Information Society Watch

June 23, 2007, Deccan Herald

This news-piece highlights the fact that even after a year of it's enactment, the Right to Information Act has largely remained an urban phenomenon and awareness in rural areas is very low. Even in urban areas, while there have been success stories, the larger picture is one of lack of awareness on the part of government officials and citizens on the practical aspects of using the Act. At the villages level, there is a clear lack of accountability on part of the Gram Panchayat to respond to RTI petitions and where the costs to obtain the information are also phenomenally high. The author contends that there is a need to look beyond RTI as being merely a tool to fight corruption and look at it as a way to improve governance processes. There is an urgent need for training and awareness to realise the complete potential of the Act.

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