RTI being misused to blackmail officials: Dabi

Itanagar, Mar 11 (UNI) Arunachal Pradesh Water Resources Development Minister Tako Dabi has alleged that the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005, was being misused by various organisations to blackmail government officers.

The minister, during a function here yesterday, called upon the government functionaries to change their ''colonial mindset and adopt a cooperative attitude'' and emphasised on the need for effective implementation of the Act.

''Use of the Act as a blackmail tool would defeat the very purpose with which the UPA government at the Centre had enacted the historic law,'' he added.

Mr Dabi, also the state government spokesman, called for redefining corruption as non-material or invisible corruption, including favouritism and nepotism in writing the Annual Confidential Report (ACR) and the officers paying donations succumbing to the pressure of youth groups.

Apprehending that such invisible corruption could pose a serious threat to the basic concept of democracy, the minister said political will and united efforts of the civil society, including the ministers, MLAs, officers, panchayat functionaries, NGOs and media, was the need of the hour to reverse the trend.

Suggesting capacity building and steps to cure the ills of present education system, Mr Dabi said convergence of knowledge for delivering the goods to the people alone could help in bringing development.

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