The Right to Information should not be used to take vengeance: Shailesh Gandhi

KOHIMA: The Right to Information ( RTI) mechanism should not be used to take vengeance against any individual, Former Information Commissioner of the Central Information Commission, Shailesh Gandhi, said here today.

RTI enables the citizens to get the information they want, but it should not be used to take vengeance against any individual but for improvement of governance and delivery system, he said.

Gandhi was delivering the keynote address at a seminar on 'RTI and Role of Media', organised by the Nagaland Information Commission as part of the RTI Week.

People in general were not happy with the system of governance in the country and the RTI acts as a tool to streamline and check such problems, he said.

Stating that 50 to 60 percent of the citizens were not aware of the 'Appeal' that they could make if they did not get a satisfactory reply after applying for the RTI, he urged the civil societies and the media to create awareness on this.

Assistant Editor of Indian Express Guwahati, Samudra Gupta Kashyap, said majority of the people have learnt to use RTI Act because of the media.

He said RTI has made investigative journalism easier and less risky as a journalist can acquire documentary evidences by using the Act.

Pointing that RTI is yet to become part of journalism curriculum in the country, he said very little effort has been put in by the authorities to take media on board the RTI.

"Once more journalists and media houses start using the RTI, things will be much better," he added.