THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala will soon enact a legislation that will hold elected representatives and bureaucracy accountable for not performing their roles properly, said Finance Minister Thomas Isaac. The minister was speaking at the release of “The RTI Story - Power to the People,” penned by activist Aruna Roy here on Wednesday.“We will become the first state to enact a comprehensive Accountability Act. The state is also committed to the implementation of the RTI. Whatever be the situation in other parts of the country, we will do our maximum to preserve and expand the legislation,” he said.
Aruna Roy said the initial euphoria over the RTI was over and time was up for struggles to preserve it. “Earlier, a huge movement could stall the government’s move to amend the Act. But it is an extremely difficult situation with the present government,” she said.Filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan said that Kerala is witnessing grassroot level corruption where bribe amounts are divided among administrators from top to bottom.
“The people of Kerala are a dissatisfied lot and they won’t allow continuity to a government no matter how good it is,” he said. Former chief secretary SM Vijayanand, social activist Nikhil Dey, and state convener of National Campaign for People’s Right to Information Abey George attended the function.