Northeast Desk, 6th October: Mizoram Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati inaugurated ‘Right to Information (RTI) Week 2023’ at the Assembly Annexe Conference Hall. Chief Information Commissioner Pu John Neihlaia and Information Commissioner Pu Mangjangam Touthang attended the function, along with SPIOs and Asst. SPIOs from various departments, police, and armed forces.
In his speech, the Governor praised the RTI Act of 2005 for promoting good governance and urged the Mizoram Information Commission (MIC) to continue publishing annual reports. He encouraged the use of the Mizoram RTI Online software and mentioned the 800 service centers available for RTI applications.
The MIC declared village and local councils as public authorities under RTI and conducted awareness campaigns across all districts. The Governor emphasized that RTI is essential in the digital age, granting citizens the right and responsibility to oversee authorities.
However, he cautioned against frivolous complaints, which strain government resources. The Governor also awarded prizes for an Inter-College RTI Slogan Writing Competition.
Chief Information Commissioner Pu John Neihlaia emphasized responsible RTI utilization to enhance transparency, accountability, and reduce corruption. Two RTI activists, Pu Vanlalruata and Pu F. Lalliansanga, shared their experiences. Information Commissioner Pu Mangjangam Touthang gave the vote of thanks.
RTI Week is celebrated annually from October 5–12 and is led by the MIC, established in 2006. Since then, the MIC has received 134 second appeals and 157 complaints, publishing 17 annual reports and conducting a training program in June with over 500 participants.