The Indian Express: New Delhi: Friday,
January 20, 2017.
Since the
June 2013 order declaring political parties a public authority under the RTI
Act, there were hardly any orders by the Central Information Commission (CIC)
that caused major embarrassment to the government. So, when Information
Commissioner Madabhushanam Sridhar Acharyulu directed Delhi University to
disclose degree records of 1978, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi is said to
have graduated, and issued two orders for inspection of records related to the
education details of Textiles Minister Smriti Irani, he caught the attention of
those interested in the transparency law.
Acharyulu,
the only non-bureaucrat among the 10 Information Commissioners and Chief
Information Commissioner, is very clear on his understanding of RTI and its
purpose.
He says, “It
is a very informal law. Very simple. People-friendly. I am not here to impose
penalty but to provide information if it is blocked by public authorities.”
On his orders on Modi and Irani he simply
says, “I am not doubting the claims made by anybody (in their affidavits). But
they should not resist the disclosure.”
Asked whether
he was embarrassing NDA leaders after being appointed during the UPA regime,
Acharyulu says, “Several of my orders caused embarrassment to the Arvind
Kejriwal-led Delhi government. I issued showcause notice to Congress president
Sonia Gandhi in a matter related to political parties.”
He adds, “I
must say that I am a voter of the BJP, I am a Vaishnav and I am for cow
protection.”
Acharyulu,
60, is a former professor of National Law University, Hyderabad. He hails from
Warangal (now in Telangana).
He started
his career as a journalist. Most of his journalistic career was with Telugu
daily Udayam, owned by Dasari Narayan Rao, Minister of Coal in the UPA
government headed by Manmohan Singh. He was appointed Information Commissioner
on November 22, 2013.
He has a long
association with RTI. While at least 12 state governments had their own
transparency law before the central Act of 2005, Acharyulu was engaged by the
Andhra Pradesh government to draft its transparency legislation. He was also
actively involved in drafting legislations on Right to Redressal of Grievances,
Rent Control, Abolition of Child Labour and Compulsory Education for the state.
The IC has
authored 30 books on law and journalism in English and Telugu.
.JPG)
.JPG)
