Faridkot, February 25, 2021: Mahatma Gandhi State Institute of Public Administration Punjab (MGSIPA), Regional Centre, Bathinda organized a three-day RTI training programme for District Resource Persons (DRPs) under Right to Information Act, 2005. About 30 officers/officials of different ranks of various departments of seven districts including Ferozepur, Moga, Faridkot, Sri Muktsar Sahib, Fazilka, Bathinda and Mansa are taking part in this programme.
The Training Programme which has been sponsored by Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) Govt. of India aims to sensitise the concerned officers about the 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.
Sh. Jarnail Singh, Regional Project Director, MGSIPA Chandigarh while highlighting the importance of RTI Act, 2005 training programmes, said that this is an important tool to empower the people in a democracy, besides containing corruption and bringing about transparency and accountability in administration at all levels. 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 encouraged the officers to update their knowledge about this Act on the basis of tips given by the RTI experts in this 3-days programme. Giving a brief about MGSIPA Institute, he said that the Institute which was set up in 1978 is presently being headed by Mr. Karan Bir Singh Sidhu, Special Chief Secretary, Government of Punjab and Director General, MGSIPA and Mrs. Jaspreet Talwar, Principal Secretary to Government of Punjab and Director, MGSIPA. The Institute organizes over 200 programmes every year on various subject like RTI, Sevottom, Office Procedures, Civil Service Rules, Financial Management, Disaster Management, Empowernment of Women, Gender Issues, 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.
During this 3-day training programme, distinguished RTI experts including Mr. Kashmir Lal, Advocate, Faridkot, Mrs. Pratibha Verma, Advocate, District Court Ferozepur, Dr. Munish Khunger, Assistant Professor, Baba Farid Law College, Faridkot and Dr. Vikas-Deep, Assistant Professor, School of Business Studies, Guru Kashi University, Talwandi Sabo are giving detailed account of salient features and over all view of the Act through presentations and lecture sessions.
Mr. Mandeep Singh, Project Coordinator, MGSIPA, Regional Centre, Bathinda gave introduction of the training programme.