With the government reeling under controversies over disclosures under the Right to Information Act (RTI), Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday called for a ?critical look? at the Act and address certain ?concerns?.
The PM’s comments come after senior Cabinet ministers too voiced similar sentiments. ?The Right to Information should not adversely affect the deliberative processes in the government,? he said addressing the two-day annual convention of the Central Information Commission (CIC) here.
” We must take a critical look at it. There are concerns that need to be discussed and addressed,? he stressed. The PM highlighted the need to strike a balance between disclosure of information and the limited time and resources available with public authorities.
? Another concern that has been raised is that the Right to Information could end up discouraging honest, well-meaning public servants from giving full expression to their views,? he added, referring possibly to the note on the 2G scam which exposed differences within the government on the matter. In recent months, several scams have come to light because of RTI. Significantly, the PM had been at the forefront to keep file notings out of the purview of the RTI Act.
However, he made it clear that there would be no dilution of the RTI Act. ?We wish to make the Right to Information an even more effective instrument for ensuring transparency and accountability in administration,? he said.
The PM’s remarks were followed by Chief Information Commissioner Satyananda Mishra’s who demanded that the CIC be made a constitutional authority on the lines of the Chief Election Commissioner and the Comptroller and Auditor General.
?… If the Lokpal can be a constitutional authority, the CIC and SIC have a greater right and justification to be made into a constitutional authority,? he said.