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: 150
 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: 151
 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]
LATEST NEWS UPDATES | PM should instil more transparency in RTI Act instead curtailing it

PM should instil more transparency in RTI Act instead curtailing it

Share this article Share this article
published Published on Oct 16, 2011   modified Modified on Oct 16, 2011
-The Economic Times
 
It is unfortunate that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has joined the ranks of those critical of the Right to Information (RTI) Act. He should be at the forefront of efforts to instil more transparency in the process of government, not less. 

The PM raised three specific concerns; these are legitimate and need to be addressed. A flood of RTI requests wasting civil service time in processing them is one. Another is RTI applications prising officers' comments and observations out of context, opening them to misinterpretation and, thereby, inhibiting officers from giving their honest opinions transparently. 

And the third one is the adequacy of the exemption list in the Act, excluding certain kinds of information from disclosure under the Act. The first two are readily remedied by delivering on this government's inaugural promise, contained in the President's speech of June 4, 2009, to implement "a public data policy to place all information covering non-strategic areas in the public domain". 

That is to say, instead of waiting for requests for piecemeal information, the government would proactively disclose all documents that do not contain privileged information. Such a data policy would obviate the need to deal with a flood of information requests, and also rule out statements being taken out of context - the context, too, would be part of the disclosure. As to what all needs to be exempt from disclosure, the Act's existing list seems fairly comprehensive. 

In fact, too comprehensive, given the reality that corporate intelligence and journalists routinely access much of the information contained in the exempt list, making the aam aadmi the only loser to be kept out of the loop. People look up to Dr Singh as a bright spot in the political firmament, rising above its customary cloud of venality. 

If he, too, signals a desire to draw a thicker veil over the government, it would send altogether the wrong signal on where the government stands in the ongoing battle against corruption. We hope the PM would make it unambiguously clear that he stands by his government's promise on a new data policy. And nothing carries conviction like prompt action.


The Economic Times, 17 October, 2011, http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/opinion/pm-should-instil-more-transparency-in-rti-act-instead-curtailing-it/articleshow/10382719.cms


Related Articles

 

Write Comments

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

Video Archives

Archives

share on Facebook
Twitter
RSS
Feedback
Read Later

Contact Form

Please enter security code
      Close