This mobile Clinic was held at Shivagurunathan College, Batticaloa on 16.03.2019 with the participation of approximately 400 citizens. The youth organization AFRIEL made the
invitation and fundamental publicity activities to the citizens.
Chaired by Mrs. Ramanie Gunawardhane, Additional Secretary to the Ministry of Mass Media, this programme was conducted with the participation of Mrs. J. Muralidaran, Deputy Chief Secretary of the province representing the Eastern province, the Additional District Secretaries of both Batticaloa and Ampara District Secretariats along with Divisional Secretaries of Batticaloa district as well as Mr. K Jayantha, Director Media and Mrs. Sudharma Karunarathne, Assistant Secretary both of the Ministry of Mass Media.
Besides, former Director General of Information Commission, Mr. Piyatissa Ranasinghe, Attorney – at – Law Mr. Jagath Liyanaarachchi, Lecturer at the University of Colombo, Dr. Pradeep Weerasinghe and Lecturer at the University of Jaffna, Mr. Raghuram participated as resource persons.
Providing a preliminary understanding about the right to information after the inauguration of the event, they were divided into five (05) groups. Subsequently, each resource person was handed over the groups and allowed to table issues of the citizens. How to use the right to information act in connection to the said issues was taught while members of AFRIEL came forward to render required support for these citizens followed by a further feedback.
What is a public authority in completing an application and who would be the information officer was made aware to the citizens?
Most of the citizens tabled issues pertaining to land right at these group discussions. Most of the fisher families are void of ownership even today to lands distributed subsequent to Tsunami calamity whereas the former lands have been released to hoteliers. In addition to that, issues pertaining to road and transportation issues as well as missing persons were forwarded. It was informed the road to a certain village was in a poor state that the SLTB bus has stopped running due to the village.
The citizens forwarded similar type of issues whereas they were made aware of how to request information from divisional secretariat, district secretariat, road development authority and depot and what information they should demand for.