Proposed RTI Act amendment runs into rough weather

The National Election Watch has appealed to all the Members of Parliament from both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha not to support a proposed amendment to the Right To Information Act.

In a press release, the department of personnel and training has cleared the proposed amendments to the RTI Act. 

The government may introduce the amendment in the monsoon session and push for its passage.

"The National Election Watch, on behalf of the citizens of India, urges you to not support such a bill if introduced in Parliament. By not supporting this bill, you will be supporting the citizens of the country, and will become an advocate of transparency and accountability.  The Right to Information Act has been hailed as landmark legislation since its enactment, and the government that passed this legislation has claimed, and is believed, to be an advocate of transparency. Bringing political parties under the purview of the RTI Act is merely a step forward in the same direction to ensure accountability by all political platforms to the citizens of India.

"The suspicion that this may be detrimental to the internal functioning and strategies of the political parties is completely misplaced. On the contrary, lack of information about the political parties leads to disconnect between the parties and the common man. Bringing political parties under RTI will help bridge that gap and the common man will be able to engage with the parties. The amendment to the RTI Act, if passed, will add substantially to the already widespread resentment across masses and widen the distrust between citizens and the leaders".