Tata Steel is perhaps one among those few corporate houses who have taken forward the responsibility of developing citizenry awareness on Right to Information in its periphery community of its operational locations at most difficult geographical areas in collaboration with Centre for Youth and Social Development (CYSD), Bhubaneswar. The first phase of the program starting from October 2009 was implemented for a period of six months directly aimed at the rural community and the PRI representatives besides with a view of capacity building of Tata Steel Rural Development Society (TSRDS) staff in the field of RTI. The turning point from the entire exercises has been making the local youths and women-led SHGs more vibrant and industrious to support as best resources and effective medium for further propagation of the RTI Act.

The RTI campaign was first launched at Sukinda. While launching RTI awareness campaign in a Mega Health Camp organized by TSRDS in Rangamatia village in Sukinda block of Jajpur district. During the launching function, Honorable State Information Commissioner, Shri Jagadananda informed the gathering since Tata Steel is synonymous with exemplary values and practices in corporate social responsibility in global corporate environment, this initiative of creating RTI awareness at the village level by TSRDS will take the highest principles of corporate social responsibility to the next level. It will be both an example and inspiration for the corporate sector in India, he added.

The main objective behind mainstreaming Right to Information is to broaden its use among beneficiary communities, Project staff, CSR unit staff, PRI representatives and local youths and thereby ensuring that they build up knowledge and confidence to utilize it with appropriateness and also enable them to participate in the decision making process at local governance institutions.

During the first phase of six months period, Tata Steel along with CYSD has been organizing RTI workshops on awareness in the peripheral areas of its project areas like Sukinda, Bamanipal and Joda. More than 5000 villagers of Jajpur and Keonjhar benefitted from the process through Women SHGs, Youth Clubs and Civil Society Organsiations. Further around 100 PRI members of Keonjhar and Jajpur district also participated in the RTI awareness program.

The short term initiative undertaken by the Company to transform the marginalized communities into active, awakened and vigorous ones has paid off. The communities around the project locations are now fully encouraged and charged to use the powerful weapon of RTI in order to ensure transparency and accountability and at the same time feeling rejuvenated to claim their rights and entitlements, particularly in the context of different welfare schemes and programmes through increasing use of RTI.