Right to Information Act will demolish secrecy ethos: Pachouri

New Delhi, Oct 15 (UNI) Minister of State for Personnel and Parliamentary Affairs Suresh Pachouri today said the Right to Information Act, 2005, was a potent legislation that would completely alter the administrative ethos and demolish the culture of secrecy and bring an era of openness, transparency and accountability in governance and empower the ordinary citizen as never before.

In his valedictory speech at the celebrations to mark the first anniversary of the coming into force of the Act here, Mr Pachouri said it is one of the most progressive legislations in the world.

It has certain radical provisions not found in similar laws of other advanced democracies. For example, under the Act, a citizen is not required to establish his locus standi in respect of a subject matter for seeking information. Even the organizations that are concerned with the national security, intelligence etc.

are not exempt from the purview of the Act in respect of allegations relating to corruption and human rights violation.

It provides for stringent punishment to public servants for denial of information. These liberal features have been built into the Act mainly with the objective of securing the rights of the "Aam Aadmi" especially those from the weaker sections of the society.

The Act cannot be said to have achieved its objectives until their aspirations are adequately met, he said.

He said he was happy to see the success stories reported from time to time regarding the use of the Act by common citizens in addressing their day-to-day problems. Citizens have successfully used the Act in matters such as issuance of a ration card, securing admissions in Government schools, getting passport electricity and water connections and other public services. This certainly is a good beginning.

Stories of the use of the Act by the more enlightened citizens in getting developmental schemes and projects sanctioned and executed in time and exposing corruption have also appeared. These success stories, however, mainly come from metropolitan and other major cities. The real challenge lies in making this right an effective tool in the hands of the most deprived sections of our population.

The RTI Act should be used more extensively to elicit vital information reg. livelihood and gender issues, developmental programmes, health, education and literacy issues and so on. Its use should not get restricted only to individual concerns especially of those who have personal axes to grind with little implication for public interest, the Minister said.

'' We must encourage the use of the Act for achieving good governance and resist any attempt to use the Act to cripple the functioning of public administration.

I seek the cooperation of civil society groups and other stakeholders in achieving this,'' Mr Pachouri added.

UNI RP MIR HT1935