How Slogan “5T( TRANSPARENCY) – A Big Farce in Odisha”

How Slogan “5T( TRANSPARENCY) – A  Big Farce  in Odisha”

Dear friends

Presently 5T (Team Work, Technology, Transparency, Transformation and Time Limit)  is  much-hyped  buzz word  and media-driven propaganda in Odisha. This word “5T” is coinised by Chief Minister to bring transparency and transformational changes in the state. It  has  become  just  like  Guru Mantra for  state  machinery  and its  execution  has been  given top priority  by the  people at  helm of  affairs  of the administration. I doubt whether  Chief  Minister  can speak  about  5 minutes  about  this 5T without written documents  prepared  by  bureaucrats. Many people close  to Ruling party  are  seen  exhilarated publicly  about  5T.  I  strongly  feel  that this  slogan “5T”  is  calculatedly  design by  pet  bureaucrats  of  Chief Minister  to divert  attention of the  people  from real issues  and deceive  them.  

I will   herewith  deal  about  only  “ Transparency”   How  it  is  a big farce  in Odisha.  Since 2005, as I have marked ,  while speaking  and claiming  his Govt.  as Transparent  Govt., Chief  Minister  has  never uttered  a single  word  about  RTI – A sun-shining law enacted  to enforce  transparency  and  accountability  in the administration across the  country.  The  country  has been benefitted a lot  from this law in respect of opening  up the system  to the  common people  and transforming  the administration  from   a  colonial,   opaque and secretive system   to  a system  of  transparency.

Odisha is the  first  state  in the  country  which since  beginning tries  to  destroy  this  law   in Odisha  by framing a anti-people , illegitimate  Odisha RTI  Rules, 2005  which  is ultra vires  to  Mother Act.  Introduction of  arbitrary  compulsory of  Application Form {  violation of  section 6(1) of the RTI Act}  and  rejection   of  application for  information due  to  failure  to fill  up  Form correctly is the  biggest  impediments  on the path of exercising  power  to seek information  by the  common people.  It has  been seen several times  that  the common people  even the  educated  urban people  have  not been able  to fill up this  eleven-column  complicated  application without external advise. That’s  why a major chunk of populace  of rural  and tribal areas  have not been able to file RTI to  access  information. However, due  to  constant  and continuous  campaign   on RTI  by  few  inspired RTI Activists  and  Civil  Society  Groups,  the  common  people  are  seen  being  able  to fill up  the Application   Form to demand for  information.   Arbitrary  provision  of  collection of fees  for  information from BPL people {  violation of  section 7(5) of the RTI Act } and demand for  submission of  proof  of citizenship  at the  time of  submission  of RTI Application { violation of section 6(2)  of the RTI Act)  by  State  RTI Rules  has damaged  greatly prospect  of RTI in Odisha.

Coming back to discussion about issues how the  State  Govt.  has  systematically  destroyed  prospect of  transparent  administration in Odisha, I herewith  highlight few examples   for reference  of the  public.

1.    As  per  section 4(1)(b) of the RTI Act, Each  Public Authority (  each  Govt. offices  starting  from  office  of  Governor  to  Gram Panchayat  office)  shall  proactively (  voluntarily)  disclose 17  types of  information  in Odia  language in their  website  and must  be  available  with PIO  for  inspection by the  public  during  their  visit  to  the office. As  per  Rule-2(2) of  Odisha RTI (amendment)  Rules, 2006, Each  Public  Authority shall  maintain  a Register  for  day-to-day record  of the members of the  public  who visit  its offices  in connection with accessing or inspecting suo motto  information proactively  disclosed  by the said authority under  section 4  of  the Act.  The 17 type of  information  which needs to be proactively  disclosed by  different  authorities  are particulars of its organization, functions and duties, powers  and duties of  its officers  and employees, procedure  followed in decision-making process, norms set by it for the discharge of its function, a directory  of officers and employees, manner  of execution of subsidy programme, name and designation of  public information officer, particulars of recipient of concession and permits  etc. At  the  primary  stage,  the State  Govt. under Nabin Patnaik, Chief  Minister  tried  to make  this fantastic provision  non-operational.

