RIGHT TO INFORMATION - 2009 - Indian Social Institute

“Leniency in imposing penalties takes sting out of RTI Act” (1)
CHENNAI: The State Information Commission (SIC) is failing to implement the Right to Information Act in
spirit by not imposing penalties, activists say. This leniency towards errant Public Information Officers
(PIO) is emboldening government officials to withheld necessary information, they say. Recently, many
activists submitted their views to the chief commissioner of the Central Information Commission and the
SIC on the issue of penalties. V. Madhav, an RTI activist, who has looked at the orders of the SIC over
the previous three years, says that only 24 penalties were imposed until May 2008. The Commission has
been lenient even towards PIOs who have been criticised severely in the Commission’s orders, he says.
“The Commission has issued strong strictures against PIOs. But for some reason they are not taking the
punitive action of imposing a penalty provided for by Section 20(1) of the Act,” he says. In one case, the
PIO provided information only 18 months after it was sought while the Act says that information should be
provided within 30 days. In spite of that there was no penalty imposed and even a showcause notice was
not issued, he adds. He says that he has submitted a list of suggested guidelines to the Commission on
punitive action to be taken against repeat offenders and those who have been unreasonably tardy in
providing information. S. Ramakrishnan, chief information commissioner, SIC, says that the Commission
has already been working on the problem. He accepts that without punitive action, the Act could lose its
sting and government officials would not be transparent in their working. “But we have to be balanced and
not be over harsh on government officials as that might hurt the interests of the petitioners in the long
run,” he says. While Mr. Madhav’s suggestions were being considered for legal feasibility, Mr.
Ramakrishnan says that the Commission is already examining every case to see if a showcause notice
should be issued to the PIO or if strict action should be taken. “We are doing it on a case-by-case basis to
be fair to both sides. But the number of cases we receive each day is much higher than in many other
States. So we are also loaded with work and it will take time to iron out all issues,” he says. (The Hindu
24/4/09)
'Strengthen democracy through RTI Act'(1)
PATNA: Humlog Trust secretary and Bihar Right to Information Manch coordinator Parveen Amanullah on
Saturday said that democracy can be strengthened not only by casting vote once in five years, but also
through Right to Information (RTI) Act. Revival of collapsed systems and sorting out people's problems is
possible through this right, she said, adding it is necessary for the common people to properly understand
and use their democratic rights and responsibilities and exercise their franchise under the democratic set
up. But, she said, the people's democratic responsibilities did not begin or end with casting their votes
only since they are also required to nurture the democratic system in the day-to-day functioning. She said
it is responsibility of the public to ensure that doctors are present in hospitals, teachers in schools,
government servants in their offices as well as the maintenance of public buildings and proper sanitation,
and proper implementation of old age pension and BPL card schemes for the welfare of the people.
(Times of India 26/4/09)
‘RTI Act a tool against corruption’ (1)
KOCHI: Speakers at a workshop on the ‘Role of the RTI Act in converting electoral democracy into
participatory democracy’ held here pointed out that the RTI Act was an effective tool in the hands of the
citizens against corruption, inefficiency in governance and undemocratic conduct by public personalities.
Though highly literate, Kerala was among the States which did not take RTI very seriously. Justice
Thottathil Radhakrishnan of Kerala High Court, who opened the workshop, said the RTI Act aimed at
retrieving information from the motherboard of the nation. However, he pointed out, it was a restrictive
legislation too. He said the Act opened up large sections of the government functioning to the public eye.
The furthering of the national interest depended on the better use of the RTI. Nandini Sahai, director,
Media Information and Communication Centre of India (MICCI), pointed out that according to
Transparency International, India’s position in the corruption perception index had slipped from 72 to 85,
indicating a massive increase in corruption during the last year alone. “The time has come for us to say
enough is enough and we will not tolerate this any more,” she said. “The only weapon in this fight is the
RTI Act, which seeks to establish that transparency is the norm.” The two-day workshop was organised
by the Kerala Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ) and supported by MICCI as well as Friederich Ebert
Stiftung. (The Hindu 27/4/09)