ITANAGAR : State Chief Information Commissioner Major General Jarken Gamlin (Retd) called on Governor Lt General KT Parnaik (Retd) at Lok Bhavan here on Tuesday and submitted the Annual Report of the Arunachal Pradesh State Information Commission.
Gamlin briefed the Governor on the Commission’s recent initiatives, achievements, challenges and future roadmap for strengthening transparency and citizen-centric governance in the state.
Highlighting the transformative role of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005, the Governor emphasised the need to move from a system of “information on demand” to “information by default”. He said proactive disclosure under Section 4 of the RTI Act was an effective means of promoting transparency and reducing the need for citizens to seek information through formal applications.
Parnaik advised departments to regularly publish key public information on their official websites, including budgets, progress of development projects, beneficiary details, recruitment notifications, tender processes, land allotments, welfare schemes and important administrative decisions.
He also suggested a state-wide Proactive Disclosure Compliance Drive, supported by periodic audits of public authorities, to improve compliance.
The Governor underscored the importance of modern record management and digital governance, observing that efficient record-keeping was fundamental to transparency. He advocated a mission-mode programme for digitising government records, integrating them with e-Office systems and creating searchable digital repositories across departments.
Emphasising capacity building, Parnaik advised the Commission to institutionalise quarterly training programmes for Public Information Officers (PIOs), Assistant Public Information Officers (APIOs) and First Appellate Authorities (FAAs). The training, he said, should focus on statutory timelines, exemptions, proactive disclosure obligations and citizen-friendly responses.
He said the State Information Commission should evolve beyond its appellate role and emerge as a leading institution for promoting transparency, accountability and good governance.
State Chief Information Commissioners Vijay Taram, Khopey Thaley, Dani Gamboo and Sangyal Tsering Bappu, Secretary-cum-Registrar Sode Potom and Deputy Registrar Priscilla Tayeng were also present.
