The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : These techies feel ‘its time to make a difference'

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Monday, Dec 27, 2010
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

These techies feel ‘its time to make a difference'

S. Sandeep Kumar

Use spare time to get information under RTI Act and solve issues of public concern

- PHOTOs: G. RAMAKRISHNA

Keep going:Techies who formed a voluntary organisation “It's Time to Make a Difference”, at their group meeting.

HYDERABAD: Even as their counterparts prefer to indulge in shopping or participate in weekend bashes, here is a group of software engineers who use their spare time to elicit information under the Right to Information (RTI) Act and solve issues of public concern.

The group established “Its time to make a difference”, a voluntary organisation that aims at extending a helping hand to others.

Every holiday and weekends, free awareness sessions are held for students, employees and general public on benefits of RTI.

Established in 2008, the organisation comprising 30 members, has filed over 250 RTI applications seeking vital information from several government departments.

All these pertain to negligence in implementing public welfare schemes, provision of basic amenities to residents etc.

They succeeded in making the civic authorities re-carpet roads at different locations, save open lands in Serilingampally and lakes in Tellapur from encroachment.

Presently, efforts are on to save Patel Cheruvu at Miyapur from land grabbers, says Panasrama Krishna, a member of the organisation.

“Majority of our RTI applications pertain to delay in issue of passports, negligence in laying roads, encroachments of government properties,” says Vandana Bidesi.

Most of these members at one time or other faced trouble in getting things done with different departments. This is where RTI Act helped and now the members want to help others to reap benefits under the Act, says Raghavendra Addepalli.

Despite the right to demand service from government offices, people are made to run from pillar to post in solving their problems.

This apart, many offices, including GHMC West zone circle and BSNL Chandanagar wing in twin cities even now have not appointed Public Information Officers, points out R. Meghashyam.

“We assist in filing RTI applications, propagate the benefits and save encroachments of public properties,” says Shivanand.

Helpline

This year, the organisation plans to conduct free RTI sessions at different colleges in city. Contact them on their website ‘www.itmd-india.org' or helpline Ph.99663-11692.

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