My hearty congratulation to all of you on behalf of Basundhara for your kind participation in this consultation, despite your busy schedule in different professions.
I think, perhaps it is the first instance in the history of Orissa where common people have got a chance for discussing and commenting on a legislation, which the government is going to introduce.
Since more than a year, our State Govt. has been talking aloud for legislating right to information here like some other States of the country. In fact on last 21st Nov-2001, the birth centenary of Orissa's first Chief-minister Late Naba Krushna Choudhury, an epitome of candour and transparency in public life, the present chief Minister Mr.Naveen Patnaik in his tribute to him on the occasion dedicated the proposed Right to Information Bill in his name.
Meanwhile as a part of the campaign for bringing about an open, accountable and responsive governance in the State, the topic of right to information has been discussed at length amongst the common citizens through different fora like Seminar, Workshop, Consultation etc. conducted in districts of Orissa like Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Dhenknal, Anugul, Keonjhar, Koraput, etc.
Prior to and after the release of the Draft Bill on Orissa Right To Information Act 2002, State level Consultations were held at Bhubaneswar in Dec.2001 and June 2002 under the aegis of CYSD and CARE respectively, in which extensive discussions were made on the contents of the Draft Bill in the presence of the Secretary of Information and Public Relations Department and various other senior officers and scientists of the State Government. Simultaneously, a citizens' Draft Bill is getting developed on the basis of the in puts received from different quarters with a view to help emerge the blue print of a citizen friendly Draft legislation.
Today's program is a part of the ongoing debate on the Orissa Draft Bill on Right To Information 2002.You are all requested to present your views on it's various provisions, which we shall compile and forward to the Government of Orissa. We sincerely hope that the proposed Draft Bill shall be appropriately refined, and be presented thereon to the Orissa Legislative Assembly for debate and discussion by the honorable members, so that Orissa shall soon have a people friendly legislation on Right to Information.