Arunachal Governor Pushes for Default Public Information Access

Itanagar: Arunachal Pradesh Governor KT Parnaik wants the state to drop the old way of handling public records. He met State Chief Information Commissioner Jarken Gamlin on Tuesday, August 11, at the Lok Bhavan to discuss shifting the Right to Information Act to a system of information by default. This change aims to boost transparency and make the government more citizen-centric.

The Governor urged departments to ditch the paperwork. "Publishing key public details routinely is the most effective way to foster openness and reduce formal RTI applications," he said. He directed officials to keep budgets, project progress reports, beneficiary lists, recruitment notices, tenders, land allotments, and welfare schemes current on their websites.

Modernization is next on the agenda. Parnaik called for a mission-mode effort to digitize government files and integrate e-Office systems. He wants searchable digital repositories across every department to ensure citizens can grab necessary information without filing a single formal request.