Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

Diluting RTI Act

The enactment of the RTI Act was much against the wishes of the bureaucracy. Ever since it came into force, there have been consistent efforts by officials to ensure its dilution on some pretext or the other. They have finally succeeded in their endeavour by getting file notings exempted from the Act's purview. For the people saddled with colonial laws, this piece of progressive legislation came as a relief. But their joy seems to have been shortlived.

Dantu Surya Rao,
Kakinada, A.P.

* * *

Knowing the bureaucrats, it is not difficult to understand that all relevant information will hereafter be shifted to file notings. The argument that the RTI Act in its original form will discourage bureaucrats from being outspoken while advising their political bosses is far from convincing. On the contrary, they should be more outspoken if they have nothing to hide.

M. Jameel Ahmed,
Mysore

* * *

The proposed amendment will lend weight to those who continue to decry India as an impossible place to do business in. It will discourage investors, particularly the smaller entrepreneurs who create more jobs for less investment and are unwilling to pay bribes or deal with the bureaucracy. Section 8 of the RTI Act already provides for overarching exemption possibilities.

It would be unfortunate to dilute the most important people-friendly legislation.

Mohammed Habibuddin Siddiqui,
Hyderabad

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