Manipur State Information Commission on Tuesday resumed hearing of complaints over WhatsApp video as part of its social distancing initiative and to avoid further spread of coronavirus.
The commission conducted hearing of two appeals related to social welfare department over WhatsApp video on Tuesday.
A statement issued by G. Shantikumar Kabui, deputy secretary of the commission said it was decided to resume hearing of the complaints and appeals to ensure that Right to Information is not denied to citizens of Manipur even during the lockdown.
Work of the commission remained suspended due to coronavirus fear and the lockdown. But the Central Information Commission recently instructed the state commissions to resume the hearings through audio/video conference and minimise physical presence during the hearings.
"All the stakeholders including the state public information officers were informed about the extraordinary situation requiring extraordinary action during the coronavirus pandemic. The Right to Information Act is a common man's act and the commission is making all possible efforts to protect the rights of the information seekers in the state," the statement said.
The commission also sought opinion from RTI activists and state public information officers about the arrangemets taken up so far by the commission.
Manipur has reported five COVID-19 positive cases so far, of which two were discharged after recovery. Three persons are still in hospitals.
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