Info panel takes up parties’ RTI rebuff

Times of India: New Delhi: Thursday, January 30, 2014.

The Central Information Commission (CIC) on Wednesday constituted a three-member bench to hear complaints that the six national political parties had failed to comply by its order and appoint public information officers and appellate authorities under the RTI Act.

The bench will include chief information commissioner Sushma Singh and two other information commissioners. Sources said orders to the effect will be issued on Thursday.

RTI activist S C Agrawal has filed three applications of non-compliance in the last six months after political parties failed to appoint public information officers and appellate authorities within six weeks of the CIC's June 3, 2013 order.

The CIC had recognized political parties as public authorities and directed them to make appointments and voluntary disclosures on their working. The six national parties that come under the RTI Act after the order are Congress, BJP, BSP, NCP, CPI and CPM.

However, not only have the parties not made any headway in this, but the UPA has since introduced a bill in Parliament to amend the RTI Act. All six political parties have been vociferous in their opposition to the CIC order. However, RTI activists and civil society members have criticized the hypocritical stand demanding that parties put themselves under scrutiny as they are accountable to the public.

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi's remark favouring political parties within the ambit of RTI Act has raised a question mark over the fate of a pending bill that is expected to exclude them.

In an interview to Times Now, Rahul said he was in favour of transparency in political parties. In response, former information commissioner in the CIC Shailesh Gandhi wrote to Rahul seeking his support to nix the bill. "I must point out that as per the law and the Central Information Commission's interpretation of it, the judiciary and political parties are covered by RTI. The judiciary has accepted this. Since some political parties do not wish to follow the law, they are proposing to amend the RTI Act. Please do not support this move,'' he wrote.