Implement RTI Act, repeal Official Secrets Act: Moily

‘‘The recommendations can be implemented since they are quite practical. It will revamp the system and make it efficient,’’ Commission chairman Veerappa Moily said giving brief details about the other suggestions. He said the Prime Minister had assured of a roadmap for their implementation.

The Commission is of the view that the information commissions will have a vital role to play in ensuring efficiency of the government, which is why a change in their composition is needed. It has argued that only half of their members should be from the bureaucracy and the rest from non-civil service backgrounds.

Since the Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) will play a pivotal role in the scheme of things, he should be selected by a committee comprising the Prime Minister, Chief Justice of India (Chief Justice of High Court in case of states) and the Leader of Opposition.

The report further made a case for the setting up of four regional centres of the CIC so that availability of information on Central departments and ministries is made easy in the states.

At the district and subdivision level, a ‘‘single-window agency’’ has been suggested for free flow of information but equally important according to the commission was the reorganisation of public records. For this, a public records office in each state would be required for the purpose of monitoring and inspection.

Moily said efficient monitoring of the RTI Act was one of most important recommendations in the report. To serve the purpose, a National Coordination Committee should be established with the CIC as chairman and representatives from Central ministries and state governments.