Moneylife: Pune: Sunday, April 01, 2012.
Along with non-appointment of information commissioners, activists see the move as a stealthy act to undermine RTI. This is a New Year surprise that RTI activists are discovering only now.
The Maharashtra government has apparently amended the Right to Information (RTI) Act in January, and made several crucial changes. A circular dated 16th January is circulating via emails and internet RTI forums which show that now applications must be restricted to 150 words and a single topic.
The circular, signed by Nandkumar Jatre, secretary to the state government, says, “A request in writing for information under Section 6 of the Act shall relate to one subject matter and it shall not ordinarily exceed 150 words. If an applicant wishes to seek information on more than one subject matter, he shall make separate applications. Provided that, in case the request made relates to more than one subject matter, the PIO may respond to the request relating to the first subject matter only and may advice the applicant to make a separate application for each of the subject matters.” Moreover, if any citizen goes for inspection of files, he may carry only a pencil and has to deposit all other writing material with the PIO.
Activists have expressed their ire over key posts in the State Information Commission lying vacant, and the news of amendment has naturally not been a good surprise. They are already collecting signatures for a petition, which will be presented to the chief minister on 2nd April.
Krishnaraj Rao, a social activist, says, “We did not even learn this from any government source such as a public notice in the dailies. Nor was it told to any RTI activist—many of whom are in regular touch with the Mantralaya. There should have a public consultation of stakeholders before changing the rules.
Section 4(1)(c) of the RTI Act says, “Every public authority shall publish all relevant facts while formulating important policies or announcing the decisions which affect public.’”
The activists came to know of the amendment when veteran advocate and RTI Union member Vinod Sampat saw this notification in the March edition of a publication he purchased outside City Civil Court. Mr Sampat said, “This is a death knell to the RTI movement in Maharashtra, and bureaucrats will become more powerful. We have received a suggestion to ask the permission of the police commissioner and burn the RTI Act in Mantralaya as a form of protest.”
The Maharashtra government has apparently amended the Right to Information (RTI) Act in January, and made several crucial changes. A circular dated 16th January is circulating via emails and internet RTI forums which show that now applications must be restricted to 150 words and a single topic.
The circular, signed by Nandkumar Jatre, secretary to the state government, says, “A request in writing for information under Section 6 of the Act shall relate to one subject matter and it shall not ordinarily exceed 150 words. If an applicant wishes to seek information on more than one subject matter, he shall make separate applications. Provided that, in case the request made relates to more than one subject matter, the PIO may respond to the request relating to the first subject matter only and may advice the applicant to make a separate application for each of the subject matters.” Moreover, if any citizen goes for inspection of files, he may carry only a pencil and has to deposit all other writing material with the PIO.
Activists have expressed their ire over key posts in the State Information Commission lying vacant, and the news of amendment has naturally not been a good surprise. They are already collecting signatures for a petition, which will be presented to the chief minister on 2nd April.
Krishnaraj Rao, a social activist, says, “We did not even learn this from any government source such as a public notice in the dailies. Nor was it told to any RTI activist—many of whom are in regular touch with the Mantralaya. There should have a public consultation of stakeholders before changing the rules.
Section 4(1)(c) of the RTI Act says, “Every public authority shall publish all relevant facts while formulating important policies or announcing the decisions which affect public.’”
The activists came to know of the amendment when veteran advocate and RTI Union member Vinod Sampat saw this notification in the March edition of a publication he purchased outside City Civil Court. Mr Sampat said, “This is a death knell to the RTI movement in Maharashtra, and bureaucrats will become more powerful. We have received a suggestion to ask the permission of the police commissioner and burn the RTI Act in Mantralaya as a form of protest.”
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