Govt to bring bill to amend RTI

The UPA government is likely to move a bill in the forthcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament seeking amendments to the RTI Act to overturn a Central Information Commission order bringing six national political parties under the transparency law. The law and justice ministry had earlier cleared the ordinance route to amend the Right to Information Act. However, sources said that since the dates of the Monsoon Session have been announced and some parties have expressed uneasiness over supporting the ordinance route, it has been decided to bring a bill before the Parliament. It is learnt that talks with all major parties have been concluded and they are likely to support the government on the bill. It is understood that the BJP and the Samajawadi Party have maintained that it will be difficult for them to support the Ordinance route to amend the RTI Act because they are opposing the Ordinance on food security. The two parties have, however, said they would support amendments if they are brought in form of a bill in the upcoming session beginning August 5, sources said. The amendments state that declaring political parties as public authorities under the Right to Information Act would “hamper their smooth internal functioning since it will encourage political rivals to file RTI applications with malicious intentions”. The CIC had in its June 3 order said six national parties — Congress, BJP, NCP, CPI-M, CPI and BSP — have been substantially funded indirectly by the Central government and they have the character of public authority under the RTI Act as they perform public functions.