CPI MP P Sandosh Kumar writes to PM Modi, slams Economic Survey’s stand on RTI Act
The CPI MP said that any attempt to dilute its spirit strikes at the core of constitutional governance.
The CPI MP said that any attempt to dilute its spirit strikes at the core of constitutional governance.
The meeting focused on the selection of the Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) and the Commissioner of the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC).
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday sharply criticised the Narendra Modi-led government for systematically weakening the Right to Information (RTI) Act, describing it as an attack on democracy and citizens’ fundamental rights.
A Pune-based activist Prafful Sarda had filed an RTI query in May seeking details and circumstances that culminated in the PM's photo plus message figuring on all the privileged, but provisional, Covid Vaccination Certificates (CVC).
Undoubtedly, the RTI Act in its original form was one of the most liberal pieces of legislation aimed at enhancing transparency and democratic values. As such, in order to fulfil their perceived role effectively, the CIC and the ICs had been given a status which would enable them to have the power to review the functioning of the government's public information officials and give suitable directions to serve public interest as understood by the rule of thumb definition.
In 2010, the Delhi HC had held that the office of the CJI comes within the ambit of the RTI law, stating that judicial independence was not a judge's privilege but a responsibility cast upon him.
Despite having a new parliamentary affairs minister and new whips, the BJP leaders were able to overcome their minority status in the House of Elders by dividing the opposition and isolating the Congress.
The opposition wants the bill along with seven others to be sent to a Joint Select Committee for further discussion and scrutiny.
The RTI (Amendment) Bill, 2019 seeks to make changes to the landmark transparency law and later the salary and tenure structures of Information Commissioners (ICs) in the states and at the Centre.
The Bank, after a meeting of its board of directors on Saturday evening announced; “J&K Bank implements RTI and CVC guidelines for better governance and strong accountability framework”.
