EFFECTIVE ENFORCEMENT: Justice B. Subhashan Reddy, Chairman of Andhra Pradesh Human Rights Commission, S.K. Rao Director General of ASCI, Swaranjit Sen, Director-General of Police, C.D. Arha, Chief Information Commissioner and Jayaprakash Narayan of Lok Satta participating in a meeting on Right to Information Act in Hyderabad on Monday. — Photo: Mohd. Yousuf

HYDERABAD: The enactment of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, considered to be one of the pieces of landmark legislation notwithstanding, questions have been raised over its effectiveness in the face of the stiff Opposition from bureaucratic circles.

Lok Satta national convenor Jayaprakash Narayan, National Campaign for People's Right for Information (NCPRI) representative Shekhar Singh and others expressed concern over the efforts from certain sections and institutions to seek exemption from the purview of the Act. While there was an urgent need to create awareness among the people about the Act, pressure should be mounted on the Central and State Governments to educate officials about its provisions and ensure its effective implementation.

They were participating in a national meet on "making right to information effective" organised by the Centre for Media Studies in association with the Administrative Staff College of India here on Monday. Information Commissioners from eight States and members from civil society participated in the meeting in which the State Human Rights Commission chairman Justice B. Subhashan Reddy was the chief guest.

Mr. Narayan said that since the Act had been passed, there was a need for putting things in perspective and work for other steps needed to make the act effective. The information should be made intelligent and the existing information network ought to be redesigned for making RTI Act meaningful.

Monitoring

Stressing the need for creating a mechanism for monitoring the implementation, he wanted the Central Information Commission to own the law besides institutionalising the central and State information network for its implementation.

Prof. Singh highlighted the efforts being made by bureaucrats and some departments to dilute the Act. Different authorities were trying to exempt themselves from the provisions. There was a need to overcome the bureaucratic hurdles that were "deliberately created" and ensure that the implementation of the Act made the difference.

Justice Subhashan Reddy said efforts should be made to ensure that the RTI was properly used and not abused. There was a need for educating people in rural areas. ASCI director-general S.K. Rao welcomed the participants while State chief information commissioner C.D. Arha presided. CMS chairman N. Bhasker Rao explained the theme of the meeting.

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