Workshop Report

A One Day follow-up workshop on the Right to Information Act, 2005 was jointly organized by the three organizations Vimarsh, Saral and Chesta in the Municipality Auditorium in district Nainital on 22nd November, 2009. All three partner organizations had participated in the one year long Asha MCF RTI campaign. A total 144 participants - 61 from VIMARSH, 42 SARAL and 41 from CHESTA took part in the workshop.
The children shared their experiences with one another. They also discussed about the  RTI applications that they had filed during the year. 

Manish from CHESTA organization explained how he had filed an RTI against the shifting of the primary school of his village.

Meena from SARAL organization who had also attended the State level workshop shared her experience with the participants. She told the participants how her request for information regarding the availablity of computer teachers had resulted in the a teacher being present.

Kavita from VIMARSH said she filed an application for a  birth certificate and that she had got a satisfactory answer.

After the group discussion and presentation all the participants said that they would use RTI for the betterment of their villages. They would generate awareness in their society and their parents. They would also follow up their applications and the responses. Each organisation planned to focus on certain issues :

CHESTA
Generate awareness among the children and the community
Clean water and hand pump
Arrangement for parents’ teachers meeting in the school
Canal and bridge construction
Improve the public ration distribution system

SARAL
Birth registration
Public ration distribution shop
Lack of computer facility in the school
Lack of toilet facility in the school
Lack of drinking water in the village
Lack of sports material in the school
Lack of teachers in the school
Electricity problem in the village

VIMARSH
Lack of knowledge about RTI in the community
No birth registration camp for the children
Discussion on the RTI among the women groups
RTI on the village level issues.
Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan
Kanyadhan Yojana
Lack of knowledge about the schemes for the physically handicap children
NREGA
Sports material in the school
ANM centre – Janani Suraksha Yojana
Lady teachers for the Mangoli Inter College

Back

Dwarika Prasad Nauni
State Coordinator (RTI)
Mountain Children’s Foundation
63-A, Vyom Prasth GMS Road
Dehradun, Uttarakhand.