Kerala - Kochi   

‘RTI Act far-sighted’

KOCHI: The impact of the Right to Information Act (RTI Act) on society will be so deep that the Act could be termed the ‘second independence’ of India, according to State Chief Information Commissioner Palat Mohandas.

However, it would take some more time for the impact to be felt as it required a fundamental change in the mindset of government officials. The officials are used to a particular way of functioning and this needs to be changed. Without an attitudinal change on part of the officials, the objective of the Act cannot be achieved, he said.

Mr. Mohandas was speaking after opening the State convention of the Human Rights Forum of India (HRFI) here on Sunday.

He also cautioned the public against misuse of the provisions of the Act. Some NGOs and social activists had gone overboard and used the Act to harass government officials. This would be counterproductive and would hurt the objective of the right to information, Mr. Mohandas added. “Let us not get carried away,” he said.

He pointed out that the Information Commission was not a cell that addresses grievances of a personal nature. “The commission is like an umpire; it can only facilitate the supply of information,” he remarked. Those officials delaying information dissemination would have to pay the penalty underthe Act — Rs.250 for each day delayed.

Human rights activist and right-to-information campaigner D.B. Binu spoke.

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