The 2019 amendment had chipped away at the independence of the Central and State Information Commissions by allowing the govt to regulate their tenure and pay changes that gave the ruling establishment undue control over watchdog institutions
SHILLONG, Oct 14: Meghalaya Congress has renewed the national debate on transparency, urging the Centre to restore the original strength of the Right to Information (RTI) Act and warning that recent legislations have begun to erode one of India’s most vital democratic tools.
Marking two decades since the RTI Act came into force, Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) secretary Manuel Badwar voiced concern that the law’s purpose was being steadily diluted. He said the 2019 amendment had “chipped away” at the independence of the Central and State Information Commissions by allowing the government to regulate their tenure and pay changes that, according to him, gave the ruling establishment undue control over the watchdog institutions.
Badwar argued that the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, was the next potential blow to transparency. Though the law was framed to safeguard individual privacy, he warned it could be wielded to restrict information that should remain public. Citing instances such as queries on MLA schemes and government expenditure, he said authorities might now use the pretext of personal data to deny legitimate RTI requests.
He called upon the Centre to reverse the 2019 RTI amendment, revise the Data Protection law, and ensure that vacant positions in the Information Commissions are filled promptly. Referring to Meghalaya’s own experience, he noted that the State Information Commission had remained without a commissioner for nearly half a year, delaying the disposal of cases.
Expressing worry over the growing risks faced by information seekers, Badwar said that while Meghalaya had not witnessed attacks on RTI activists, several other states had reported serious threats. He urged governments to institute safeguards for their protection.
Sharing the platform, Congress youth leader Banphira Basaiawmoit supported the demand, observing that the Digital Personal Data Protection Act could end up shielding government secrecy under the guise of privacy.
He called for the repeal of provisions that weaken the RTI framework and reminded that transparency and accountability are the bedrock of democracy.
Both leaders underscored that the Congress would continue to defend the spirit of the RTI Act—an instrument, they said, that empowers citizens to question authority and demand accountability.
