PM warns against misuse of RTI Act by middlemen

New Delhi, Oct 15 (UNI) Jubiliant over the "positive" response to the Right to Information Act, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today assured all the stakeholders that his government would take all precautions to ensure the" effective implementation" of the law in letter and spirit and guard against its misuse by the middlemen.

" I assure all stakeholders that it shall be our endeavour to strengthen the implementation of this Act in favour of genuine information seekers to the people... even the time may come when a citizen may not have to make an application for seeking information under this Act," Dr Singh said at the celebrations to mark the first anniversary of the Act.

Presiding over the celebrations in the glittering Vigyan Bhawan auditorium, the Prime Minister said he had noted with great satisfaction that the people had accepted the Act with their arms wide open." This has become, if anything, a People's Law." The Prime Minister further assured that the government would continue all efforts to pursue the goal of ensuring the" fullest and freest flow of information" under the Act while reiterating the government's resolve to promote effective usage of rights granted under the Act.

Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions and Parliamentary Affairs Suresh Pachouri and Chief Information Commissioner Wajahat Habibullah were among others who addressed the function.

On differences and opinions on the intepretation and implementation of some provisions of the Act, Dr Singh emphasised that" 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 firm root," he said.

He said the this was the part of the learning curve any legislation had to undergo." We need to evolve a consensus to facilitate the effective exercise of the right to information by the needy, by those who are directly affected by the information." More UNI KSA RP BS1816