At a time when protest against corruption is making headlines across the country, crusaders for people’s rights are at the receiving end in Bihar. An RTI activist from Rohtas, Ashok Paswan (49), has allegedly received a threat to his life for seeking information on alleged financial irregularities in disbursement of loans to farmers by a nationalised bank in the district. “I received a call on my mobile around 5.30pm on Friday. The...
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Hazare runs into civil society protest by Radhika Ramaseshan
The National Campaign for People’s Right to Information has rejected Anna Hazare’s Jan Lokpal bill and said it had sent its version of the proposed anti-graft law to the parliamentary standing committee that is examining the Centre’s draft. At a media interaction today, NCPRI members Aruna Roy and Harsh Mander, who are also part of the Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory Council (NAC), emphasised the importance of the standing committee which, they...
More »Hazare group's methods annoy Aruna Roy, others by Vidya Subrahmaniam
The National Campaign for People's Right to Information (NCPRI) said on Saturday that while it fully backed anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare and his team on their right to agitate for a Jan Lokpal Bill, it had strong reservations over the methods adopted by the group and disagreed with the provisions of their Bill. The NCPRI objected in particular to the ultimatums flowing from Ramlila Maidan — where Mr. Hazare is fasting...
More »Anil Ambani's R-Infra challenges SIC order bringing company under RTI ambit
-PTI Anil Ambani-led Reliance Infrastructure Ltd has challenged an order passed by the State Information Commission bringing the company under the ambit of the Right to Information Act in the Bombay High Court, arguing that it is a private company and not a public authority. The SIC on July 19 passed an order bringing R-Infra under the ambit of the RTI after observing that though it was a private company, it...
More »South Asian human rights forum condemns Hazare arrest
-IANS South Asians for Human Rights (SAHR) has condemned the arrest of social activist Anna Hazare and others before they launched their agitation for an effective Lokpal bill as "ultra vires" of the Indian constitution. SAHR chairperson Hina Jilani of Pakistan said in a statement that in a democracy all citizens have a right to protest peacefully and the government must uphold the citizens' fundamental right of speech and expression. "This act of...
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