SWAT: Speakers at a training workshop here on Thursday said that Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2013 was meant to end corruption, improve governance, make officials accountable to people and build trust between people and the state.

The chief commissioner of Right to Information Commission, Sajid Khan Jadoon, said that provision of information to people was the responsibility of public information officers and legal action would be taken against those, who showed laxity in that regard.

The one-day training workshop on Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2013 was arranged for officials and public information officers of government departments. The commissioner of Right to Information Commission, Riaz Khan Daudzai, and deputy commissioner of Swat also participated in the training session.

Mr Jadoon said that under the RTI Act, 2013 every citizen could obtain information from government departments. “No government official or public body can hide information from the public because all the departments use public funds and keep public records,” he said.

Riaz Khan Daudzai said on the occasion that the Act was meant to end corruption, improve governance, make officials accountable, build trust between people and state and include people in governance.

Deputy Commissioner Saqib Raza Aslam asked all the PIOs to provide the demanded information to people timely.

FEE: Pakhtukhwa Milli Awami Party provincial deputy secretary Dr Kahlid Mahmood has asked the owners of private schools to return the monthly tuition fee they charged from parents from March 19.

Talking to journalists here on Thursday, he also demanded of the government to announce a financial package for the private schools. He and said that many private schools that were closed due to Covid-19 pandemic also charged the monthly tuition fee from students.

He said that private school owners should not charge tuition fee. He said that due to Covid-19, the entire financial fabric was paralysed and everyone having private jobs or business was badly affected.

“It is the responsibility of government to announce a financial package for the private schools so that they can bear the loss they suffered during the coronavirus lockdown,” said Dr Khalid Mahmood.

Published in Dawn, August 21st, 2020