Essay on Improving Transparency and Accountability in Government through Effective Implementation of RTI Act

Improving Transparency and Accountability in Government through Effective Implementation of RTI Act

Introduction

Information is important for carrying out everyday life. It is considered to be an asset when it comes to assessing the traits of personality. An individual and his/her personality trait are best judged when either has the capacity to receive and efficiency to communicate the same to others. The above scenario exhibits how far information is important. This is only with respect to information in general. But, when the information is driven by a need or urgency which may have implication in personal reward in terms of any kind of gain like status, monitory benefits and recognition etc, it really leaves an impact. The following article would delve on improving transparency in Government through effective implementation of RTI.

Government before Introduction of RTI

The central Government or State Government, as the case may be, was on its iron gates to an information seeker. Those who wish to seek information from the public authority were directed through Information Act, 2002.  The act has many limitations such as the long run procedure to get information which may have been turned down at any point of time, in the process to seek information.

Many people had come to know about the previous Information Act 2002 only after the introduction of RTI act 2005. It is on the repeal of the Information Act, 2002 that the Right to Information Act was borne. Earlier, such was the condition that no one had even thought that the people could even have the right to get to know the information that they require.

Test to the Governance

The introduction of the RTI Act 2005 has really a cascading effect, particularly, letting the people to know the information as their right. The act, by law, had instructed all public authority to clearly state their organisation strength, composition, members, and important decision and so on to the public. This created a real need to the public authority to think and reorient the structure and by that the entire organisation were known about their existence itself.

For the public, posting of details of the public authority, provided a chance to for the public to get to know where abouts without seeking any one’s help.

The RTI Act 2005 tested the Government by introducing the following;

1.   Creation of Public Information Officer (PIO)

2.   Low fee for the application

3.   RTI education to the public

4.   The time limit to which (30 days) a reply should be filed

5.   Second appeal to CIC

6.   CIC pronouncement of the proceedings has the power of civil court

The above said introduction, though, are part of RTI Act, were in real terms a new turn on the running of Government and Governance. Because, hereafter, public authorities are subject to monitoring by the people. The immediate result of this is that these procedures will help the Government to;

1.   Conceive the idea that records are highly valuable

2.   Create sense of responsibility to monitor and follow on their work

3.   Insist on the necessity to return the people their asset – information

4.   Record keeping, providing the same in time enhances the capacity of the officials concerned and there the performance is highlighted

5.   It connects with E-Governance , where most of the RTI application are filed

In simple words, the efficient governance of the Government is tested, positively, by the RTI act. This takes the next level of the government concerned in being a trusted one.

Call for an accountability

Being accountable is on par, equally, with being true. It is well known in real time that the Government authorities are being accustomed to a culture of accountability. The ennumber of corruption revelation by the top auditing authority and many court judgments related to the transparency are examples to bear with.

The Right to information Act, by virtue of its stand, endures the concerned public authority is accountable in the following way;

1. Tracking systems of the complaints which is speedy and has an easy access.
2. Composition of information authorities like CIC and SCIC both at Central and state level to effectively monitor and implement the act
3. Final authority, CIC, to pronounce the decision which has nature of civil court

Accountability in Government and its effective running are example when people opt for a one particular party to rule them. Being accountable, paves the way for Government to take up more initiative and it also has people’s support for that.

Hence, Government considers or welcomes an intruder, information seeker with red carpet and gives whatever the menace in which the information falls on provided, they be within the fence of the law.

To impact effectively using accountability the Government can;

1. Public information Radio especially to explain educate on RTI
2. Periodic forum for discussion can be arranged by every public authority with commoners as the participants.
3. Government’s action like programmes to be taken up would be put up for public, especially, under RTI then people can propose an alternate to the existing one.

Super power of the Democracy

In reality, RTI is the super power of the Democracy. With respect to our country, India, we have to accept the amount of business transparency it gave to the people.

The respective Governments may consider the following to effectively implement RTI and get benefitted;

• Set out an IEC campaign on education of RTI to people especially in Rural areas
• Appointment of RTI messenger to each village Panchayat, as this would enable the people to receive RTI related post and information at their door steps.
• Creation of District Information commission, collector as the chairman to effectively scrutinize information at district level.
• Regional capacity building workshop on RTI funded by respective Government could be arranged
• RTI auditing authority could be introduced to take up internal study and empower RTI

With all the existing features and the possible inclusion of above said pints the RTI could be better served to people. The end result of this is empowerment of running the governments concerned

Conclusion

In the recent past, of all our legislation, RTI is lauded one of the most prominent one. It is a good opportunity to the public authorities controlled by the Government to exploit the act, positively, and benefit best out of extraordinary.

Hence, there is a chance for the people to accommodate themselves with nerves of the Government in right approach and be educated.

In the time to come, and after, RTI will serve truly.

*****

Author: Kannan Periyanayagam

Note: The views expressed in the essay are author’s own. And further any addition or correction are welcome to kannajee2000@gmail.com 

ESSAY POLICY IMPLEMENTATION OF THE GOVERNMENT AND GROWTH

ESSAY

Was it policy paralysis or the paralysis of implementation which slowed the growth of our country?

    I.        Introduction

 II.        Policy paralysis Versus paralysis of implementation

III.        How and why paralysis in implementation leads to low growth

IV.        Policy paralysis or bottlenecks in implementation giving a blow to ‘Reporting and Reviewing

   V.        Lack of Fund and financial management

VI.        Lack of monitoring

VII.        Paralysis in implementation lacks growth and other effects

VIII.        Conclusion: Effective implementation is progressive milestone for growth

    I.        Introduction

India is credited with the largest democracy in the world. It frames policy for its people. This is not a simple task. Policy framing for diverse cultural people in the realm of socio-political and economical issues is heavier tasks.

