The Congress party has accused the current central government of systematically weakening the Right to Information (RTI) Act since 2014, thereby damaging the nation’s transparency and democratic foundations. The party contends that amendments introduced by the BJP government have effectively placed obstacles in the path of citizens seeking information.
In a press conference, State Congress President Keshav Mahto Kamlesh asserted that the RTI Act, enacted on October 12, 2005, by the UPA government under Dr. Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi, was a landmark achievement designed to empower citizens and ensure governmental accountability. He expressed dismay that this critical tool for transparency has been undermined.
The party specifically criticized the 2019 amendments, which they believe have diminished the independence of the information commission and bolstered executive power. Kamlesh explained that the fixed tenure and protected service conditions for Information Commissioners were altered, giving the central government the authority to set their terms. He also highlighted the Digital Personal Data Protection Act of 2023, noting that its broader definition of personal information can be used to prevent the disclosure of data in the public interest, potentially concealing information about public responsibilities and the use of public funds.
Recalling the impact of the original RTI law, the Congress pointed to its role in uncovering various corrupt practices, including irregularities in MPLADS funds, ghost beneficiaries in the MGNREGA scheme, and opaque political funding. The current state of the Central Information Commission (CIC) was also a point of concern, with only two out of 11 sanctioned positions filled. This has led to a substantial backlog of around 23,000 cases pending by November 2024. The party cited instances where crucial information was denied, such as details on the expenditure related to the Prime Minister’s foreign visits, the actual casualty figures from oxygen shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic, and information concerning the PM CARES Fund. The disclosure of electoral bond data was also resisted until a Supreme Court order compelled its release.
Furthermore, the Congress noted that the Whistleblowers Protection Act, passed by the UPA government, remains un-notified and unimplemented by the Modi administration since 2014, leaving whistleblowers unprotected.
As the RTI Act marks 20 years, the Congress has put forth a set of demands. These include repealing the 2019 amendments, reviewing and amending Section 44(3) of the DPDP Act that obstructs RTI’s purpose, promptly filling all vacant posts in the CIC, making the commission’s performance metrics and case disposal rates public, enacting the Whistleblowers Protection Act, and ensuring representation from journalists, social activists, academics, and women in the information commissions.