‘Naga society regrettably characterised by corruption’

October 12, 2023 45 Views No Comment

Public Information officers reminded on goal of Right to Information Act

Kohima, October 12 (MExN): ‘Naga society is regrettably characterised by corruption and substandard practices, resulting in low-quality public services and products,’ observed Meyasashi, Director of Horticulture, Government of Nagaland. The Director advocated for an ideal society, one that is prosperous and achieved through hard work.

He made the remark during a state-level training held at Conference hall, Directorate of Horticulture, Kohima on October 10, as per the State IPR release.

In celebration of Right to Information Week, 2023 (October 5 to 12), the Department of Horticulture, Government of Nagaland, in collaboration with the State Information Commission, Nagaland organised a state-level training for the Public Information Officers and Assistant Public Information Officers of the Department on the Right to Information Act, 2005.

The keynote speaker, I Meyionen Jamir, Chief Information Commissioner, Nagaland, expressed his appreciation for the initiatives taken by the department and stressed the need for training to empower individuals to defend themselves and assert their rights.

Jamir referred to the RTI Act of 2005, as an Act which allows the general public to exercise their rights under it and stated that the intention of the Act is to serve information seekers, except for those falling under the exempted category in Section 8 of the Act.

The speaker outlined the challenges faced by RTI seekers, categorizing them into four groups: genuine seekers who are rare, individuals who are well-informed about their rights but have malicious intentions, those who use RTI for blackmail, and those who use it to harass public officials.

Jamir further emphasised that the goal of the Act is to eliminate the sources of corruption, and stressed that the RTI Act should not be misused or abused and called for the need for transparency.

The Master Trainer for the day was Worhonthung Ezung, Deputy Secretary, Nagaland Information Commission. The programme was chaired by I Chubatoshi, PIO & Deputy Director of Horticulture, while the invocation was delivered by Kikalemba, Accounts Officer, and vote of thanks by Ayieno Hibo, Additional Director of Horticulture.