Two city-based Right to Information activists, Yashwant Oak and Dattatray Saikar, have been chosen for the Sajag Nagarik Mahiti Adhikar Puraskar for their noteworthy contribution to spreading awareness about the RTI Act, 2005.
Two city-based Right to Information (RTI) activists, Yashwant Oak and Dattatray Saikar, have been chosen for the Sajag Nagarik Mahiti Adhikar Puraskar for their noteworthy contribution to spreading awareness about the RTI Act, 2005.
The award, instituted by city-based NGO, Sajag Nagrik Manch (SNM), includes a citation, a shawl and a prize of Rs11,000.
The activists will be felicitated at a function on March 13 at the Mahratta Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture (MCCIA) at 4 pm.
Oak has been selected for his contribution in creating public awareness about the RTI Act through the movie Ek Cup Chya, produced and distributed by him on behalf of the Schizophrenia Awareness Association.
Saikar visited 1,000 towns and 400 government offices and encouraged them to put up boards disclosing information to the public as per Section 4 of the RTI Act. A farmer in Hinjewadi, Saikar said, “When I attended a workshop on RTI in January last, I realised that RTI banners should be put up in all towns and villages. Though it is the government’s job, I took the task upon myself. I travelled to villages on a two-wheeler and encouraged the people to put up the banners.”
He also distributed pamphlets and sent letters to all government offices in 33 districts in Maharashtra informing them about the need to do so.
“Now, I have got feedback that 240 banners have been put up and I received 217 letters from various government offices that the process is in progress,” he added.
Oak feels that films are a very powerful medium to create awareness about the RTI Act.
“Before making Ek Cup Chya we did in-depth research on the Act and also met RTI activists like Aruna Roy, Arvind Kejriwal, Shailesh Gandhi and Anna Hazare. We wanted to make a simple film on how a common man can resolve his problem with the help of this Act,” he said.
The film is about a bus conductor who is wrongly slammed with a huge electricity bill. His electricity connection also gets cut due to his inability to pay up. The film shows how he seeks justice with the help of the RTI Act.
Oak said he is planning to showcase the films to various organisations. “We are planning a screening of the film in Dharavi. We have also approached the RTI department to buy the film,” he said.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}