PREFACE

The Right to Information Act (RTI) came into force on 12^th October, 2005. This single piece of legislation has given every citizen the power to seek and receive any information, barring a few exceptions of classified nature, and has changed the existing equation between those who govern and the governed. It has empowered the citizens to know the ‘what’ and ‘how’ of all Governmental action thereby promoting openness, transparency and accountability in the working of all public authorities as never before.

This empowerment would, however, be real only on successful implementation of the Act and is directly proportional to the degree of commitment within the Government at all levels in general and of the bureaucracy in particular. It would also depend upon the understanding of the beneficial effect of this act on good governance.

Dissemination of information about the Act and its rules and procedures is a pre-requisite for enabling better understanding. As a statutory body under the Government of India, it is mandatory for ESIC to implement the RTI Act, in both letter and spirit.

This manual is a compilation of all relevant information about ESIC set out in 17 chapters for the benefit of all citizens in general and the beneficiaries of ESIC in particular.

I hope that the publication of this Manual will enable all stake holders to have a better understanding of ESIC.

(RAMESH INDER SINGH)

Director General