- When the Government announced that it will bring the bill in the Parliament to do away with the decision of CIC ruling that political parties are covered u/s 2(h) of the RTI Act (see BCAJ of July 2013) RTI Activists all over the country huddled together in a group and held the view that it is appropriate that political parties should be considered as “public authority”. Disregarding civil society’s strong objection as all political parties are in favour of exempting themselves from the RTI Act, Government tabled the bill in the Lok Sabha on 14-08-2013. Same reads as under:
BE it enacted by Parliament in the Sixty-fourth year of the Republic of India as follows: –
1. (1) This Act may be called the Right to Information (Amendment) Act, 2013 (2) It shall be deemed to have come into force on the 3rd day of June, 2013.
2. In section 2 of the Right to Information Act, 2005 (hereinafter referred to as the principal Act), in clause (h), the following Explanation shall be inserted, namely:-
‘Explanation- The expression “authority or body or institution of self-government established or constituted” by any law made by Parliament shall not include any association or body of individuals registered or recognised as political party under the Representation of the People Act, 1951.’
3. After section 31 of the principal Act, the following section shall be inserted, namely:-
“32. Notwithstanding anything contained in any judgment, decree or order of any court or commission, the provisions of this Act, as amended by the Right to Information (Amendment) Act, 2013, shall have effect and shall be deemed always to have effect, in the case of any association or body of individuals registered or recognised as political party under the Representation of the People Act, 1951 or any other law for the time being in force and the rules made or notifications issued thereunder.”
It is interesting to note that Prime Minister in his Independence Day speech on 15-08-2013 covered RTI as under:
“Through the Right to Information Act, the common man gets more information than ever before about the work of the government. This legislation is being used on a large scale at all levels. The Act frequently brings to light irregularities and corruption and opens the door for improvements. I am sure that the RTI will lead to further improvements in the way the government functions.”
Isn’t this a contradiction that in his speech he states “I am sure that the RTI will lead to further improvements in the way the government functions,” while by introducing the RTI Amendment Bill it excludes the way political parties function?
• In BCAJ of June 2013, it was reported that online RTI facility is created by the Government. The portal is a facility for Indian citizens to file RTI applications online and first appeals and also to make online payment of RTI fees. The facility was then made available only by a few ministries/ departments.
Now DoPT has extended facility of online filing of RTI Application and the first appeal to all ministries. Office Memorandum, dated 30-07-2013 reads as under:
Subject: Extension of RTI web portal for online filing of RTI application.
1. In continuation of this Department’s O.M. of even number dated 22-04-2013, it is intimated that the facility of RTI online web portal has been extended to 37 Ministries/ Departments of Government of India, so far (list enclosed). It is planned to extend this facility to all the remaining Ministries/Departments of Government of India by mid-August, 2013. This facility is presently not proposed to be extended for field offices/attached/subordinate offices.
2. It is again requested that training to all the CPIOs and First Appellate Authorities (FAAs) may be provided by the concerned Ministry/ Department, through the officials trained by DoPT/NIC. If required, further training can be provided by DoPT/NIC, on the request of the concerned Ministry/Department. User name/ password to all the CPIOs and FAAs are to be provided by RTI Nodal Officers of the concerned Ministry/Department. It is imperative that the RTI Nodal Officers update the details of the CPIOs/ FAAs in the system and issue user name and password to them at the earliest.
List of 37 ministries/departments include: –
1. DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC AFFAIRS
2. DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE
3. DEPARTMENT OF HEAVY INDUSTRY
4. MINISTRY OF SHIPPING
5. MINISTRY OF CORPORATE AFFAIRS
Full list & further details can be viewed on https:// rtionline.gov.in
• Mrs. Deepak Sandhu succeeds Shri Satyananda Mishra as Chief Information Commissioner at Central Information Commission.
