Govt advertises for top post of Central Information Commission without specifying terms and salary, opposition says move will hurt panel’s autonomy.
New Delhi: Despite widespread protests, the BJP-led NDA government seems determined to amend the Right to Information Act (RTI) — a move the opposition fears will render the transparency law “useless”.
In an advertisement for the top post of the Central Information Commission (CIC) released Tuesday, the government did not specify the terms and salary of the chief commissioner — in keeping with the amendments it had proposed in July.
According to the existing RTI Act, the tenure and the salary of the chief is already specified, and is bound to be the same as that of the chief election commissioner (CEC). The term of the commissioner is fixed at five years unless the person reaches the age of 65 before the end of five years.
Also read: Modi govt doesn’t know when it can fill up Central Information Commission vacancies
However, in its proposed amendments, the government seeks a direct say in deciding both the tenure and salary of the information commissioners — a move which the opposition claims will hurt the autonomy of the commission.
If enacted, the amendments will allow the government to terminate the service of any commissioner at will.
In keeping with the proposed amendments, the advertisement said, “The salary, allowances and other terms and conditions of service of the chief information commissioner shall be as specified at the time of appointment of the selected candidate.”
‘Amendments will make RTI useless’
“There is a change in the language this time around…Earlier the advertisement used to say ‘as prescribed by law,’ now it says ‘to be specified later,” said information commissioner Sridhar Acharyulu.
“It does mean they are keeping the scope open for the amendments, but I don’t think the government will introduce them…It will make the Act completely useless,” he said.
However, dismissing such claims, an official in the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) said there is only a “minor change in language”, and it is incorrect to read much into it.
At the time when the government had first introduced the amendments, Congress president Rahul Gandhi had tweeted: “Every Indian has the right to know the truth. The BJP believes the truth must be hidden from the people and they must not question people in power. The changes proposed to the RTI will make it a useless Act. They must be opposed by every Indian. #Save RTI.”
While the government was all set to introduce the amendments in Parliament in the monsoon session, it dropped the idea after protests from the opposition.
But months later when it advertised for the posts of information commissioners, it again did so without specifying their salaries and tenures, a break from the past practice.
Also read: Modi govt’s plan to make changes to RTI Act an assault on transparency law: Activists
“It makes a mockery of seeking applications for any appointment without specifying the salary, allowances and other terms of conditions of service for the advertised post,” RTI activist, Commodore Lokesh Batra (retd.) said.
“This shows the government’s agenda to amend the RTI Act still persists despite opposition,” he added.
RTI is becoming more of a ritual. As a film star once said of his marriage, which was on the rocks, although his wife stayed with him, Taar hai lekin current nahin hai.