The Haryana Government, which has emerged as the fourth best e-governed state in the country according to the findings of a national survey, now plans to add another facility for the benefit of those seeking information under the Right to Information (RTI) Act and the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) Act.

Keeping in mind the difficulties of the rural poor, the government’s decision to create a helpline for RTI and NREGS will empower villagers to obtain the required information without hassles.

Sources with the Haryana Government say while the helpline for NREGS has already been created in the state, the RTI helpline will be in operation by March next year.

The panchayat and village development department has launched the toll-free helpline number for NREGS — 18001802023.

Villagers from any part of the state can register their complaints or seek information about NREGS with the help of this number.

The NREGS helpline will keep a record of the complaint. A code number of the complaint will be given to the information seeker.

The helpline will facilitate passing of the required information to the government personnel concerned, the BDO or the panchayat officer.

For providing information under the RTI Act, a 24-hour helpline, separate counters at e-Disha centres and post offices will be set up. HARTRON has prepared a detailed action plan about providing information to the consumers.

The RTI helpline will be manned by a call centre in the state. A team of qualified personnel, having full knowledge of governance and procedures, will be given a toll-free number with eight to 10 phone lines.

Sources with HARTRON say the system will have an automotive voice recording system (AVR) and the call will be attended by an employee of the centre.

The NGOs in the state have welcomed the government’s move to facilitate information under the RTI and the NREGS.

Krishan Tyagi of the Society for Participatory Research in Asia (PRIA) said their organisation under the banner Sanjha Kadam, a conglomeration of NGOs from the state, had been trying to create general awareness among rural people with regard to seeking information under the RTI and NREGS.