On RTI’s tenth anniversary, info watchdogs under the scannner | Latest News India - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

On RTI’s tenth anniversary, info watchdogs under the scannner

Hindustan Times | By, New Delhi
Oct 14, 2015 12:34 AM IST

On RTI law’s tenth anniversary, the information watchdog is coming under the scanner.

On RTI law’s tenth anniversary, the information watchdog is coming under the scanner.

A civil society-driven analysis of 2,000 verdicts delivered by the Central Information Commission and state panels in three states have indicted the info watchdogs for over 15 counts.(Illustration: Jayanto)
A civil society-driven analysis of 2,000 verdicts delivered by the Central Information Commission and state panels in three states have indicted the info watchdogs for over 15 counts.(Illustration: Jayanto)

A civil society-driven analysis of 2,000 verdicts delivered by the Central Information Commission and state panels in three states have indicted the info watchdogs for over 15 counts, right from forcing applicants to pay for delayed information or deciding cases in violation of the law.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

Besides the central information commission, the study commissioned by the National Campaign for Peoples’ Right to Information (NCPRI) took up verdicts delivered in three states, Rajasthan, Bihar and Assam. It classified the shortcomings into 15 categories.

The orders were analysed in terms of their conformity with the law, clarity of reasoning and completeness in terms of listing the relevant information. More than half of all orders analysed did not record the critical facts such as dates, information sought, decision by public authority and grounds for their decision. This leads to lack of accountability as the legitimacy of orders cannot be judged in absence of the facts of the case, said Anjali Bhardwaj.

Central information commissioner M Sridhar Acharyulu said he could not respond without studying the interim findings but agreed with its conclusion: that the generous dose of training could do a great deal of good to the information commissioners, and right to information appellants.

Acharyulu, however, cautioned against mechanical application of the law, arguing that if the CIC went strictly by the law and rules, it would have to turn back most appellants.

PM to keep his date with RTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the RTI convention later this week to mark the 10th year of the transparency law.

The PM’s decision comes just a day after the Congress called his inability to make it to the convention to commemorate the transparency law as a “manifestation of the larger design to kill the Right to Information Act”.

The Prime Minister’s Office had earlier advised the central information commission to shift the convention by a few days from October 12-13 to October 16-17 in view of his other engagements. Finance minister Arun Jaitley was

requested to stand in for Modi. But the PMO had second thoughts on Tuesday. “We have just now received information that the PM would be able to come,” a government source told HT.

Unveiling 'Elections 2024: The Big Picture', a fresh segment in HT's talk show 'The Interview with Kumkum Chadha', where leaders across the political spectrum discuss the upcoming general elections. Watch now!

Get Current Updates on Election 2024, India News, Lok Sabha Election 2024 LIVE along with Latest News and Top Headlines from India and around the world.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
  • ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    author-default-90x90

    Aloke Tikku has covered internal security, transparency and politics for Hindustan Times. He has a keen interest in legal affairs and dabbles in data journalism.

SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Tuesday, March 19, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On