Govt ready to send RTI Bill to panel

The Tribune: New Delhi: Friday, July 20, 2018.

In temporary relief for the right to information crusaders, the government today agreed to the Opposition’s request to send the Right to Information Amendment Bill to a select committee of Rajya Sabha after the same is introduced.

The agreement was reached at a meeting of the Rajya Sabha Business Advisory Committee where the Congress-led Opposition opposed changes to the law demanding that the draft Bill be examined by a parliamentary panel.

Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu who chaired the meet was learnt to be open to the suggestion of referring the Bill to a select committee once introduced. The Bill may come up on Monday.

Congress chief Rahul Gandhi today opposed amendments to the law saying these would render the Act “useless” and “must be opposed by every Indian.” The proposed amendments seek to grant powers to the government to fix salaries and tenures of state and central information commissioners. TNS

Amendments opposed

• The Opposition is against the proposed amendments to grant powers to the government to fix salaries and tenures of state and central information commissioners
• The National Campaign for People’s Right to Information says these changes would dilute the independence of information commissions