Parliament panel seeks people`s view on RTI Amendment Bill
A Parliamentary Committee has sought people`s suggestion on RTI Amendment Bill which is aimed at giving immunity to political parties from providing information.
|Last Updated: Sep 22, 2013, 12:14 PM IST|Source: Bureau
New Delhi: A Parliamentary Committee has sought people`s suggestion on RTI Amendment Bill which is aimed at giving immunity to political parties from providing information.
The Right to Information (Amendment) Bill 2013 was introduced on August 12 in the Lok Sabha by Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions V Narayanasamy. It was referred to Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice headed by Rajya Sabha MP Shantaram Naik.
The bill intends to amend the Act to keep the political parties out of the purview of the RTI Act, with a view to remove the adverse effects of the decision of the Central Information Commission dated June 3, 2013 which has held that six political parties are public authorities under the transparency law, said an advertisement seeking people`s view or suggestion in this regard.
The Committee has invited memoranda containing views or suggestions from the individuals or organisations in connection with the Bill. The panel will also hear select oral evidence from stake holders concerned.
People can send in their views or suggestions within 15 days time, according to the advertisement that appeared in newspapers yesterday.
The Union Cabinet had last month cleared a proposal to amend the RTI Act. The Cabinet`s decision had come nearly two months after the Central Information Commission`s order of bringing six national political parties -- Congress, BJP, NCP, CPI-M, CPI and BSP -- under the RTI Act.
The government has proposed an amendment in Section 2 of the Act, which defines public authority, to shield the political parties.
The amendments are proposed to make it clear that the definition of public authority shall not include any political party registered under the Representation of the People Act.
The CIC had held that the six national parties have been substantially funded indirectly by the central government and were required to appoint public information officers as they have the character of a public authority under the RTI Act.
The order had evoked sharp reactions from political parties, especially Congress which has been credited with bringing in the transparency law. Many RTI activists have opposed the proposed amendments.
PTI
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.