Dear friends
Presently 5T (Team Work, Technology, Transparency, Transformation and Time Limit) is much-hyped buzz word and media-driven propaganda in Odisha. This word “5T” is coinised by Chief Minister to bring transparency and transformational changes in the state. It has become just like Guru Mantra for state machinery and its execution has been given top priority by the people at helm of affairs of the administration. I doubt whether Chief Minister can speak about 5 minutes about this 5T without written documents prepared by bureaucrats. Many people close to Ruling party are seen exhilarated publicly about 5T. I strongly feel that this slogan “5T” is calculatedly design by pet bureaucrats of Chief Minister to divert attention of the people from real issues and deceive them.
I will herewith deal about only “ Transparency” How it is a big farce in Odisha. Since 2005, as I have marked , while speaking and claiming his Govt. as Transparent Govt., Chief Minister has never uttered a single word about RTI – A sun-shining law enacted to enforce transparency and accountability in the administration across the country. The country has been benefitted a lot from this law in respect of opening up the system to the common people and transforming the administration from a colonial, opaque and secretive system to a system of transparency.
Odisha is the first state in the country which since beginning tries to destroy this law in Odisha by framing a anti-people , illegitimate Odisha RTI Rules, 2005 which is ultra vires to Mother Act. Introduction of arbitrary compulsory of Application Form { violation of section 6(1) of the RTI Act} and rejection of application for information due to failure to fill up Form correctly is the biggest impediments on the path of exercising power to seek information by the common people. It has been seen several times that the common people even the educated urban people have not been able to fill up this eleven-column complicated application without external advise. That’s why a major chunk of populace of rural and tribal areas have not been able to file RTI to access information. However, due to constant and continuous campaign on RTI by few inspired RTI Activists and Civil Society Groups, the common people are seen being able to fill up the Application Form to demand for information. Arbitrary provision of collection of fees for information from BPL people { violation of section 7(5) of the RTI Act } and demand for submission of proof of citizenship at the time of submission of RTI Application { violation of section 6(2) of the RTI Act) by State RTI Rules has damaged greatly prospect of RTI in Odisha.
Coming back to discussion about issues how the State Govt. has systematically destroyed prospect of transparent administration in Odisha, I herewith highlight few examples for reference of the public.
1. As per section 4(1)(b) of the RTI Act, Each Public Authority ( each Govt. offices starting from office of Governor to Gram Panchayat office) shall proactively ( voluntarily) disclose 17 types of information in Odia language in their website and must be available with PIO for inspection by the public during their visit to the office. As per Rule-2(2) of Odisha RTI (amendment) Rules, 2006, Each Public Authority shall maintain a Register for day-to-day record of the members of the public who visit its offices in connection with accessing or inspecting suo motto information proactively disclosed by the said authority under section 4 of the Act. The 17 type of information which needs to be proactively disclosed by different authorities are particulars of its organization, functions and duties, powers and duties of its officers and employees, procedure followed in decision-making process, norms set by it for the discharge of its function, a directory of officers and employees, manner of execution of subsidy programme, name and designation of public information officer, particulars of recipient of concession and permits etc. At the primary stage, the State Govt. under Nabin Patnaik, Chief Minister tried to make this fantastic provision non-operational.
2. After a lot of protests by RTI Activists and intervention of the Information Commission, the Chief secretary invited a high- level meeting of Secretaries of all Departments on 15.5.2009 to reveiew implementation of section 4 of the RTI Act. In this meeting it was decided to develop a softwire for webhosting all the proactively disclosed information. All the Public authorities were requested to update their information as per template and complete the process of disclosure of information by 31st May, 2009. The I and PR Department , Nodal Department for RTI engaged a Nodal officer to monitor implementation of section 4 of the RTI Act by all the Departments.
3. In 2009, the State Govt. developed a fantastic website RTI Portal ( www. rtiorissa.gov.in which has been changed as www.rtiodisha.in for disclosure of all section 4-related information of all department and subordinate offices of the state. At primary stage , 17 types of proactively disclosed information of so many offices was uploaded in this website. The State Govt. got award for this fantastic website at national level which was greatly highlighted in media.
4. But after two to three years, this website became garbage with dissemination of outdated information. As per section of 4 of the RTI Act, this 17-types of information is required to be updated by each office in every year. The website was kept idle for years together till today.
5. To find out the commitment of State Govt. to enforce transparency in administration, this website ( www.rtiodisha.in) was searched/ inspected the updated information of various departments. It was observed horrible and outdated information are exhibited in link of almost all offices. Not a single information of any department and subordinate offices have been completely updated upto 2019. Few examples are cited here for better understanding of the readers.
· Information about department of Parliamentary Affairs is seen updated upto 2014. Most of the information are useless.
· Information about 17 types of disclosed information of office of Governor, Odisha has not been updated from 2017.
· Information about 17 types of disclosed information of Odisha Legislative Assembly has not been updated from 2013.
· Information about Department of Food Supply and Consumer Wlfare has not been updated since 2017 ( in some case) and 2018 ( in other cases).
· Information of Odisha State AIDS Control Society is not updated from 2012.
· Information about Odisha State Cooperative Bank was completely Nil and Blank.
· Information of State Social Welfare Board is not updated since 2009.
· Many important information of Women and Child Development is not updated from 2016. Information about Budget of the Dept. is available upto 20008-09.
· No information about Kalimela Tahasil of Malkangiri district is available. But it is written updated till 2018.
· Most of the information of Collectorate, Malkangiri is updated upto May, 2019.
· Information of Odisha Mining Corporation is not updated since 2016. No information about budget available.
· Information of Department of Agriculture and farmers’ Empowerment is not updated FROM 2017. Sri Gagan Dhal is still APC. Budget for the Dept. is available upto 2008-09.
· Information of State Commission for Women is updated upto 2014.
6. As per section 4(4) of the RTI Act, all proactively disclosed information should be available in Odia language. As per information obtained under RTI, the I and PR Department, Nodal Dept. has written series of letters to all Department to update their proactive disclosed information in Odia language. On 29.6.2017., Information and Public relation Department wrote letter to the PIOs of all departments for publication of RTI information in Odia language. Similarly, in response to my complaint petition No. 643/18 in Odisha Information Commission, the I and PR Department has written letter to heads of all departments to update regularly RTI Portal both in Odia and English language as per section 4(4) of the RTI Act. But astonishingly, no step has been taken by any department to disseminate this RTI information in Odia language. At the same time, the State Govt. has amended Odia Language Act and issued direction for introduction of odia language in all official correspondence. But nothing has happened till yet.
7. Despite order of High Court, Odisha Information Commission never gives its decisions in Odia language. It is still in English. The illiterate people face a lot of difficulties to understand the English-written decision of the commission.
8. RTI On-line system for filling RTI Application is dysfunctional since inception due to faulty system. Nobody uses this system to file RTI Application to any office.
Pradip Pradhan
M-9937843482
Date-31.8.19
