Orissa RTI Act: A Step Towards Transparency

Knowledge will forever govern ignorance, and agood governance are parallel to each other.
people who mean to be their own governors, mustTransparency is nothing but the availability of
arm themselves with the power knowledge gives. Ainformation to the general public and clarity about
popular government without popular information orgovernment rules, regulations, and decisions. In a
the means of acquiring it, is but a prologue to a farcestate like Orissa, the generators and very limited
or a tragedy or perhaps both.-- James MadisonWantpersons can access to any information, which should
to know how much money was earmarked forbe disseminated among the citizens. That is main
repairing roads in KBK district, or how much moneyreason for the state to stand in the third position in
government allocates for your village medical? Nowthe less developed states. Access to accurate and
just ask the government and it is obliged to providetimely information about the economy and
the answer of your question with in a specified time.government policies can be vital for decision making
In the age of information affluence, everyone ison any issues by the citizens. On grounds of
starving for information. It may be related to theefficiency alone, such data should be freely and
family, village, town, district, state or nation. We havereadily available to civil citizens.From Official Secrets
a custom to keep the essential information secretly.Act to Right to Information Act, we have covered a
We have also a misconception that if we hide somelong journey with many ups and downs. After nearly
relevant information from the public then thea decade of hectic lobbying, we have won the
importance of that particular person relating to thathard-fought struggle for the freedom of Information.
particular issue is always been there. Those days areThe campaign for entrenching the right to information
gone when everyone has tried to exercise powerin India were finally rewarded on 15 June 2005 with
over each other by controlling access to informationthe President's assent to the Right to Information
and knowledge. Now sharing of information is theAct 2005.
main mantra of good governance. Transparency and