RTI to check corruption stressed

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Oct 5 : The Right to Information Week celebration began today at the conference hall of SCERT at  Lamphel, today.
As a part of the weeklong celebration being organised by Manipur Information Commission (MIC),  a State level workshop was also held.
At the event, Social Welfare Minister H Dingo said that the Right to Information Act, 2005 was enacted to bring more  transparency to governance and check corruption.
Saying that the Government has also been trying to be more transparent in its function by implementing programmes such as "CM Da Haisi," the Minister urged the people to use RTI to bring down the level of corruption in Manipur.
State Chief Commissioner Officer Oinam Sunil Singh  said that the biggest challenge being faced by the State is  corruption and it has to be controlled through RTI.
Maintaining that fighting corruption in the State, however, is difficult due to certain factors, he added that  RTI is an anti-corruption weapon which needs to be implemented properly to reduce instances of bribery and corruption.
He also stressed on the need to check intimidations on RTI activists and prevent misuse of the Act to take the State forward.
Sunil Singh continued that the Commission is giving more emphasis to the role and duties of State Public Information Officer (SPIO) and other Government officials in this RTI's Week celebration so as to bring more transparency in the administration of Manipur.
Three resource persons namely Md Yasser Ahmed Khan, Secretary/Joint Director (MAHUD); Salam Shantakumar Singh, Deputy Inspector of School, Zone II, Imphal East and W Joykumar Singh, Advocate/Co-convenor of Movement for People's Rights to Information spoke on the topic "RTI Act 2005-Issues and Challenges" during the workshop.