Monday, August 21, 2006
Govt to drop RTI amendment Act
Govt to drop RTI amendment Act
CNN-IBN
Posted Saturday , August 19, 2006 at 16:25
Updated Saturday , August 19, 2006 at 18:51
New Delhi: The Government has dropped its plan to amend the Right To Information Act (RTI) which would have barred public access to file notings, sources have told CNN-IBN.
Sources said there are strong indications that the Government will not push for the amendment and this means file notings, an important part of the Government's decision making process, will be made available to the public.
The amendment proposed that excluding social issues, file notings on all other matters should not be available for public scrutiny.
Social activists, former bureaucrats and the Left parties opposed this, saying the curb would dilute the Act.
Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Suresh Pachauri said on Saturday that based on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's decision, the amendment will not be introduced in the monsoon session which concludes on August 25.
He said there have been considerable apprehensions about the proposed amendment. "Congress President Sonia Gandhi and the Prime Minister have received several representations in this regard and it has been decided that the issue should be first discussed with all stakeholders," he said.
In view of this, Pachauri said the Bill to amend the Act was not likely to be introduced now.
Social activist Anna Hazare called off his 11-day-old hunger strike against the amendment in Alandi, Maharashtra, after Minister of State in the PMO Prithviraj Chavan told him about the Government's decision.
CNN-IBN
Posted Saturday , August 19, 2006 at 16:25
Updated Saturday , August 19, 2006 at 18:51
New Delhi: The Government has dropped its plan to amend the Right To Information Act (RTI) which would have barred public access to file notings, sources have told CNN-IBN.
Sources said there are strong indications that the Government will not push for the amendment and this means file notings, an important part of the Government's decision making process, will be made available to the public.
The amendment proposed that excluding social issues, file notings on all other matters should not be available for public scrutiny.
Social activists, former bureaucrats and the Left parties opposed this, saying the curb would dilute the Act.
Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Suresh Pachauri said on Saturday that based on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's decision, the amendment will not be introduced in the monsoon session which concludes on August 25.
He said there have been considerable apprehensions about the proposed amendment. "Congress President Sonia Gandhi and the Prime Minister have received several representations in this regard and it has been decided that the issue should be first discussed with all stakeholders," he said.
In view of this, Pachauri said the Bill to amend the Act was not likely to be introduced now.
Social activist Anna Hazare called off his 11-day-old hunger strike against the amendment in Alandi, Maharashtra, after Minister of State in the PMO Prithviraj Chavan told him about the Government's decision.
