Abdul Khaliq Qureshi Abbottabad
The Right to Information and Rights to Service Acts (RTI & RTS) aim to provide information and services to public in an effective way enabling citizens to access information to increase transparency & accountability.
This was the crux of ‘one-day awareness and advocacy seminar’ conducted at COMSATS University, Abbottabad by the Department of Development Studies in collaboration with the Institute of Management Sciences, Peshawar and the German uplift Agency GIZ here Tuesday.
The main target audience of the seminar were the female students of Development Studies Department as well as female faculty and staff from different departments at COMSATS Abbottabad.
A group of female students and teachers from Beaconhouse School System Abbottabad also attended and participated in the awareness session.
The RTI Act enables citizens to effectively access information held by public bodies in hopes to increase transparency and accountability.
Similarly the Right to Services Act the Act aims ’to provide for delivery of public services to the people of the Province of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa within the stipulated time limit, including liabilities of Government servants in case of default, administrative efficiency and for the matters connected therewith and incidental thereto’.
These services include, but are not limited to, access to drinking water and water connections, sanitation services, death and birth certificates, land mutation certificates and inheritance certificates and many more related to Police, Transport, Forest departments amongst others. Stipulated time frames are mentioned against the provision of each service.
Failure to be provided information or services under the given stipulations and conditions permits citizens to file complaints to the RTI and RTS commission to ensure action. Dr Arif Alam, Head of Department of Development Studies, welcomed the guests and the participants of the seminar.
The seminar included several sessions by IM Sciences staff Professor Dr Usman Ghani (joint Director), Dr Nauman, and Ms Shumaila Tabassumas well as representatives from GIZ Mr Kashif.
