330/2024-2025

Aizawl, 20th November 2024: Mizoram Governor Dr. Hari Babu Kambhampati interacted with Shri Heeralal Samariya, IAS (Rtd.), Chief Information Commissioner of India at the Raj Bhavan today. In this meeting, discussion was held on various important aspects concerning the Right to Information Act in Mizoram. 

In his meeting with the Chief Information Commissioner of India, Dr. Hari Babu Kambhampati emphasized the importance of good governance, transparency and accountability, highlighting the effective use of the Right to Information (RTI) Act by the public in Mizoram to increase awareness. Further, he urged the concerned officials to continue working diligently to ensure that citizens receive accurate and reliable information, thereby strengthening the system further.

The Chief Information Commissioner of India, Shri Heeralal Samariya, IAS (Rtd.) stated that in Mizoram, RTI applications are usually disposed within the stipulated 30-day period. He expressed appreciation for the fact that less than 1% of applicants escalate their cases to higher authorities such as the First Appellate Authority or the Second Appellate Authority. This, he noted, reflects the awareness for the RTI Act among officials, NGOs, village councils/local councils and the general public.

He emphasized that the RTI Act is a vital tool for ensuring good governance. Highlighting its impact, he mentioned that annually, around 20,000 RTI applications progress to the second appeal stage at the central government level and most of the cases are disposed at the lower stage.

According to the report, during the 2023-2024 financial year in Mizoram, a total of 5,741 RTI applications were submitted and the majority of these applications were disposed by the concerned officials. Less than 1% of the cases reached the State Information Commission through a second appeal. Of these, 90% of the applicants received complete and satisfactory information before being called for further hearings, demonstrating the effective implementation of the RTI Act in the state.

Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) of Mizoram Shri John Neihlaia, IPS (Rtd.) and the Information Commissioner (IC) Shri Mangjangam Touthang, IIS (Rtd.) were also present at the meeting.