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Resource centre on India's rural distress
 
 

Amendment to RTI Act opposed

-The Times of India
 
The Aruna Roy-founded Rozgar Evum Suchna Ka Adhikar Abhiyan has decided to oppose any amendment to the Right To Information (RTI) Act. The Abhiyan, in an internal meeting, has decided to hold demonstrations and meetings to spread the word and halt any move to this effect.

Recently Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has expressed views that the RTI Act was adversely affecting deliberations in the government and deterring honest officials from expressing their views on file. Even Law minister Salman Khurshid had felt that not only the government but even the judiciary was experiencing difficulties due to the act and so there was a need to amend the Act. Later, however, he clarified that the government was not planning to take a "relook" at the Act.

"In the meeting it was decided that Act does not need any amendment and any move to this effect will be strongly opposed. Already Aruna Royhas opposed and condemned the statements of the Prime Minister and that of the law minister Salman Khurshid," said Kamal Tak of the Abhiyan.

The meeting felt that the amendment, if any, would aim to make file notings of bureaucrats an exception to the Act and that is why the Union government was keen on it.

"From what we have learnt is that the government plans to make file notings an exception to the Act and thus cover up issues. Alternatively, there is also a move wherein such notings would only be made available under the Act only if it is in public interest. But then who will decide any such information sought is of public interest ? It will obviously be the public information officer (PIO) who is also a government official. Therefore how can he take such a decision," Tak asked.

The MKSS meeting decided that if at all the government wants to make any amendment in the Act, the proposals must first be scrutinized by the people and only then should it be implemented. "Section 4 I (c) of the Act provided that any amendment to be made in the Act must first be approved by the people and only then should it be implemented. Therefore, we would be making moves to ensure that if the government is bringing up any amendment it must first have the consensus of the people," he added.

The Abhiyan will also be organising seminars to make the public aware of the moves and provisions of the Act so that any move by the government to change the Act is halted.