A Sensitization Workshop on Right to Information was held at COATS Conference Hall, Koraput on 25th of May 2002 organized by Pragati (an NGO) in collaboration with District Action Group, Koraput with selected 25 nos. of participants hailing from different walks of life, such as lawyers, media men, NGOs and researchers. The day-long Workshop was divided into two Sessions; the first one gave a general appraisal about the background of the Right to Information movement in the country with specific reference to Orissa, and the next session took up a discrete Section-wise analysis and discussion on the Citizens' Draft Bill on Orissa Right to Information Act 2002.
Inaugurating the Workshop, Sri K.C.Panigrahi, Director Tribal Museum welcomed the present Chief Minister of Orissa for his commitment to introduce a Right to Information Act in the State. Sri Panigrahi narrated his bitter personal experience with the Government agencies in the matter of such simple things as getting a reply from them to a citizen's letter, or seeking an information from a Government office or getting clearred small, small pending works of private citizens. He further deplored that Panchayatraj, which was introduced in early fifties with a view to devolve power to the Gram Sabha level has failed the nation, despite 73rd and 74th Amendments to the Constitution. Simply by passing a legislation on Right to Information we cannot hope to bring about transparency and accountability in our institutions of governance. A major social movement is necessary to effect an attitudinal change among the Government officials and public authorities. Such a movement can be started from anywhere in the State, even from Koraput, said Sri Panigrahi. He himself as a person was prepared to come forward for a pro-transparency movement in the district of Koraput itself. Let others decide and speak out their mind, so that we could initiate a collective movement from here and today itself, Sri Panigrahi concluded.
Sri Sanjit Pattnaik, Convener District Action Group, Koraput observed that prier to this Workshop about 45 NGOs of the district had got together a few months back, and were unanimous about launching a Right to Information campaign in the district. The ongoing Sensitization Workshop was a result of that collective exercise. However, there was still the lack of desired vigour in the campaign, which need be made up by our common efforts, said Sri Pattnaik.
Sri Lalit Kumar Mishra, Convener, Cuttack District NGOs Co-ordination Cell, who was a guest speaker on the occasion, spoke on the progress of Right to Information campaign in Cuttack district and specifically on the Seminar on Right to Information held on 13th April 2002 at Cuttack, where top level police officers, bureaucrats, judges and lawyers of the State had given their opinion in favour of enacting a suitable Right to Information law in Orissa.
Sri Om Prakash Sinha, President, Koraput Zilla Sambadik Sangha narrated his experience of being harassed by the police, who had issued a non-boilable warrant against him under the Official Secrets Act 1923, on the instigation by the Management of a Public Undertaking, since he wanted to investigate and bring to lime light the water pollution of Kolab by the untreated sewage disposal, caused by the latter. He expressed his firm solidarity with the Right to Information campaign on behalf of the fraternity of journalists of Koraput.
Sri Chitta Ranjan Behera, a Social Activist, who presented the citizens' Draft Bill on Orissa Right to Information Act, 2002 observed that the present document was not authored by any particular individual, but evolved into its present shape through a series of debates and discussions held over a year in different parts of the State among the people belonging to various professions and persuasions. The present Draft Bill need not be taken as an ideal and fool-proof one, and rather be construed as a starting point for an open, State-wide public debate. It is very much likely therefore to go through a number of further revisions as and where necessary before it could be presented in the Orissa Legislative Assembly in an ideal form. Sri Behera concluded that it was the moment when the common people should examine the Draft Bill and voice their concerns as regards each of its provisions, even its very wording, from their perspective.
The post-lunch Session, with Dr.P.C.Mohapatra, Director COATS, Koraput as its facilitator, started with a discrete Section-wise analysis of the citizens' Draft Bill on Orissa Right to Information Act, 2002, with each participant contributing to the ongoing deliberations. They overall welcomed the provisions of the Draft Bill, which sought to hold accountable every public authority, be it judiciary, a political party, a contractor or a private company for disclosing information relating to public interest. A few suggestions for amending the Draft Bill in certain places were also unanimously proposed by the participants. They are:
A 5 member Core Committee consisting of Dr. P.C. Mohapatra, Sri Om Prakash Sinha, Sri Sanjit Pattanaik, Sri Santosh Sahoo and Sri Pravakar Adhikary was formed to carry forward the campaign for Right to Information in the district of Koraput involving the cross sections of public including the officials of district administration.