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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Enough transparency without RTI: Govt

Enough transparency without RTI: Govt

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published Published on Aug 3, 2013   modified Modified on Aug 3, 2013
-The Telegraph


New Delhi: When the Union cabinet yesterday decided to amend the Right to Information Act to exempt political parties from its ambit, it argued that citizens already have several legal avenues to find out about the donations the parties receive and details of their poll candidates.

The cabinet approved the draft bill to be introduced in the coming Parliament session to amend the 2005 act, excluding political parties from the definition of "public authority". This will be done to nullify the recent Central Information Commission order that said political parties were public authorities under Section 2(h) of the RTI Act.

The commission primarily relied on the argument that there was substantial (indirect) financing of political parties by the Centre (in the form of cheap land allotment and the like) and that the parties performed a public duty.

But the cabinet felt that political parties do not qualify as "public authority" because they are not officially appointed but are registered and recognised only under the Representation of the People Act, 1951.

The government's move has the support of all political parties, who have united despite their differences on an issue that endangers their existence. It was the CPM, known to take the high moral ground on most subjects, that took the lead in attacking the commission order. The BJP, a stringent critic of the government, too sang along with everybody.

The cabinet stressed that the Representation of the People Act already forced political parties to reveal information on candidates and donations. The act asks the parties to declare the donations they received (Section 29C), their assets and liabilities (Section 75A), and their poll expenses (Section 77), and to place their accounts with the district election officer (Section 78). It lays down penalties for filing false affidavits (Section 125A).

Justifying the cabinet move, Union law minister Kapil Sibal said: "Political parties are not public authorities. A political party is a voluntary association of persons. People can join or leave a party. We get elected; we are not appointed like officials. Parties will not be able to function if they are brought within the RTI Act. We will not be able to open our minds within our party."

Sibal argued that if political parties were to be under the RTI's ambit, they would be flooded with applications seeking information on candidate selection, who dissented or differed on which decision, and other such sensitive details.

Asked why the government had not gone to court against the commission's order and decided to amend the law instead, Sibal said this was a "matter of urgency" because the commission order was operative.

Government sources also argued that under Section 13A of the Income Tax Act, 1961, political parties claiming tax exemption need to file their returns before the due date along with audited accounts and a Form 24A - prescribed under Section 29C of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, and read with Rule 85B of the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961 - declaring the list of persons who donated sums over Rs 20,000 to these parties.

Sibal said the government might approach the Supreme Court for a review of both its recent verdicts affecting politicians: one disqualifying lawmakers from their House immediately on their conviction in any criminal case; the other barring anyone in jail, even as an undertrial, from contesting elections.

"We could go back to the Supreme Court saying you ignored certain aspects," the law minister said, adding that the government could seek a "legislative remedy" if the legal challenge failed.

The cabinet yesterday also cleared a proposal to amend the Whistleblowers' Protection Bill, 2012. Under the new provisions, a nodal officer will be designated in each ministry to look into corruption complaints from whistleblowers, which earlier went only to the Central Vigilance Commission. The proposed amendment is expected to speed up the disposal of such complaints.


The Telegraph, 3 August, 2013, http://www.telegraphindia.com/1130803/jsp/nation/story_17190505.jsp#.Uf0WNG2M-o8


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