Right to Information

Rajya Sabha passes RTI Amendment Bill, 2019

25.07.2019

The RTI Amendment Bill, 2019 was passed by the Rajya Sabha by a voice vote amid high drama, after being passed in Lok Sabha recently. The Bill seeks to bring in changes involving the salaries and tenures of Information Commissioners in the States and at the Centre. Lok Sabha passed the Right to Information (Amendment) Bill, 2019 on 22nd July, 2019. By the amendment, the term of office of, and the salaries, allowances and other terms and conditions of service of, the Chief Information Commissioner and Information Commissioners and the State Chief Information Commissioner and the State Information Commissioners, shall be determined by the Central Government.

The functions being carried out by the Election Commission of India and the Central and State Information Commissions are totally different. The Central Information Commission and State Information Commissions are statutory bodies established under the provisions of the Right to Information Act, 2005. Therefore, the mandate of Election Commission of India and Central and State Information Commissions are different. Hence, their status and service conditions need to be rationalised accordingly. In view of the above, the Right to Information Act, 2005 was proposed for amendment empowering Central Government in prescribing the salaries, allowances and other terms and conditions of service of, the Chief Information Commissioner and Information Commissioners and the State Chief Information Commissioner and the State Information Commissioners.

Minister of State for the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Dr Jitendra Singh said that, there is no motivation to curtail the independence of the RTI Act. The Government will not have unbridled powers to amend the rules, he emphasised. The Minister said that the Government is open to the suggestions and the amendment is being done with a clean intention. The RTI Act, 2005 was enacted to provide for setting out the practical regime of right to information for citizens to secure access to information under the control of public authorities. In order to promote transparency and accountability in the working of every public authority, a Central Information Commission and State Information Commissions was established.

Tags : RTI Bill Amendment

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