VISAKHAPATNAM: Noted social activist and Ramon Magsaysay awardee Aruna Roy has urged the people to use the Right to Information Act (RTI Act) to the maximum and fight against all the attempts made by the politicians and rulers to make it a toothless legislation.

Addressing the meet-the-press programme organised by the Vizag Journalists Forum (VJF) here on Sunday, she recalled how the UPA Government withdrew its attempts to amend the legislation that would have removed the file notings from the purview of the RTI Act had not the RTI activists took up the issue and fought. The attempt was made within eight months of introduction of the Act, she charged.

Another obstacle

She said the Official Secrets Act was another obstacle for the people to know how their money was spent by the government and called for its complete withdrawal. RTI Act was fundamental to democracy, social justice, rule of law.

The legislation, which should have been included as one of the fundamental rights under the Indian Constitution by its architects, had been brought now, thanks to the sustained campaign and fights carried out by the RTI activists.

In the South African Constitution, RTI has been included as one of the fundamental right, she said.

Ms. Roy, who was a former IAS officer, said the country would have witnessed another civil war had not the RTI Act been introduced as the poor, peasants and labourers were being constantly exploited mainly with regard to employment and wages in every part of the country.

The Act was a brilliant tool and leverage to every one who were genuinely concerned about the country's welfare. It was brought with the theme "what cannot be denied to MPs and MLAs cannot be denied to the people too because they were only elected representatives."

It was only under this Act the citizen was empowered to seek for punishment of the government servant by imposing penalty up to Rs.25,000 if the information was not given within the stipulated 30 days, she pointed out and urged the people to make best use of it.

VJF president S.S. Siva Sankar and Secretary M. Yugandhar Reddy participated.

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