Bill to keep political parties out of RTI sent to Parliamentary Standing Committee

The bill is aimed at negating a CIC order which said political parties were public authorities.

In a surprise move,government on Thursday referred a bill which seeks to keep political parties out of the ambit of the transparency law,to a standing committee of Parliament.

Minister of State for Personnel V Narayanasamy,who piloted the RTI (Amendment) Bill in the House last month,said in a bid to hold wider consultations,the government is recommending that the bill to be referred to the Standing Committee on Law and Personnel.

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Several members from opposition supported the decision.

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The move comes in the wake of opposition to the proposed amendment to the RTI Act from NGOs,civil society and information activists,who claimed that it will defeat the very purpose of the transparency law.

The bill is also aimed at negating a Central Information Commission (CIC) order which said political parties were public authorities and should come under RTI Act ambit.

The Right to Information (Amendment) Bill,2013 seeks to insert an explanation in Section 2 of the Act which states that any association or body of individuals registered or recognised as political party under the Representation of the People Act,1951 will not be considered a public authority.

The CIC order had termed Congress,BJP,BSP,NCP,CPI and CPI-M as political authorities.

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Since the CIC order on six major political parties came on 3 June,the amended Act will come into force with retrospective effect from June.

The CIC order is still “operational”,meaning people can seek information on political parties through RTI application.

Government had already made it clear that it will not challenge the CIC order in High Court – the appellate court – but bring a bill instead to negate the verdict.

Later,talking to reporters outside Parliament House,Narayanasamy said when the bill goes to the Standing Committee,it will deliberate on it in a free and fair manner.

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“Therefore,the government in its wisdom decided that the Bill may be referred to the Standing Committee. The Standing Committee will submit the report before the start of the next session and then we will take it before the House,” he said.

Asked whether bill was being sent to the standing committee following pressure from BJP,he said the UPA leadership also feels that the matter needs to be referred to the Standing Committee.

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