Body to ensure implementation of RTI Act

LAHORE:A meeting of the Provincial Implementation Committee under the Punjab Transparency and Right to Information Act was chaired by Additional Chief Secretary Irum Bukhari.

This committee was set up on the direction of the Lahore High Court with a view to ensuring effective implementation of the Punjab Transparency and Right to Information Act, 2013 in all government institutions.

This committee is to review the steps taken to improve the work of Public Information Officers and ensure its implementation. The meeting was attended by Chief Information Commissioner Punjab, Information and Culture Wing and representatives of PITB.

The Chief Information Commissioner gave a briefing on various objectives of the Punjab Information Commission and the Provincial RTI Implementation committee. Chief Information Commissioner Mehboob Qadir apprised the Additional Chief Secretary of the proposals for digitisation of the Right to Information Act, 2013, establishment of RTI Courts in the Commission and amendments in the law to improve the performance of the Punjab Information Commission. The Additional Chief Secretary directed for implementing the proposed amendments in the law as soon as possible. The meeting nominated the Information and Culture department as the focal point for the Provincial RTI Committee which would be empowered to convey all the decisions of the committee to the departments concerned and submit its report to the committee.

The Additional Chief Secretary directed for calling a monthly meeting of the Provincial RTI Implementation Committee. Expressing concern over the conduct of a seminar by the Chief Information Commissioner, she said that indoor and outdoor activities should be suspended in view of the severe wave of corona, instead must hold webinars for the purpose with the help of PITB. She said that the decisions taken for the convenience of people would be implemented on an emergency basis. Access to public information is a basic human right, she added. On this occasion, the Chief Information Commissioner presented a two-year performance report of the Information Commission to the Additional Chief Secretary.