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Strengthening, Capacity Building and Awareness Generation for effective implementation of the RTI Act The Institute is a nodal agency for the project ‘Strengthening, Capacity Building and Awareness Generation for Effective Implementation of the RTI Act’ under Department of Personnel and Training, Government of India. The project which started in January 2009 is aimed at strengthening supply side as well as demand side of RTI Act. Various programmes for training of information providers at different levels as well as campaign activities at the district and sub-district levels for information seekers are being designed and implemented under the project. Capacity building and strengthening supply side Training Fourteen training programmes mostly of two days’ duration for government officials and two for NGO personnel have been conducted where 366 Government officials and 43 NGO personnel participated. Four training programmes of five days have been conducted for developing trainers at the district level. Funds have been provided to twelve districts for training district level functionaries on RTI Act, 2005. Nine districts have so far conducted training programmes for district level officials with the support of ATI. Trainers have been developed from Extended Training Centres of Panchayat & Rural Development Department for training panchayat functionaries. Trainers have also been developed for the Department of Correctional Administration, Directorates of Excise and Commercial Tax, Kolkata Police and Police Training College, Barrackpore. Awareness campaign Developed a street play on right to information in collaboration with ‘Natyaprithana’, an NGO and organized four shows each in all but one district in the state. More such shows are being planned at the sub district and block levels. Brought out one book containing RTI Act, 2005 and West Bengal RTI Rules, 2006 in original and in Bengali translation with some frequently asked questions (Fads). Copies have been supplied to every Gram Panchayat in West Bengal. Capacity building and strengthening demand side One leaflet for guidance to citizens and one booklet in Bengali with provisions of the RTI Act in question and answer form with cartoon illustrations are in the process of printing. These will be used in mass awareness campaigns. Two NGOs working in the field of RTI have been selected for mass awareness campaign. Sensitization programmes will be organized by these NGOs in two districts on a pilot basis. They will also set up umbrella kiosks to assist RTI applicants in those two districts besides organizing puppet shows, focus group discussions etc. One docu-feature film is being planned to be produced by Roop Kala Kendra, Govt. of West Bengal. Future Plans Refresher courses will be organized for the trainers working in the districts and various departments in the next financial year. More trainers’ training courses will be conducted in 2010-11 Each Regional Training Centre will conduct two training courses each for the government officials of concerned districts. More IEC materials will be developed for mass awareness. PROACTIVE DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION U/S 4(1) OF THE RIGHT TO INFORMATION ACT, 2005

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