2.    After  a lot  of  protests  by RTI  Activists  and  intervention of the   Information Commission,  the   Chief  secretary  invited  a high- level  meeting  of Secretaries  of all  Departments on 15.5.2009  to  reveiew  implementation of  section 4  of the RTI Act. In this  meeting  it  was  decided  to develop  a softwire  for webhosting  all the  proactively  disclosed  information. All the  Public authorities  were  requested  to update  their  information as per  template  and complete  the  process  of disclosure  of  information by 31^st  May, 2009. The  I and PR  Department , Nodal Department  for RTI  engaged  a Nodal  officer  to  monitor  implementation of  section 4  of the RTI Act  by all the  Departments.

3.    In 2009, the  State  Govt. developed  a fantastic  website RTI Portal  ( www. rtiorissa.gov.in which has been changed  as www.rtiodisha.in   for  disclosure  of  all  section 4-related  information of  all department  and subordinate  offices  of the state. At  primary  stage , 17 types of  proactively  disclosed  information of  so many  offices  was  uploaded  in this  website.  The  State  Govt. got  award  for this  fantastic website  at  national level  which was  greatly  highlighted  in media.

4.    But  after  two to three  years, this  website  became  garbage  with  dissemination of  outdated  information.  As  per  section of  4  of the RTI Act,  this  17-types of  information  is required  to be  updated  by each  office  in every year. The website was kept  idle  for  years  together  till today. 

5.    To  find out  the  commitment  of State Govt. to  enforce  transparency  in  administration,  this  website ( www.rtiodisha.in)  was searched/ inspected  the  updated  information  of various  departments.  It  was  observed  horrible  and  outdated  information are exhibited in  link of almost  all  offices.  Not  a single  information of  any  department  and  subordinate  offices  have been  completely updated  upto 2019.  Few examples are cited here for  better  understanding  of the readers.

·   Information about department of Parliamentary Affairs   is seen updated  upto 2014. Most of the information are useless.

·   Information about 17 types of disclosed information of office of Governor, Odisha    has not   been updated  from 2017.

·   Information about 17 types of  disclosed  information  of  Odisha  Legislative Assembly    has not   been updated  from 2013.

·   Information  about  Department  of  Food  Supply  and  Consumer  Wlfare  has  not been  updated  since  2017 (  in some  case)  and 2018 (  in other  cases).

·   Information of Odisha  State  AIDS  Control  Society is  not  updated  from 2012.

·   Information about  Odisha  State  Cooperative  Bank  was  completely  Nil  and Blank.

·   Information of  State  Social Welfare  Board  is not  updated  since 2009.

·   Many  important  information of  Women  and  Child  Development  is  not  updated  from 2016.  Information  about  Budget  of the  Dept. is  available  upto 20008-09.

·   No  information about Kalimela  Tahasil  of  Malkangiri  district  is available. But  it  is  written updated  till 2018.

·   Most  of the  information of  Collectorate, Malkangiri  is  updated upto May, 2019.

·   Information of  Odisha Mining  Corporation  is  not  updated  since  2016. No information  about  budget available.

·   Information of Department of Agriculture and farmers’ Empowerment is  not  updated FROM 2017.  Sri Gagan Dhal is still APC.  Budget for the Dept.  is available  upto 2008-09.

·   Information of  State  Commission for  Women  is  updated  upto 2014.

6. As  per  section 4(4)  of the  RTI Act,  all  proactively  disclosed  information should  be  available  in Odia  language. As  per  information obtained  under  RTI,  the  I and PR  Department, Nodal  Dept.  has  written series  of letters  to  all  Department  to  update  their  proactive disclosed  information  in Odia  language. On 29.6.2017., Information and Public relation Department wrote letter to the PIOs of all departments for publication of RTI information in Odia language. Similarly, in response to my complaint petition No. 643/18 in Odisha Information Commission,  the I and PR Department  has written letter to  heads of all departments to update regularly RTI Portal both in Odia  and English language  as per section 4(4)  of the  RTI Act.  But  astonishingly, no  step  has been  taken by  any  department  to disseminate this  RTI  information in Odia  language.  At the same time, the State Govt.  has  amended  Odia  Language  Act  and  issued  direction for introduction of odia language  in all  official  correspondence. But nothing has happened till yet.

7.  Despite order of High Court, Odisha Information Commission never gives its decisions in Odia  language. It is still in English. The illiterate people face  a lot of difficulties  to understand  the  English-written decision of the  commission.

8. RTI On-line system for filling RTI Application is dysfunctional since inception  due to faulty system. Nobody uses this  system to file  RTI Application to any  office.

Pradip  Pradhan

M-9937843482

Date-31.8.19