1. Content Provisions of Right to Information law Social Change
Government Solution
Why it does not work
People’s Needs
People’s Solutions
Examples of People’s struggles
Current Status
Get Involved

2. Right To Information
Law provides for easy access to public information
Inspect any government work
Appeal to Public grievance commission
Nine states and central govt have passed the right to information law
Implementation resisted
Lack training, clear procedures, awareness among users

3. Social Change Education & Health Justice for all – rule of law
Right to food and work
Shelter
Transparent accountable governance
Rights for women and children

4. Social Change - Government Solution
Top-down approach for a problem
These do not always represent requirements of the people

5. Why it does not work? Vested interests Opportunism Corruption
Cultural and social bounds – structural in nature
Extreme poverty and marginalization
Externalized problem, stigmatized
Threats to survival, dignity, hope, self-respect

6. Examples of People’s Involvement
Social Audits of:
Pension schemes
Housing schemes
Construction projects
Ration shops
Land redistribution
Government health clinics

7. Social Change - People’s Solutions
People’s groups work to
Make policies relevant
Monitor functioning of govt agencies
Change attitudes
People’s groups are participatory in decision making and accountability

8. Examples of Struggles Panchayat Sikoriah (Hardoi District)
Construction projects
The people’s group in this case was the self-help group organized around Asha center Lalpur, U.P.
- Villages asked the panchayat for the details of the accounts.
After long struggle they finally got some numbers of expenditure in six construction projects.
Three items were ghost projects and bogus expenses were found in the rest.

9. Examples cont… Delhi Ration shops
The people’s group in this case was Parivartan.
142/182 families did not receive ration
87% of the wheat did not reach the families
Records were made public and since then people have informed us that all dealers but one have been giving the correct ration for the last two months
An FIR has been lodged against him

10. Current Status
In nine states the right to information is empowering people’s groups.
There is resistance to pass this law in the rest of the states.
Citizenship education is still required to get people to exercise this right.
However, in some cases the gains made at local officials are still overturned by higher level administration and judiciary.

11. Get Involved Understand issues of the underprivileged
Encourage getting information for government agencies that affect projects and communities
Give moral support, encourage formation of local groups/civic institutions, networks
Encourage transparency and local accountability in projects
Personally do not encourage systems that make govt bodies morally weaker, e.g. do not use short cuts like bribes or connections to get things done.

12. Statistics
TamilNadu, Goa, Rajasthan, Delhi, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh -between 1997 and 2003
Delhi – Covers 119 departments of govt., 15 – 30 days response time, penalties for refusal to respond
Central govt. Freedom of Information Act – 2002
Initiatives in other states

13. RTI Campaigns Mazdoor Kissan Shakti Sangathan, Rajasthan.
Parivartan, Delhi.
Lalpur area villages, U.P.
National campaign for people’s rights to information (NCPRI)
Others.

14. Citizenship Education
Education that empowers to change the economic and structural binds
Awareness of rights and responsibilities
Participatory decision making, local accountability
Understanding of environment

15. Investment in Future Development through steps of :
access to education, income, and information
empowerment, citizenship rights and duties and
participation.
These steps will lead to community's participation in training, resource generation and management for its future generations.

16. Current Status At-risk Threat to survival
Lack of land, education, training, skills, opportunity, access
Participation, control, management of future, choices, staying power
Hope, dignity, respect, confidence