NAC sees murder in RTI changes

The Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory Council (NAC) is again heading for a confrontation with the government. After proposed food security law,this time it is about the proposed changes in the Right to Information Act (RTI). The NAC in its recommendations to the Department of Personnel and Training,which had invited public comments on the proposed rules,has rejected the proposal to limit the application for seeking an information to 250 words and related to one subject. Asking for a deletion of this clause,NAC working group on transparency has said,Limit of number of is bad in law,unrealistic and will mitigate against rural applicants.

Emphasising that there is no evidence that either of these (one subject and limited words) are widespread problems in processing of RTI requests,NAC said,The rule about a single subject will be open to arbitrariness and misuse as it is difficult to define.

It has called for removal of the proposed Section 16,which states that proceedings before the Commission shall abate on the death of the appellant. The Council fears that this could encourage the murder of RTI activists,besides information sought might be of interest to others apart from the applicant.