Goa Information Act withheld for debate

Tuesday, November 18 1997

Goa Information Act withheld for debate

EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE

PANAJI, Nov 17: Yielding to strong media pressure, the Goa government has decided to withhold the implementation of its controversial Right to Information Act till it is debated afresh in the State Assembly.

State Chief Minister Pratapsing Rane said this at a public function organised here jointly by the Goa Information Department and the Local Editor's Guild to celebrate National Press Day. Rane said that even though state governor P C Alexander had given his assent to the newly-passed bill, he had not published it in the official Gazette but had chosen to wait until a debate was held on it in the assembly.

Speaking to mediapersons, Rane said he wanted the bill to be discussed thoroughly in the assembly in order to avoid controversies.

Goa is among the few Indian states to enact the Right to Information Act aimed at ensuring that its citizens have access to official information. However, although the bill has been welcomed as a step in the right direction, it met with opposition because a provision, seeking to penalise persons in situations in which the information sought under the Act was misused, was objected to.

The media feared that the provision could be used against it to stifle free comment. Although the authorities appear to be convinced that the fears of the media were not altogether unfounded, the government does not want to give in easily lest it give the impression that it has yielded to pressure.While the Chief Minister steered away from giving any assurance about the objectionable clause, saying it was for the assembly to decide, he said that the Right to Information Act was a sincere attempt by his government to provide the common man with information about the doings of the government.

The Chief Minister and State Information Minister Dominic Fernandes lauded the role of the press in democracy. Important local media persons, besides freedom fighters and others, took part in a symposium on the role of the press to mark the day's celebrations.