Dear Friends,
We are sorry for the delay in sending the Recommendation and Proceedings of the above mentioned Consultation. While we have tried our level best to reproduce the proceedings in as detail as possible, the inadvertent errors of omissions and commissions might have crept into the body of the Report, which may kindly be pointed out by the learned participants for the benefit of our information and correction.
As regards the Recommendations of the Consultation, we have mentioned them in a separate Chapter, based on the opinions and views expressed by the participants.
However, our own feeling is that the Draft Bill on Orissa Right to Information Act 2002 need be completely redrafted keeping in view (a) the existing Rules and Manuals on information and inspection of records in our State, (b) the Central Statutes including the Information Technology Act 2000 and Freedom of Information Bill 2000 now pending before Parliament and ( c) the present State of development of information technology in the country and world so as to give it an updated and realistic content.
At the same time, we feel that the realization of the goal of an open and transparent governance, which the proposed Orissa Draft Bill seek to achieve, requires not only appropriate amendment in the concerned Acts and Rules of the Centre and State, but also amendment to the Constitution itself. The National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution in their Report submitted on 31st March 2002 have also spoken in the same vein.
As sensible citizens of the society, our sole concern is to see that a legislation on right to information should take both our State and people forward and not backwards.
With this conviction we submit this Report for your kind perusal and necessary action and sincerely look forward to hearing from you, if we can be of any further help to the cause of right to information.
Sincerely yours,
Saila Behera
Secretary , Basundhara,
Basundhara Nagar, Abhinaba Bidanasi,Cuttack-753014,Orissa,India
E-mail: basundhara@satyam.net.in
6th August, 2002