The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Wednesday justified its argument to introduce amendments into the Right to Information Act before a meeting of 50 Information Commissioners across the country. In a gathering simply termed the Consultation of Information Commissioners,the nodal authority for RTI mooted a proposal to end the practice of single commissioners hearing appeals,and said two commissioners ought to be the norm henceforth. DoPT Minister Prithvi Raj Chauhan left no doubt about this since he stated that there was a need to strengthen the RTI Act by legislative means,sources said. Chief Information Commissioner Wajahat Habibullah categorically argued that no amendment in the Act was necessary,sources said. He argued that there was a need to provide financial autonomy to the Commissions by ensuring independent budgetary allocations,so that they were not dependent on the government for their financial needs. The DoPT argued that deliberations of a government department before a decision ought not to come under the RTI as their disclosure would hamper free thought within government circles. The nodal authority declared its intention to give easier access under RTI with public authorities publishing additional items like their citizens charter,particulars of their functions and services,etc. The DoPT proposed that a time gap of 60 days should exist after a Cabinet decision was taken,before it is disclosed under the RTI. An amendment to clarify whether an NGO getting not less than 50 per cent of annual running cost from the government is a public authority or not is also on the anvil,sources said. Efforts would also be on to address the problems faced by NRIs to file RTI applications,sources said. As per sources,the DoPT has also proposed to exclude nine organisations from Second Schedule,including Directorate of Revenue intelligence,Directorate of Enforcement,Narcotics Control Bureau,Special Frontier Force,Border Security Force,Central Reserve Police Force,Indo-Tibetan Border Police,Central Industrial Security Force and Assam Rifles.
