Govt reducing need for filing RTI by putting info in public domain: Shah

The government has taken a number of steps to proactively bring information in public domain, thereby reducing the need to file Right to Information (RTI) applications, Home Minister Amit Shah said on Saturday.

The RTI Act has bridged the gap between the people and the government, and addressed mistrust, he said at the 14th annual convention of the Central Information Commission (CIC).

Shah, who was the chief guest at the event, said when the law was being drafted, there were apprehensions of its misuse, but during the last 15 years the benefits have outdone the misuse.

Dashboards for various schemes introduced by the Modi government have enabled even the poorest of beneficiaries to get information about them and their implementation by going online, the home minister said.

He said the government is creating infrastructure to ensure maximum information is put in public domain to reduce the need of filing RTI applications by citizens.

Amending RTI Act will dilute powers of Information Commission: Kejriwal

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Monday opposed the Centre's move to amend the RTI Act, alleging that it will end the independence of central and states information commissions.

Kejriwal, who had actively worked for implementation of the Right to Information Act before coming into politics, said the decision to amend the RTI Act was a "bad move".

"Decision to amend the RTI Act is a bad move. It will end the independence of Central & States Information Commissions, which will be bad for RTI," Kejriwal tweeted.

On Friday, the Centre introduced a bill in Lok Sabha to amend the RTI Act, seeking to give the government powers to fix salaries, tenures and other terms and conditions of employment of information commissioners.

While tabling the Right to Information (Amendment) Bill, Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office Jitendra Singh had asserted it would lead to ease of delivery of RTI Act and described it as an enabling legislation for administration purposes.

However, transparency activists have slammed the government's move to amend the Act to take away statutory parity of Information Commissioners with Election Commissioners in terms of tenure and service conditions, saying it is an attack on the independence of the panel.