M A I N   N E W S

Govt committed to implementing RTI Act, says Manmohan
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 15
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said his government is committed to the effective implementation of the Right to Information (RTI) Act in letter and spirit.

Delivering the valedictory address at the national convention at Vigyan Bhavan to mark one year of the RTI Act, the Prime Minister assured all stakeholders of the government’s endeavour to strengthen the implementation of the Act in favour of genuine information seekers and the people.

He said his government would continue to pursue its goal of ensuring the maximum flow of information.

The Prime Minister advised citizens to balance the need for information with the limited time, material and human resources available with public authorities. “Vexatious demands should not be allowed to deprive genuine information seekers of their legitimate claims on limited public resources,” Dr Singh said.

He said Public Authorities were shouldering the responsibility of this Act without any additional staff and were crediting electronic data based to meet the demands of the citizens. “A great deal more needs to be done. All Public Authorities must ensure that all records that can be computerised are, within a reasonable time and subject to availability of resources, computerised and connected through a network all over the country.”

He cautioned against the growth of professional middlemen in the use of the Act as seen in other countries. “Since it is an Act for our common benefit in relation to Public Authority, we are all stakeholders in the Act and must guard against allowing it to become a tool for promotion of an adversarial relationship between different stakeholders. This can only serve to weaken the Act.”

Dr Singh said, “I am sure that there will always be various opinions about the interpretation and implementation of some provisions of the Act. This is true of any legislation-particularly those that usher in far reaching changes. In a democratic society, sometimes, it takes time for new ideas to take form root. This is part of the learning curve any legislation has to undergo.”