By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The Meghalaya Right to Information Movement has opposed the proposed amendments to the RTI Act 2005 and has sent letters to the MPs of Meghalaya, Agatha Sangma, Vincent Pala and Wansuk Syiem indicating the need to voice their opinion against amendment of the RTI Act.
In a statement issued here, MRTIM said that in Meghalaya, similar to the rest of the country there is a deepening crisis in governance and the move to amend the RTI, as a sharp reaction to the recent Central Information Commission order, which declared six political parties to be public authorities under the RTI Act, will only further erode the credibility of the political establishment.
While demanding that the Act should not be amended, the movement said that Act has enabled the making of informed choices and strengthened participatory democracy; by enabling the citizens of India to monitor and access services throughout the country.
“Any amendment to the RTI Act would undermine and weaken the process of realizing various constitutional promises,” the statement said.
Recalling that in 2009, when amendments were being proposed to the RTI Act, the concerned minister of the government had assured Parliament, in response to a question, that Non-Governmental Organizations and social activists will be consulted on the proposed amendments, the NGO said, “We would expect the government to hold wide ranging public discussions before thinking of amending the law in any way.”
Meanwhile, National Campaign for Peoples’ Right to Information has also sent an open letter with a set of questions to the 6 political parties that were declared ‘public authorities’ under the RTI Act by an order of the Central Information Commission.
The open letter has been sent to Sonia Gandhi, President, INC, Rajnath Singh, President, BJP, Comrade Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy, General Secretary, CPI, Comrade Prakash Karat, General Secretary, CPI(M), Sharad Pawar, President, NCP and Mayawati, President, BSP.