With a open heart we have to accept that our policies are best in the world. The ‘democratic credentials’ are corner stones of our policy. And it’s because of this democratic credentials we can highly reward our policies.

Policies are very well linked to growth. This is due to its application in the field. More importantly, application or implementation of our policy by designated agencies. If the problems are rest with implementation agencies then it has far reaching impact on growth. This upcoming essay explains that yes, there is a paralysis in implementation of policy which leads to low growth.

 II.        Policy paralysis Versus paralysis of implementation

In the news article, if there are some corruption charges or scam related charges appears, the media readily blame it on the policy paralysis. One has to realize that if policies are “Fungus” the paralysis in implementation are “Scum”. This is to say that as has been already acknowledged we have no problem with the policy making but we have a severe problem with the problems in the course of implementation.

A common observer, very well understand that at times both the policy framers and policy implementers would blame each other for failing in successful execution.  This is a paradox. But a closer concentration would reveal that policy implementation are real problematic and be bottleneck for successful implementation.

The following example would exercise a right over this argument;

Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGA) is by far the biggest and successful scheme in recent times. At the field level it engrossed a successful tenure when it was approached for the first time.

Every one knows that MNREGS is a successful scheme. At the same time, we still see in newspapers on the news of corruption, mishandling, low payment, using machinery and fake account holders etc.

So the real paradox is this;

Side I (Policy framers)	Side II (Implementers)
Policy framed well	Well implemented because it was well framed
Effective auditing happens	Fund mishandling happens
A pro poor view	Marauding funds even from poor

In a same way, other economic activities and its implementation are strained due to paralysis of implementation that paves way for slow growth.

III.        How and why paralysis in implementation leads to low growth

First of all, let us understand a simple real time situation. A chef in a hotel prepares tasty menu. It has been acknowledged by many. But of late, there has been a decline in customers. After many encounters with finding out the reasons, finally found that the problems rest with the servers. They are not trained well to please customers satisfactorily.

The observation illustrates one thing clearly, it is the one who deliver the benefits to the beneficiary must/should be trained in such a way that he delivers successful and without any impediments.

At  the national level, the budget allots money to various schemes. Besides tax collection, yearnings, the government disinvests its undertakings, gather money. This is really a heavier tasks of all. But, the people at the implementation level would not understand the sincerity of the issue and tend to be customary.

The second most important thing is that the people at the implementing stage must realize the importance of their duty. This realization should happen taking in to consideration the national growth.

India had many experiences in countering paralysis in implementation. Realizing this at the top level the policy framing mechanism are given more importance. Its been done with due care. Planning commission’s encounter with the states in coming with results after every Five Year Plan, is a case may be stated.

When the Special Economic Zones (SEZ) created, there had been hope that it would transform Indian manufacturing dream becoming a ‘Hub”. But, it is not realised. Incidents like this make another opportunity for the policy implementers to cast a reason and block development.

IV.        Policy paralysis or bottlenecks in implementation giving a blow to ‘Reporting and Reviewing

‘Reporting and Reviewing’ are tow corner stones of implementing agencies. While the customary formats, Performa, and methods play their own misery its is heightened when implementation give false information,

False reporting and false implementation leas to the other way of approach to planning and agencies that leads to countering growth.

The importance of this particular issue must be understood in a larger picture. The planners at the governments are well equipped to plan and envisage ‘only’ based on the inputs that they get from the policy implementers.

Across the realms Viz., Socio-economic and political if the policy of false reporting. Mis-representation and improper reviewing continues then we will only have a slow growth.

   V.        Lack of fund and financial management

Although a paralysis in implementation are backed by many reason such as indiscipline, corruption, mismanagement, a large part goes to finance and its effective management.

This, financial ill-management happens in two ways;

1.   Authorised way: when the officials transfer fund from one account to another to meet scarcity of fund. Hence, less privileged schemes are put down in term of importance. Some times money transferred like this goes un spend to the purpose to which it has been authourised.

2.   Unauthourised route: this happens when there is a corruption, wastage of money.

VI.        Lack of monitoring

The work  - monitoring system in Indian government set up has to be strengthened. It should be strengthened akin to private sector’s emphasis on task completion.

When a field level implementation delay in submitting reports or task completion they are often given more time. If there a legitimate reason behind such excuse once could accept. But, many times it happens as a excuse.

The above tendency must be changed. The officials at the field level must be pit under a strong monitoring  whereby they have to update their activities to the designated authorities from time to time.

Hence, here, the government has to give emphasis from ‘appraising’ to ‘update’ when it comes to task completion.

VII.        Paralysis in implementation lacks growth and other effects:

The problem, bottlenecks, hindrances while implementing proper policy leads to;

1.   Precious fund being wasted

2.   Man power resources mishandled and waste3d

3.   Government and budgeting nexus.

4.   Creates a culture of indecisiveness and inefficiency

All the above problems of the policy implementation, which are often led by paralysis in the system pull down growth.

VIII.        Conclusion: Effective implementation is progressive milestones for growth

Clearly, from the above argument, it is evident that its not paralysis of policy which leads to low growth but the paralysis in implementation. Hence, its better change the present form of culture of ‘paralysis of implementation’ to  ‘performance in implementation.

*****

Author: Kannan Periyanayagam

Note: The views expressed in the essay are author’s own. And further any addition or correction are welcome to kannajee2000@gmail.com