Omar Abdullah for creating awareness among public about RTI Act

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said there is a need to create awareness among public about the Right to Information (RTI) Act to make governments more transparent and accountable.

Abdullah stated that if corruption is really a major issue, it should get reflected in RTI applications filed by people. He said very few applications are received in which people seek information on development work done by the government.

In his valedictory address to the eighth annual convention of the Central Information Commission here, he said India has set an example to other countries by enacting the Right to Information Act as a tool to empower people with information to hold authorities accountable.

Asserting that the governments should be open to more scrutiny, Abdullah laid emphasis on the need to guard against people who use RTI to blackmail authorities.