6/27/2015

10yearsafterRTI,transparencyundercloudTheHindu

TODAY'SPAPERNATIONAL

NEWDELHI,May16,2015

10yearsafterRTI,transparencyundercloud
VIDYAVENKAT

TenyearsaftertheRighttoInformationActwaspassedbytheRajyaSabhaonMay12,2005,itsimplementationremainsinefficientand
transparencyandaccountabilityseemtobeunderthreatinIndia.
Expertscitepoorrecordkeepingpracticeswithinthebureaucracy,lackofinfrastructureandstaffforrunningInformationCommissions,and
dilutionofsupplementarylawssuchastheoneforwhistleblowerprotectionasreasonsforthis.
MadabhushiSridhar,InformationCommissionerattheCentralInformationCommission,says:Inmyoffice,mysecretarydoublesupasthe
stenographer,registrar,deputyregistrarandpersonalassistantwhomustalsorespondtolettersmyofficereceives.Comparethiswiththe
kindofstaffsupportcourtsreceive.Withsuchpoorstaffinghowcanwebeexpectedtodischargeourresponsibilitiesefficiently?
Hepointstotheproblemsposedbymissingfilesingovernmentoffices.Theinformationsoughtbycitizenscanbeprovidedonlyifthe
recordsaremaintainedproperly.IftheRTIhastosucceed,thenthePublicRecordsActmustbeimplemented,hesays.
Inefficientimplementationhasdelayedthesettlementofinformationappeals.AnOctober2014reportbroughtoutbytheRTIAssessment
andAnalysisGroup(RAAG)showedawaitingperiodofupto60yearsinMadhyaPradeshandupto18yearsinWestBengal,calculatedon
thebasisofcurrentratesofpendencyinInformationCommissions.Inlessthan3percentofcases,penaltieswereimposedongovernment
departmentsdenyinginformationsought,AmritaJohriofSatarkNagarikSangathansays.
WhattheRTIActhasmanagedtoachieveinthelastdecadeistounleashasilentcitizensmovementforgovernmentaccountabilityacross
thecountry.TheRAAGreportfoundthatonanaverage,45millionapplicationsarefiledundertheActeveryyear.Butthishasnotbeen
withoutitsnegativeconsequences.Fortyactivistswhohaddemandedcrucialinformation,withthepotentialtoexposecorruptionwithinthe
government,hadbeenkilled.Thishasnecessitatedsupplementarylawssuchaswhistleblowerprotectionlawstoensureprotectionfor
informationactivists.
Dilutedlaws
ButtheWhistleblowersProtection(Amendment),Bill,2015,passedbytheLokSabhaonWednesdayhasrenewedconcernsregardingthe
vulnerabilityofinformationseekersmakingdisclosuresinthepublicinterest.Theoriginalintentionofthewhistleblowerprotectionlawwas
toprotectcitizensdisclosinginformationregardingwrongdoinginthelargerpublicinterest.Buttheproposedamendmentshaveturnedthe
lawintoaWhistleblowerPreventionandVictimisationAct,quipsVenkateshNayak,AccesstoInformationprogrammecoordinatorat
CommonwealthHumanRightsInitiative.Theamendmentsdonotprovideimmunitytowhistleblowers,makingthemliableforprosecution
undertheOfficialSecretsAct,hesays.
TheBillcompletelydilutestheprovisionsoftheearlierlawremovingeverythingexemptedunderSection8(1)oftheRTIActfromwithinthe
ambitofwhistleblowing.Ifthegovernmentwantedtoensurethatsensitiveinformationregardingnationalsecurity,integrity,etc.,isnot
madepublic,thenthelawcouldhavebeenappropriatelyamendedtoensureadditionalsafeguardsorbymakingprovisionsforamechanism
forconfidentialdisclosure.Whatissoughttobedonenowisablanketbanondisclosurescontainingsensitiveinformation,AnjaliBharadwaj
ofSatarkNagarikSangathansays.
Empoweringcitizens
Despitethesedevelopments,thecultureoftransparencybroughtaboutbytheRTIActinthepastdecadehasnowmadeiteasierforcitizens
toaccessparliamentaryproceedingsonline,andtrackproceedingsofvariousStatelegislatures.However,thelegislaturesintheNortheast
andlowercourtsareyettoputupdocumentsregardingtheirproceedingsproactively,activistssay.
Commentingontheriseofanentirepoliticalmovementonthebasisofthemovementfortransparencyandaccountabilityintheformofthe
AamAadmiPartysince2011,ShankarSingh,afoundermemberoftheMazdoorKisanShaktiSangathaninRajasthan,says,Thereis
http://www.thehindu.com/todayspaper/tpnational/10yearsafterrtitransparencyundercloud/article7212302.ece

1/2

6/27/2015

10yearsafterRTI,transparencyundercloudTheHindu

somethingaboutthenatureofpoliticalpowerthatcorruptspeoplenomatterhowdedicatedtheymightbetothecauseoftransparency.That
iswhyweneedtocontinuetoempowerordinarypeoplewithtoolsliketheRTIsotheycanholdthoseholdingpoliticalpoweraccountable.
MOREFROMTHEHINDU

BJP,CongresssparoverLalitModi
tweets

NIAtoldmetogosoftinMalegaon
2008blastcase:RohiniSalian

26/06/2015

25/06/2015

Kanganabreaksrecords

Donttakeawayourautonomy:IIMs

04/06/2015

26/06/2015

FROMAROUNDTHEWEB

Recommendedby

http://www.thehindu.com/todayspaper/tpnational/10yearsafterrtitransparencyundercloud/article7212302.ece

2/2