NDTV:
New Delhi: Thursday, 17 December 2015.
There is no
centralised data regarding the killing of whistleblowers or RTI activists, the
government said today.
The Central
Vigilance Commission, which is designated agency to receive whistleblowers
complaints, has informed that it has not come across any confirmed incident of
victimisation or killing of the complainant in past three years.
However, in
two cases, the complainant, who had made complaint to the Commission had
alleged victimisation, Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh said in
Lok Sabha.
"There
have been reports in the media that some persons have been assaulted and killed
in the last three years allegedly due to their role as RTI activists. However,
data regarding attack, killing of whistleblowers and RTI activists are not
maintained centrally," he said.
The CVC after
receipt of representations from whistleblowers about threats to their life,
takes up the matter with the Ministry of Home Affairs, the nodal agency, to
undertake the responsibility of providing security cover to genuine
whistleblowers, a term given to people who expose corruption, the Minister
said.
The Home
Ministry, in turn, asks individual state governments to examine the threat and
provide security cover, if needed, he said.
"Government
of India has drawn the attention of state governments to the reports appearing
in the media about the victimisations of people, who use RTI to expose
corruption and irregularities in administration, through maintenance of law and
order and providing safety and security for all citizens is primarily the
subject matter of state government concerned," Mr Singh said.
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