Right to Information may be extended to government files

Kolkata, Mar 4 (UNI) West Bengal Chief Information Officer Arun Bhattacharya today said even notes on government files should be made available to the general public for sharing information in accordance with the Right to Information Act.

Speaking at the inauguration of a two-day seminar on ''Qualitative change in Democractic Role of Media'' here, Mr Bhattacharya said the act should go a long way in empowering the public and pave way for employment of hundreds of principal information officers in all states.

He, however, cautioned journalists for bearing complacent and asked them not to leave any stone unturned to dig out investigative stories.

Also present on the occasion were Mr Rajeshwar Dayal, senior media adviser, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, Ms Nandini Sahai, Country Manager AMIC, India Mr Sudeb Roy Choudhury, Press Club, Kolkata president Anindya Sengupta, Kolkata Press Coub Secretary along with several other senior journalists both from print and electronic media.

The seminar which was a part of a nation-wide deliberations on the scope and extension of Right to Information, has already been organised in Pune and Bhubaneswar with great success.

The seminar was organised by AMIC India, Press Club,Kolkata, The Centre for Media Research and Development Studies in collaboration with German NGO Friedrich Ebert Stiftung.

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