Notice to MP BJP unit for non-compliance of RTI mechanism

Bhopal, Mar 11:

Information Commission today directed issuance of notice to state BJP unit for alleged non-compliance of RTI mechanism at its office here.

The action came following a complaint by RTI activist Ajay Dubey, who approached the State Information Commission (SIC) after he allegedly did not find any mechanism by BJP here for facilitating RTI queries from people.

He had approached the SIC on the basis of Central Information Commission's (CIC) last year order which held that six national political parties--Congress, Bhartiya Janata Party, Communist Party of India (Marxist), Communist Party of India(CPI), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Bahujan Samaj Party(BSP)--come under the ambit of Right To Information Act.

While hearing Dubey's plea today, the Commission directed that a notice be issued to the state BJP unit and it may be asked to file its response before the transparency watchdog on the next date of hearing scheduled for April 4, officials said.

"I had gone to file RTI application at BJP office in Bhopal. But there was no mechanism in place for it. I then went to State Information Commission against BJP," said Dubey.

The CIC had in June last year held that the six national parties have been substantially funded indirectly by the central government and were required to appoint public information officers for giving information under the RTI Act. The CIC's order has evoked sharp reaction from political parties who opposed the move.

The Centre also moved a Bill to amend Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005 to provide immunity to political parties. The Right to Information (Amendment) Bill, 2013 was introduced in the Lok Sabha on August 12, last year.

The Bill was then referred to a Parliamentary Standing Committee for examination and report.

The Committee in its report tabled on December 17, last year had backed the amendment in the Act to keep political parties out of the ambit of the transparency law.

PTI