NAC for change in RTI rules
Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory Council has recommended deletion of some of the RTI Act rules proposed by the government, saying they are “legally wrong.”
The NAC has sent its recommendations to the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) which had invited public comments on the proposed rules.
One of the rules suggested for processing RTI applications, said that one application shall relate “only to one subject and shall be limited to 250 words.” Against this rule, the NAC said, “This would be introducing an exemption which is not in the Act. It is legally wrong for rules to go beyond the act. The rule about a single subject will be open to arbitrariness and misuse as it is difficult to define.”
Recommending deletion of another proposed rule, which allowed abatement of proceedings before the Information Commission on the death of the appellant, saying such a rule could encourage “murder” of RTI activists.
The advisory body objected to “allowing withdrawal” of an appeal during the course of hearing at the Information Commission.
The National Advisory Council said withdrawal of appeals could become a source of “harassment/blackmail”.
The NAC has further recommended deletion of the rule limiting the word length of an RTI application.
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