Times
of India: Chennai: Thursday, 12 February 2015.
Aam Aadmi
Party's thumping victory in Delhi elections is likely to give a fillip to the
Right to Information movement in the country.
Activists say
Arvind Kejriwal, who championed the RTI Act, should make Delhi a model in
effective implementation of the law.
Kejriwal
launched his civil society career with Parivartan, a Delhi-based NGO that
advocated transparency in governance. In 2006, he got the Magsaysay award for
creating awareness about RTI. Chennai-based RTI activist Siva Elango said:
"AAP's victory will definitely motivate us in fight against corruption. We
are glad that an RTI activist is becoming chief minister of Delhi. We expect
him to take steps to ensure transparency in governance".
"The RTI
Act has been an effective tool for citizens to fight corruption and also expose
irregularities in government establishments. But unfortunately corrupt
politicians are diluting the Act by appointing their nominees as information
commissioners," he said.
RTI
campaigners said though the act came into effect in 2005, facilities for online
payment of application fees, proactive disclosure on government websites,
videoconferencing for applicants and display of details of public information
officers (PIOs) in government offices are yet to be accomplished.
R
Saiyasodharan, an RTI activist and coordinator of NGO Gray Face of India, said
the AAP government in Delhi is expected to be a role model in governance for
other states. "RTI applicants do not need to file applications once all
government records are digitalized and uploaded on government websites. This
will also reduce the number of RTI applications and bring in more
accountability".
"I am
hoping AAP will subject itself to the purview of the RTI Act. Kejriwal will
then make it extremely difficult for other parties to refuse without losing
face," said former chief information commissioner Shailesh Gandhi.
In June 2013,
Central Information Commission asked six national parties Congress, BJP, CPI,
CPM, NCP and BSP which enjoy substantial public funding to appoint PIOs and
appellate authorities under the RTI Act within six weeks. But no action has
been taken so far despite show-cause notices issued by the CIC.
Subhash
Chandra Agrawal, who filed three non-compliance applications to bring political
parties under the ambit of RTI Act, said: "Though CIC order mandates only
national parties but AAP should set an example to other parties by appointing
PIOs".
The CIC has
been headless since August 23, 2014. Posts of three information commissioners
are also vacant. The delay in filling vacancies has resulted in a huge backlog
of appeals at the commission.
"The
central government does not seem to be bothered about filling vacancies,"
said Gandhi.
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