Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 73
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 74
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Warning (512): Unable to emit headers. Headers sent in file=/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php line=853 [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 48]
Warning (2): Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php:853) [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 148]
Warning (2): Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php:853) [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 181]
Notice (8): Undefined variable: urlPrefix [APP/Template/Layout/printlayout.ctp, line 8]latest-news-updates/decision-to-keep-cbi-out-of-rti-is-illegal-illegitimate-by-chetan-chauhan-8497.html"/> LATEST NEWS UPDATES | ‘Decision to keep CBI out of RTI is illegal, illegitimate’ by Chetan Chauhan | Im4change.org
Resource centre on India's rural distress
 
 

‘Decision to keep CBI out of RTI is illegal, illegitimate’ by Chetan Chauhan


The government’s decision to exempt the CBI from the RTI Act has been termed as “illegal and illegitimate” by civil society activists.

On Saturday, the members — Team Anna and the National Campaign for People’s Right to Information (NCPRI) — lambasted the move, saying it revealed the government’s true colours on the transparency issue.

“It only serves the government’s purpose to keep the CBI corrupt, opaque and thus pliant. As long as the CBI remains within the control of the government, we cannot expect any systemic changes to be introduced,” said team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal.

A statement signed by Aruna Roy and prominent RTI activists, on behalf of NCPRI, said the government was mandated by law to exempt only intelligence gathering or security related agencies from the Act.

Civil society members across the country also felt that the Cabinet decision will open a Pandora’s Box with state governments exempting its local investigating agencies from the purview of the law.

Tamil Nadu has already kept its anti-corruption department and the state Vigilance Commission outside the purview of the Act. “Others will know follow suit,” the statement said.

What has angered the activists is that the government hurriedly agreed with the CBI’s proposal for exemption without any public debate at a time when the agency is investigating high profile cases such as the CWG and 2G scams.

The CBI said the RTI law was putting their officers at risk by exposing their identity.

“Suppose we start providing all this information, any official will think twice before writing his opinion about any case as the affected party can drag him to court,” said a senior CBI official.