Oneindia:
New Delhi: Monday, 19 January 2015.
The Central
Information Commission (CIC) has asked the government to pro-actively disclose
its policy on use of photographs of political leaders on advertisements.
Noting that
the government has an obligation under Section IV of the RTI Act to
pro-actively disclose its policy on such advertisements which bear photographs
of political leaders, Information Commissioner Sridhar Acharyulu has asked when
it would start implementing it.
And, as
campaigning is taken up in full swing for the Delhi Assembly polls, he also
directed the Chief Secretary of Delhi to explain the proposed steps for
implementing the recommendations of the Lokayukta of Delhi for
"effectively preventing photo publicity of their political rulers".
"Especially
when elections are almost happening every year regularly in one region or the
other, with one in Delhi now, the government has to expedite the disclosure and
that policy should be duly publicised otherwise through advertisements,"
Acharyulu said.
He directed
the Centre, which now governs NCR-Delhi, to disclose its policy on the
recommendations of the Prof Madhava Menon Committee and Lokayukta of Delhi
regarding use of photos of political leaders on various advertisements issued
by the government for which the expenditure is borne by the taxpayer.
Acharyulu
said that the disclosure would be in the "best interests of democracy and
(would be a) proper representation to the people before they exercise their
franchise".
.JPG)
.JPG)
