Aiming to achieve the goal of good governance and bringing about transparency and accountability in the Punjab Government departments, Mahatma Gandhi State Institute of Public Administration Punjab (MGSIPA), Regional Centre, Bathinda organised a two-day RTI training programme for Public Information Officers (PIOs) and Assistant Public Information Officers (APIOs) under Right to Information Act, 2005 which concluded here today. About 30 officers/officials of different ranks of various departments of District administration Bathinda took part in this programme.The Training Programme, sponsored by Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) Govt. of India has been conceptualised by Mr. KBS Sidhu, Special Chief Secretary-cum-DG and Mrs Jaspreet Talwar, Director MGSIPA. The programe aims to sensitise the concerned officers about the RTI Act and also to make them aware about the latest developments based on the judgments of the Central / State Information Commission and Hon'ble Courts.Mgsipa Regional Project Director Bathinda and Coordinator RTI Programmes Chandigarh Sh. Jarnail Singh while addressing the participants said that the RTI Act is an important tool to empower the people in a democracy, besides bringing about transparency and accountability in administration at all levels.
He encouraged the officers to update their knowledge about this Act on the basis of tips given by the RTI experts in this 2-days programmes.He further said that this is a pro-people act and the MGSIPA organizes such programmes in all the districts to generate awareness about the features of this significant Act. He said that the MGSIPA Institute organises over 300 programmes every year on various subject like RTI, Sevottom, Office Procedures, Civil Service Rules, Financial Management, Soft Skills & etc. besides proving consultancy, publications and dissemination of ideas/information in an integrated manner. A pool of resource persons, experts, of eminence in various disciplines are associated with training programmes.On the opening day RTI Experts including Dr. Tarun Arora, HoD (Law), Central University of Punjanb Bathinda, Dr. Nimmi Jindal, HoD (Law), Punjabi University Regional Centre Bathinda Dr. Paneet Pathak, Assistant Prof. Law, Central University of Punjab Bathinda, and Sh. Kashmir Lal, Advocate & Treasury Officer (Retd.) Faridkot, Sh. Mandeep Singh, Project Coordinator, MGSIPA Regional Centre Bathinda gave detailed information on RTI related Issues, Guidelines and various Sections for facilitating the public to seek information from various public authorities . Tomorrow, on the second day, the RTI experts Dr. Nimmi Jindal HOD (Department of Law) Punjabi University Bathinda and Mr. Kashmir Lal Advocate delivered their lectures and presentations in the training programme.