Times of India: New Delhi: Thursday,
May 26, 2016.
The move to
bring political parties under the RTI Act appears to be gaining pace. Nearly 17
petitioners from across the country have approached the central information
commission seeking six national political parties be brought within the ambit
of the RTI Act.
The CIC has
issued notices for a combined hearing on June 20. The issue of political
parties being recognised under the RTI Act has been pending for several years
now.
Applicants
from Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and New Delhi
among others have filed complaints seeking accountability of six parties Congress,
BJP, BSP, NCP, CPI and CPM. The CIC had in a full bench order in 2013, directed
political parties to appoint public information officers and recognised them as
public authorities.
The parties
have so far not responded to any RTIs. RTI activist SC Agrawal said,
"Since all these political parties are defying CIC's full bench decision
for the last three years, the Commission should immediately stop all direct and
indirect government funding to political parties as an interim measure."
Political
parties receive subsided land, free voters list, income tax exemption and air
time on AIR and DD.
.JPG)
.JPG)
