THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: AICC general secretary Deepa Dasmunsi and KPCC working president P C Vishnunadh on Sunday accused the Narendra Modi-led Union government of “systematically weakening” the Right to Information (RTI) Act, as the historic law passed by the UPA government turned 20 this year.
As per the duo, under the original 2005 framework, information commissioners had a fixed five-year tenure with secure service conditions, ensuring independence of central and state commissions. However, the 2019 amendment transferred appointment powers to the Union government, opening doors for administrative interference, they said.
The 2023 Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act further expanded the definition of personal information, restricting disclosure even in matters of public interest, the Congress leaders said, adding that this undermined the essence of the RTI Act, with serious issues like voter list irregularities and misuse of public funds being shielded under the label of personal information.
The duo said vacancies worsened the situation. The Central Information Commission, they said, has just two members instead of 11, and the Chief Information Commissioner post has been vacant since September.
They said as of June last year, about 4.05 lakh appeals and complaints were pending across state commissions, with 23,000 cases awaiting resolution centrally. Requests for information on the PM’s foreign visits, deaths due to alleged oxygen shortage during the pandemic and the PM CARES fund usage have reportedly been denied, they said.
The leaders also highlighted the electoral bonds case, where RTI requests went unheeded initially, and only the Supreme Court’s intervention led to details of the contributions made to political parties becoming public.
The duo alleged that RTI activists face serious threats and attacks, citing the murders of environmentalist Shehla Masood in Bhopal for exposing illegal mining and land scam whistleblower Satish Shetty by the land mafia, and warned that such incidents deter citizens from using the RTI law without fear.
They also said although the Whistleblower Protection Act was passed by the UPA, it was never implemented. “In Kerala, information related to deaths in police custody is being withheld under the guise of personal data,” one of the leaders said. The Congress demanded repeal of the 2019 amendments, the amendments made to the DPDP Act, full implementation of the Whistleblower Protection Act and diverse representation in commissions.
