Chief Information Commissioner Jannath Hussain on Thursday appealed to the Song and Drama Division artists to create awareness on Right to Information (RTI) Act in the rural areas through folklore.
Addressing a two day workshop for the Song and Drama artists on “Right to Information Act” here, Jannath Hussain said that every citizen has the right to know the activities and programmes of the government. Lauding the RTI Act, he said it was one of the best laws enacted by the Government of India since independence.
As per the Act, the CIC said that a Public Information Officer (PIO) has to give reply within 30 days to the applicant’s request for information. In case any PIO creates trouble by not accepting the application fee in the form of postal order or in any form, the applicant could complaint directly to the State Information Commission under section 18 of the RTI Act. He said that the Commission has the right to recommend to the concerned department for disciplinary action against those who fail to give information to the applicant in a stipulated time.
Song and Drama Division Director M Rajamannar, Information and Public Relations Department Joint Director D Srinivas and other senior officials attended the programme, according to a press release.
–Agencies