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RTI bill passes Rajya Sabha hurdle amid protests from opposition

  •   Thu, Jul 25 2019 10:30:50 PM

New Delhi, Jul 25 (IANS) : The controversial RTI amendment bill passed the Rajya Sabha hurdle on Thursday after sharp exchanges between members of the treasury and opposition benches and subsequent walk-out by the Congress.

The opposition members' amendment to refer the bill to a select committee was defeated with 75 votes in favour while 117 against it.

The Upper House on Thursday witnessed disruptions in proceeding after Union Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Jitendra Singh moved the bill to amend the Right to Information Act, 2005 and it was passed.

The main opposition Congress, Trinamool Congress, RJD and CPI insisted on sending the bill to a select committee but could not succeed due to insufficient numbers in the House. While initially they protested forcing the Chair to adjourn proceedings four times, albeit briefly, they participated in the discussions later on.

The Congress seemed to have realised that it will not be able to secure adequate numbers to get its demand met.

"..I am sure, with the numbers that the ruling party has been able to muster and the various telephone calls that have gone to the state capitals, they may succeed in passing the amendments," Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said while participating in the discussion on the bill.

The Lok Sabha had earlier this week passed the bill despite reservations expressed by members of the opposition.

Congress member Abhishek Manu Singhvi said that though the proposed changes in the law were seemingly very simple it was actually an attempt to exercise control by a "control-freak government".

He termed the amendments as "sinister, dangerous and over-clever" because there seemed minor changes only on two issues.

Replying to the members on the bill, minister Jitendra Singh allayed fears of any dilution of the RTI Act. He assured the House that there is no interference as far as the independence of the RTI institution is concerned.

"There will be no such interference as concerns raised by some of the members," said the minister.

--IANS

nk/kr
  

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Comment on this article

  • SmR, Karkala

    Fri, Jul 26 2019

    While the purpose of the RTI Act was to make people in power uncomfortable, the amendments are designed to make the government ‘comfortable’.
    Since 2014, no appointments to the CIC have been made unless the matter was agitated in the courts. In 2018, last year, the CIC had to function with just three out of eleven commissioners, until the Supreme Court passed such severe strictures that the government was forced to make some more appointments. But despite that, today, currently four posts of Information Commissioners are still lying vacant in the CIC. Meanwhile, nearly 32,000 RTI cases are pending, of which more than 9,000 are pending for more than one year.
    RTI empowers the citizen's access to power and decision making. That is why 60 lakh Indian citizens have availed the right to obtain information from the government at local, state and central levels. Obviously, this makes RTI a challenge to vested interests at all levels of government because it threatens arbitrariness, misuse of privilege and corruption.
    The alacrity with which the Modi government pushed the RTI Amendment Bill through the RS after passing it in the LS clearly demonstrated its desperation to withhold information from the public domain
    JaiHind

    DisAgree Agree Reply Report Abuse

  • H. Almeida., Bendur/Andheri

    Fri, Jul 26 2019

    Instant Talak is banned in most Islamic countries... it destroys and demeans, women.... yet the Mullahs, Maulanas, ably assisted by Congress n regional parties, who are eyeing their vote banks, are brazenly, condemning this bill....... A Muslim women, constantly dreads the sword of Talak, hanging over her head, she can be brutally kicked out, along with her kids, by her husband, on flimsy accusations !!!!!! His desire, is just to have many more wives !!! PM Modiji, must be commended for bringing in this Anti Triple Talak legislation... We Indians, require one nation under one law !!!!

    DisAgree [2] Agree [3] Reply Report Abuse

  • David Pais, Mangalore

    Fri, Jul 26 2019

    corrections 2 r.t.i. becoz chaiwala & his hench-men r scared of displaying truth 2 da public.

    DisAgree [5] Agree [4] Reply Report Abuse

  • Abdullah Amin, Pumpwell, Mangalore

    Fri, Jul 26 2019

    With Congress & TMC strategy, India will have to go back to bullock carts.

    DisAgree Agree [3] Reply Report Abuse

  • David Pais, Mangalore

    Fri, Jul 26 2019

    chaiwala's chai, chai pakoda & formalin in da fish. goa declined fish of mangalore

    DisAgree Agree [1] Reply Report Abuse

  • Chetan, Udupi

    Fri, Jul 26 2019

    In case, anyone had a doubt about 'Chowkidar Chor hai', now it is confirmed. One powerful tool which could find out Chowkidar and his party's chori has been made blunt and ineffective. Way to go in New India.

    DisAgree [2] Agree [7] Reply Report Abuse

  • cyril mathias, udupi

    Fri, Jul 26 2019

    One of the finest tools to fight against corruption is weakened by the Govt to protect the vested interest of the corrupt officials and Ministers. The best institutions which empower the citizens are weekend to pave way for a dictatorial regime. The ED ,CBI and ECI are already manipulated to suit the vested interests of the ruling dispensation. The voice of dissent is also silenced.

    DisAgree [1] Agree [9] Reply Report Abuse

  • flavian dsouza, chik/bengaluru

    Fri, Jul 26 2019

    back to 1970....clear indication of encouraging graft and non transparency !!!and if you are clean why should you focus on abolishing this bill
    Entire India and citizens should protest

    DisAgree [1] Agree [8] Reply Report Abuse


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