Headmen ordinance becomes ‘secret’ paper

SHILLONG: The ordinance okayed by the State Cabinet on May 11 has become a secret document as the Government has refused to part with the copy of the ordinance.
When this reporter contacted, a senior Government official said that even if anyone files an RTI application, exemption clause of the RTI Act will be cited to deny information.
“Anyone can approach Public Information Officer, the Appellate Authority, or  even the Chief Information Commissioner of the State or the court, but till it is notified in the gazette, we cannot provide the copy of the  ordinance”, the official asserted.
The State Government is banking on exemption under Section 8 (i) in The Right To Information Act, 2005 to deny information.
The section 8 (i) says, “Cabinet papers including records of deliberations of the Council of Ministers, Secretaries and other officers: Provided that the decisions of Council of Ministers, the reasons thereof, and the material on the basis of which the decisions were taken shall be made public after the decision has been taken, and the matter is complete, or over: Provided further that those matters which come under the exemptions specified in this section shall not be disclosed”.
However, there is a provision to challenge the stand of the Government under the exemption section 8 (j) which says that “Provided that the information, which cannot be denied to the Parliament or a State Legislature shall not be denied to any person”.
It was learnt that the Ordinance was already sent to Raj Bhavan for the assent of the Governor.