We are not usually aware about our Right to Information. As you know, every currency note contains a statement "I promise to pay the bearer a sum of rupees.". It means, when you pay a person, say rupees fifty, you have the right to ask him whether the goods and services that are given to you in exchange are worth rupees fifty or not. Thus the Right to Information and the Duty to Inform are inherent in our day-to-day transactions, though we seldom know about and exercise it.

In the past the image of India before the world outside was that of a country of snakes and snake charmers. The amount of information that flowed to and from India was negligible, but now the situation has undergone a sea-change. Huge amount of information is now being transacted between India and outside World, about which we are largely ignorant.

I feel that we can't claim as a matter of law the right to receive any and every sort of information. Right to Information is a vast subject, around which in-depth discussion is necessary at different levels. As a matter of fact, with the Right to Information given to the people, they would feel confident of speaking anything or doing anything.

Now we can't do anything if we are denied information by any quarter. In my opinion, in stead of maintaining the Official Secrets Act, we should introduce the Right to Information Act, to enable the people to access most essential information required in their day-to-day life without any let or hindrance. There should be the legal provision for supply of information to the public quickly and freely. Any citizen has the right to approach the Secretary or the Head of a Government Department and also the right to get an answer from him.

At last I request the organizers of the Seminar to carry forward today's debate around Right to Information through out the State in days ahead.