Training for Public Info Officers begins

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, July 10

A two-day training for Public Information Officers (PIOs) and Assistant Public Information Officers (APIOs) under the Right to Information (RTI) Act started at the Regional Centre of Mahatma Gandhi State Institute of Public Administration (MGSIPA) here today.

Inaugurating the event, Deputy Commissioner Diprava Lakra said the RTI Act was meant to provide information to masses in a transparent manner. During the training, he directed officers to display information regarding respective departments on boards and on websites so that people got primary information easily in public domain.

Directing the officers, he asked them to check the RTI registers of respective departments once in a week and instead of getting the work done from lower staff, the officers should do the same themselves. He also directed the officers to ensure that information under RTI was provided within a set timeframe mentioned in the RTI Act and complete information was provided to the applicant.

Speaking at the event, Jarnail Singh, coordinator for Centre of Communication Studies, MGSIPA, Chandigarh, said the PIO should provide information to an applicant within 30 days and if information was related to life or freedom of someone, it should be provided within 48 hours.

During today’s training, advocate Darshan Bajaj spoke on the background and enactment of the RTI Act. He said information pertaining to the third party could not be provided under the Act. The third party means any person other than the applicant, he said.

Assistant professor Nimmi Jindal informed PIOs and APIOs about guidelines of the Act. Prof Tarun Arora from Centre University of Punjab gave information on state information commissions and commissioners.

MGSIPA (Bathinda) project coordinator Mandeep Singh, officers from rural development and panchayat, agriculture, program office, health department and social security were also present.