‘Combating Corruption in Rajasthan State, by Applying RTI Act as a Tool’ Divisional Level Workshop

Jaipur, July 25, 2007

CUTS Centre for Consumer Action, Research & Training (CUTS CART), Jaipur, in association with the Partnership for Transparency Fund (PTF) has conceptualised a unique project titled ‘Combating Corruption in Rajasthan State, by Applying RTI Act as a Tool’. It will be organising a two-day Divisional Level Workshop at Conference Hall, Rajasthan Institute of Cooperative Education &. Management (RICEM), Jaipur, on July 27-28, 2007.

Background and Objectives of the Project

The Right to Information (RTI) Act came into force on October 12, 2005, thus opening up the transparency in the governance processes to the public. CUTS CART has been involved intensively in promoting good governance through increased people’s participation by using various tools and techniques since 20 years

However, even after the completion of one and half year of the RTI, the general level of awareness about the Act is very low among the common people, especially the rural population. There is a great need to take the RTI to the grassroots level. For this purpose, awareness generation and training on the RTI Act for the common people and other information seekers is necessary, so that they could use the Act effectively.

Through the project CUTS CART aims to focus on awareness generation at the grassroots; to empower the civil society organisations (CSOs); to carry out advocacy with the policy makers; and to encourage the common citizens towards application of RTI Act as a tool in addressing corrupt practices in the governance. The project is expected to create an enabling and conducive environment at the grassroots, making the governance more transparent and accountable, and nearer to the common people.

The Divisional Level Workshop will be conducted for the surveyors. The workshop is aimed at orienting the members of the Consortium Group for Combating Corruption (CGCC) thoroughly up on the RTI Act and its potential in addressing the corruption and assembling responses of the common villagers and other relevant stakeholders in a systematic manner.

Justice N K Jain, President State Human Resource Commission, Rajasthan will be the Chief Guest in the workshop. Dr Rakesh Ranjan, Conveyor, Sochna Adhikar Abhiyan (SAA) Katni, Madhya Pradesh (MP), will facilitate the Technical Session. Representatives of various stakeholder groups, CSOs and government officials will attend the workshop.

For more information, please contact:

Siba Prasad Dash/Ajnish A Biswas
CUTS Centre for Consumer Action, Research & Training (CUTS CART)
D-222, Bhaskar Marg, Bani Park, Jaipur 302 016
Ph: 91.141.5133259, 2282 823/2282 482
Mob: 09252102131/09928212182
Email: cart@cuts.org