Karti, Raja among oppn to criticise, but RTI bill passed in Lok Sabha

The opposition on Monday slammed the government in Lok Sabha over the provisions of a bill to amend the Right to Information Act, with DMK’s A Raja saying that due to the proposed amendments, Information Commissioners will be like “house maids” (of the government).

The Right to Information (Amendment) Bill, 2019, was passed in Lok Sabha after the government rejected the criticism, saying that the opposition is misguiding the people as the proposed changes are only aimed at streamlining functioning.

Leading the opposition charge during the debate on the Bill, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said that under the proposed changes the government can hire and fire independent information commissioners.

“It is not RTI Amendment bill but RTI elimination bill,” he said.

The RTI Act was a monumental achievement for the country’s democracy and it challenged the vested interests of the government, the former Union minister said.

He questioned why the Bill has been brought “without any public consultation”.

“Why is the government desperate to rush through the bill? Is it because the Central Information Commission (CIC) delivered an order on the Prime Ministers educational detail,” Tharoor asked. He noted the four posts of information commissioners are lying vacant in CIC.

“The Right to Information (Amendment) Bill, 2019 is a deliberate attempt to undermine the RTI Act and make it toothless tiger like National Human Rights Commission (NHRC),” Tharoor alleged.

Opposition misguiding people: Minister

Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office Jitendra Singh said that the opposition is “misguiding” the people by saying that the government wants to weaken the RTI Act by bringing the bill.

“From the beginning of its first term in 2014, the Modi government has brought transparency in governance for greater public participation,” Singh said. “I urge the opposition to support the amendment to RTI Act, so that we can streamline the functioning of RTI Act and remove anomalies,” he added.

Jagdambika Pal (BJP) said that the government wants to make the RTI Act more effective.

The Right to Information (Amendment) Bill, 2019 seeks to give the government powers to fix salaries, tenures and other terms and conditions of employment of information commissioners.

Don’t use power of 303 to massacre RTI law: Karti

Demanding withdrawal of a bill proposing changes in the RTI Act, Congress MP Karti Chidambaram took a swipe at the government in Lok Sabha, saying it should not use its “303 to massacre the spirit” of the transparency law.

He said the bill undermines the autonomy of information commissioners and there has been absence of public consultation. He expressed the hope that the government will not use its 303 MPs in the the House to give a “death sentence” to the spirit of RTI.

“I hope the government will not use 303 to massacre the spirit of RTI. I request you to withdraw the Bill,” Chidambaram said, referring to the BJPs strength in Lok Sabha.

Govt afraid of ₹10 request of poor chowkidar: Asaduddin Owaisi

AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi was equally scathing in his criticism as he alleged that the government was “afraid of the ₹10 request of a garib chowkidar” through which he can get information about its functioning.

Owaisi was referring to Rs 10 application through which a person can apply for RTI. He said the bill’s aim is “Modi-fication of RTI”.

Describing the introduction of the bill in Lok Sabha as “blackest day” in the history of Parliament, RSP MP N K Premachandran said it is an insult to the House.

“The legislative supremacy of Parliament has been taken over by executive,” he alleged. Premchandran said the bill was brought in haste and not enough time was given to the MPs for studying it.

Trinamool Congress leader Saugata Roy termed the bill as “regressive”. He also questioned as to why the government was “in a hurry” to get the amendment passed.

Raghurama Krishnam Raju (YSRCP) urged the government to give clarity on the status of Chief Information Commissioner and information commissioners. He claimed the power of this House was being taken away by the executive.

“Executive can’t take away the power of legislature,” he said, adding that the state autonomy should be retained.

Raju said that a number of RTI activists have been killed and there was a need to ensure their protection.

B Mehtab (BJD) alleged that the bill was an assault on the idea on federalism and asked, “Why are we weakening the RTI architecture?”

Through the Bill the government was trying to dilute the right to information and block information, BSP’s Danish Ali alleged and made an appeal to the government to take back the amendment Bill.

(With inputs from agencies)