National Campaign for people’s Right to Information (NCPRI) held 4th RTI National Convention for four days (15th February to 18th February) at Hyderabad.
NCPRI was formed in 1996 and functions as an AOP till today. Prominent Individuals running the same are Ms. Aruna Roy, Mr. Nikhil Dey, Ms. Anjali Bharadwaj and others. NCPRI has played a key role in drafting the Central RTI Act of 2005. It holds convention every two years. On 15th and 16th February, the subjects of discussion were the future course of NCPRI-structure, decision making process, role of NCPRI etc. It then produced a summary, part of it reads:
Objectives
The National Campaign for people’s Right to Information (NCPRI) seeks to empower the people and to deepen democracy, through promoting people’s right to information. By using this right, it seeks to fight corruption and social apathy, to make governments and other institutions and agencies having an impact on public welfare, more humane and accountable to the people and to promote efficiency and frugality.
Values
The NCPRI is committed to support participatory just, secular and humane democracy.
Methods and Activities
The NCPRI endeavours to constantly engage and interact with the state and with other institutions and agencies. It campaigns for the enactment and use of right to information law that is effective and accessible to all. It also supports people’s efforts at developing the ability and motivation to use the right to information for addressing individual and social problems. It works at disseminating the RTI law and encourages and supports the development of materials related to transparency and governance, the raising of awareness about the fundamental value of information, the conduct of research and the setting up of information clearing houses. It seeks to further the cause of transparency by adopting other direct and indirect methods, including the filing of information requests, the fighting of legal cases and the holding of public hearing.
It also decided on its structure and also to democratise the same, details will be posted on www. bcasonline.org and www.pcgt.org.
On 17th February, delegates were divided in to 15 groups to discuss 15 topics for its activities and to draft Hyderabad Declaration on The Right to Information (Pattern similar to BCAS-RRC)
On 18th February, the final Hyderabad Declaration of the RTI was adopted at a public meeting which was also addressed by Mr. Vajahat Habbibullah (the first Central Chief Information Commissioner)
On the afternoon of 18th February, there was a visit to a NGO specialising on social audit to understand the process of social audit, a subject of great importance to build accountability and contain corruption.
It was a rewarding and satisfactory convention.
