Concerns raised as Centre moves to amend RTI law in Parliament session

New Delhi: A bill to amend the law on Right to Information has been listed for passing for monsoon session.

According to NDTV report, government sources earlier indicated that this bill is only for the revision of salaries of RTI officers. Opposition and activists believed that this could weaken the RTI law. 

Under RTI, the Chief Information Commissioner at Centre gets the same salary as Chief Election Commissioner.

The move to bring salaries of RTI officers under central and state government and not Parliament may influence freedom of officials to make the correct decision that would include going against the government.

Department of Personnel and Training said that it wouldn’t be a good practice to link salaries of Information Commissioners to Election Commissioners. The reason it cited was that the Election Commission is a constitutional body whose main aim is to provide free and fair election. On the other hand, the Information Commission is a statutory body who look into complaints, requests for information under RTI. 

One of the RTI activists, Anjali Bharadwaj had sought information on the proposed bill from the Department of Personnel and Training. The DoPT in its response said that the bill is under consideration and due to which further information couldn’t be provided. She also said, "We will be holding protests once the session starts against any amendment to this crucial act."

The amendment bill has been listed for "introduction, consideration and passing" in the monsoon session of parliament. The session will be held from July 18 to August 10.

The opposition parties are yet to figure out their plan, though Left parties said that they will raise mob killing and lynching issue and seek PM Modi’s reply on it.