Mahiti Adhikar Manch (MAM), launched on 1st January 2006 is a group of active users of Right to Information. Our sole vision is “to improve Governance by bringing about Accountability and Transparency in systems, using the RTI Act 2005.”
MAM networks specifically with RTI propagators/activists/users, public spirited citizens and empowering groups pan India including those in various states. Our volunteers are recognized by Government of Maharashtra’s Training institute as certified Trainers. Because of our intense grass-root level involvement on the field and practical experiences that we have gone through, we are able to give very meaningful, practical and effective Awareness, usage and training Sessions to ordinary citizens, public authorities, Government departments, schools, colleges as well as employees of Public and Private Sector undertakings which are well accepted by these institutions. We conduct Mass Awareness Campaigns (2 to 3 days), some of them at various railway Stations in Mumbai, Brihan Mumbai Mahanagar Palika and at public areas like parks, etc. which were very useful to citizens. These “Mass Awareness Campaigns on RTI” have reached more than 8,00,000 population.
MAM has a special role of interacting with the government authorities on behalf of the RTI community to improve the service delivery and proper implementation of the RTI Act. Our members are on the RTI Technical Advisory Committee of the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai, which was started through our persistent follow up. This Committee meets regularly and ensures that as much information that citizens need is pro-actively given on the website. It also takes up issues that are hampering good governance and tries to improve them.
MAM believes in empowering people and has trained many individuals to run RTI Clinics in the city of Mumbai so that help is available conveniently. We also conduct a weekly “Rights Empowerment Centre” which guides citizens on all governance issues and provides them with tools that could help them resolve these for better governance. We have been instrumental in starting the first University Post Graduate Diploma Course in RTI and the second batch is now in progress.
MAM has pioneered the use of RTI for doing Social Audits in Urban areas. We are mobilizing citizens into Social Audit Local Teams(SALT) to conduct Social Audit of Works done by Public Authorities and also conduct JanSunvai (public hearing of various finding ).
MAM is now taking Good Governance to the doorsteps of people through the “Empowerment Van” which will guide them about various empowering tools and encourage them to use these to bring about better living environment.