Right to information key to Democracy

Right to information key to democracy – An Editorial published by the “Economic Times dated” 15th June 2010 Click Here to read the full article.


In this regards, I would like to quote below what Hon'ble Chairperson of UPA Madam Sonia Gandhi wrote to Dr. Man Mohan Singh Hon’ble PM of India on 10th November 2009.
Quote:
The RTI… as one of the most effective pieces of legislation, as instrument that has empowered people and made government more responsive… Much has been achieved in these initial years and while there are still problems of implementations, RTI has begun to change the lives of our people and the ways of governance in the country. It will of course take time before the momentum generated by the Acts makes for greater transparency and accountability in the structure of the government… It is important, therefore, that we adhere to its original aims and refrain from accepting or introducing changes in the legislations on the way it is implemented that would dilute its purpose”
Unquote
The above speaks volumes about tinkering with the RTI. It is, therefore, imperative that the short comings like lack of public awareness about the RTI Act, harassment, intimidation, and threatening of RTI activists be addressed, rather than diluting the Act.