manipur is likely to face a major penalty if he could not explain why he is not providing corrected and complete information to a member of the gram panchayat seeking list of the beneficiaries under the Central Sponsored IAY scheme in her village.

The Chief Information Commissioner, Manipur Information Commission has served show cause notice to the SPIO who is a block development officer in Imphal west to explain why he is furnishing "incorrect, incomplete and misleading" information on the list of the beneficiaries under Indira Awaj Yojna (IAY) and development works taken up in a village to the applicant seeking under the Right to Information Act, 2005, official of the Commission said Tuesday.

The State Chief Information Commissioner, Manipur RK Angousana served the show cause notice on Tuesday giving the SPIO a week time from the date of issue of the order to explain why he is providing incorrect, incomplete and misleading information defying the order to commission.

He should explained "why disciplinary action leading to a major penalty should not be recommended, against him under appropriate service rules governing him for his furnishing incorrect, incomplete and misleading information to the applicant, under section 20 of the RTI Act, 2005," the order said.

The case was related with a complaint lodged by one N Memi Devi of Sagolband Tera Loukrakpam Leikai, Imphal, a member of the gram panchayat to the Manipur Information Commission stating that Imphal west-1 Haorangsabal, Lamsang SPIO has provided incorrect and incomplete information on the beneficiaries under IAY are not resident or voters of Bijoy Govinda Gram Panchayat and taken up of a repairing works of a convert.

The petitioner supported her allegation to the SPIO by electoral role 2007 of the panchayat and the Commission in a hearing on the petition on September 15 last year had also observed that the information of the SPIO was tempered, misleading and incorrect.

The commission also in favour of the allegation of the petitioner (panchayat member) providing wrong information that a convert at Khuraijam Leirak for which a sum of Rs 23,300 has been earmarked, has never been repaired and also Rs, 65,500 for street lighting and 56 quintals of rice which is the component of the IAY for the village is unknown to the panchayat members.

The SPIO's information of holding a meeting of the Bijoy Govinda Gram Panchayat on 6/5/2008 in the information furnished to the petition was also incorrect.

During the course of hearing the information relating to the IAY has been corrected by the SPIO and his subordinates, however the information relating to the utilization of rice, reparinig of convert and holding of gram panchayat meeting could not be explained fully, the order of the Chief Information Commissioner which concluded that the SPIO has "knowingly given incorrect, incomplete or misleading information in this case".

The BDO, Imphal west CD block-1 Haorangsabal has been submitting and misleading information throughout the proceeding of the case, through the director, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Manipur who is SPIO.

The BDO could not provide correct information, the order of the Chief Information Commission.

RTI is a steering which leads govt off corruption :Ibobi

Imphal, Dec 22 : Manipur Chief Minister Okarm Ibobi today said that Right to Information Act, 2005 is like the steering of a vehicle moving on the roads, it steers a government off corruption and makes it transparent and accountable.

The Chief Minister was speaking as the chief guest at the inaugural function of a seminar on the theme "Role of Legislators in the implementation of Right to Information Act" held at the state Legislative Assembly Complex here under the aegis of Former Presiding Officers' Forum, Manipur.

O Ibobi further said that the real objective of the Act is to make a democratic form of government transparent and accountable by eradicating corruption.

The trouble is that though people have appreciated the RTI Act so much, little is known about it to the people.

He said, the seminar organised by the Former Presiding Officers' Forum would provide an opportunity for the legislators who are the representatives of the people to know more about the Act so that they would be able to go in the right way.

If the Forum could spread better awareness about the Act through media to the people, it's hoped that the (present) government would have more transparency and accountability.

"With this Act, let's make our society a society full of transparency and accountability without corruption," Chief Minister O Ibobi said.

Delivering valedictory speech, Manipur Assembly Speaker Dr S Budhichandra, who presided over the inaugural function, opined that in making a democratic set up more perfect, Right to Information was very important.

It was questionable whether the rules and regulations of the Act were properly functional, Dr Budhichandra said and added, nobody should misuse the Act and it should be used properly for the betterment of the society.

President of the Former Presiding Officers' Forum, W Angou pointed outin his introductory speech of the seminar that inorder to facilitate transparency and accountability in a government and to eradicate the evils of corruption, all citizens must know the policies and programmes of the government and their objectives fully, The RTI Act provides that opportunity, he said.

Angou further pointed out that making good use of the provisions of the RTI Act, the NGOs and civil society organisations could make the poor and weak sections of the people of the state avail of the benefits of the various social welfare schemes and development programmes.

He expressed concern that the legislators of the state and the Centre, who themselves were the makers of law, haven't paid special attention to disseminating wide-spread awareness among the people to fulfill the objective of the Act.

Former Speakers of Manipur Legislative Assembly, Y Yaima and W Angou chaired the seminar.

Many ministers, MLAs, ex-MP, ex-MLAs and other experts took part in the seminar and discussed various issues relating to the RIT Act.

Hueiyen News Service