I sincerely thank the organizer of the Seminar and also the participants who have come from various far off places to share their views on right to information. Today's Seminar is only a first step towards the goal of making right to information into a law in our State. I believe all of you after returning from here to your respective areas shall further spread the message on right to information among the people and thereby build up a mass movement around it at different levels. You people can play a great role in spreading and strengthening the movement for right to information and building up the mass movement at grass root level.

As you know in the past there was monarchy along with village republics in India. Then came the foreign rule by the British. In 1947 India got independence and there after adopted a constitution, which was a hotchpotch of features from British and American constitutions. But the constitution and the laws, which have been in existence since Independence couldn't fulfill the aspirations of the people who are socially and culturally not a homogeneous mass. India has seen a lot of change in the 55 years independence the world has also and undergone a lot of visible changes during these years. But the constitutions and countless legislations that we are today as still largely unknown to the people. They don't know how their govern. In 1997 a working group was set up to suggest remedial measures. They suggested a bill on freedom of information to be enacted at Centre and in State. The central bill is not passed yet. And only in 5 to 6 States of India, the bill has been passed. It is really unfortunate that our people don't have access to information even after 55 years of independence. I suggest therefore that today seminar should not end with its deliberation only but be followed up by organizational action to carry forward the movement for right to information to a higher level.

Let me tell that Sweden a small country could achieve the right to information for its people as far back as 1776. They are the common citizens have access to the correspondence of the Priminister's office. They are entitled to know how the Priminister or for that matter a Government take a decision on governance. In their society the norms of transparency and accountability are observed properly. There after the developed countries like USA and England have passed various legislations holding the public offices and authorities accountable before the citizens. In many democratic countries the tradition of "Ombudst man" is prevalent. The "Ombudst man" is a neutral and impartial authority which judges the complaigns made against the ministers and broadcasts. In our language "Lokpal" is equivalent of "Ombudst man". But the institution of lokpal is not working the way it should in our country.

As you know Right to Information has already been enacted in the States like Tamilnadu, Goa, Maharastra, Rajastan, Karnatak and Delhi. This fact does not however mean that a citizen would be entitled to receive each and every sort of information from the governmental authorities. For ------ the information relating knitty gritties of Indo-pak relation would not be available to any citizen. Except such information all other information shall be made available to the public. If the citizens are informed of the development related plans and programmes of the government they would be helpful in their proper implementation. An informed public can contribute to the implementation of such developmental works in their areas such as construction of a tube well, digging of a pond or making of a road in their villages. The people can check for them as to a particular work could not be executed.

Now a days the term administration has been replaced by service. The officials at the times of joining their job do sign the undertaking that they would render service to the public. It is their duty to see that all public money should be properly utilised in the Internet of the public. While rendering service to the public, some public bodies do charge some fee against the service so rendered. The money so collected is again used for public interest. But in our country this has not been so far.