Patna,(BiharTimes): Four and a half years back Bihar got Golden Icon and Manthan award for what was then called a revolutionary concept of e-governance. A call centre, Jankari, was set up in January 2007, through which people can easily seek information under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. The award was given by the department of administrative reforms, Union Ministry of Personnel.
“The jury acknowledged the outstanding performance of this citizen-centric service delivery. It found the presentation of Bihar to be the simplest and the best,” the then principal secretary, state personnel and administrative reforms department, Amir Subhani (he is now home secretary), was quoted as saying then.
It was jointly received in Goa on February 12, 2009 by Subhani, Alok Chaturvedi, resident commissioner of Bihar in Delhi and P C Chaudhary, technical advisor, Bihar State Electronic Development Corporation (BELTRON).
But when on September 16, BiharTimes rang up on a dedicated telephone line to seek information under RTI there was no response. After repeated attempts we tried to know on the inquiry number. We were told that Jankari is now not functioning. Further inquiry revealed that it has not been functioning for quite some time.
BiharTimes learnt that perhaps now nobody is much bothered about Jankari, for which the Nitish government was then applauded globally and several other states took keen interest.
When Jankari was floated it was claimed that it was the first effort of its kind in the country where technology has been used to bring RTI to the masses––even those who cannot read and write. There was no additional cost and no fresh appointments were made for the project.
Jankari was an additional mode for seeking information under RTI apart from the conventional way of giving applications to the office concerned.
“This center is not properly functioning for last one month” said RTI activist Shiv Prakash Rai. He further elaborated that government is paying Rs. 1,32,000 per month to a company. “Govt officials have informed me that no application came from call center for last one month” told Rai
Jankari was planned to enable people living in remotest corners of the state to submit applications for information under RTI by using private or public telephone by dialling 155310. The operator receiving the call, used to draft the application under the RTI Act and sends the same to the authorities concerned for providing the requisite information to the applicant. The applicant was provided with a reference number of the application by the call centre. And in case the information is not provided by the authorities, the applicant is entitled to file the first appeal and later the second appeal to the appellate authority and the State Information Commission respectively.
No doubt in the initial months Jankari worked well and people got information. But then that was all.
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