RTI is a Powerful tool that Strengthens Democracy and Promotes good Governance: Vice President

The Vice President of India, Shri M. Hamid Ansari has said that RTI is a powerful tool that strengthens democracy and promotes good governance by enhancing the citizen’s ability to participate in the process. He was addressing the inaugural ceremony of the New Building of Uttar Pradesh Information Commission in Lucknow, today. The Governor of Uttar Pradesh, Shri Ram Naik, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Shri Akhilesh Yadav, Senior Judge, Lucknow Bench of Allahabad High Court, Justice A.P. Sahi and the Chief Information Commissioner of UP, Shri Jawed Usmani were present on the occasion.The Vice President said that the legislative intent was to empower the citizen to promote transparency and accountability in the working of every Public Authority, reduce the gap between the information provider and the information seeker, enhance efficiency in administration of public authorities, mitigate corruption and promote good governance. He further said that there can be little doubt that this Act is one of the most empowering and progressive legislations passed in the post Independent India. This Act provide for better governance, and impact on the very nature of governance itself, he added.The Vice President said that the basic tenets of the Act have been implemented, the institutional mechanisms are in place, and are being used by citizens as a tool to bring in transparency and accountability at all levels of Governance. He further said that while the Civil Society Organizations and Media can act as pressure points, most of the correctives need to be carried out by the Government and Information Commissions. There is a need for a sustained mass awareness campaign, need for greater voluntary disclosure of information held with public Authorities, need to rid ourselves of the old mindset regarding secrecy of government processes and transactions and the need for person demanding information under the RTI to be emboldened and secure, he added.Following is the text of Vice President’s address: A new building always brings to mind the remark of a statesman of our times that we shape our buildings, thereafter they shape us! I am nevertheless happy to be here today to inaugurate the new building of the U.P. Information Commission.The formal recognition of the Right to Information was an event of immense significance in the lives of citizens. The Central and the State Information Commissions therefore have an important role to play in the effective implementation of the Right to Information Act, 2005. This also holds good for the U.P. Information Commission. The new building, I am confident, will assist the process.Free flow of information is essential for the health of a democratic society. This is aptly expressed in the preamble of the Right to Information Act, 2005:“Democracy requires an informed citizenry and transparency of information which are vital to its functioning and also to contain corruption and to hold Governments and their instrumentalities accountable to the governed.”Much before the legislative enactment our Judiciary, in a progressive interpretation of the Constitutional provisions, had paved the way towards delineating the Right to Information. In 1975, in State of UP vs. Raj Narain case, Justice Mathew had ruled;“In a government of responsibility like ours, where all the agents of the public must be responsible for their conduct, there can be but few secrets. The people of this country have a right to know every public act, everything that is done in a public way by their public functionaries.” In subsequent judicial pronouncements, the ‘Right to Know’ was further elaborated as being inherent in the Fundamental Rights. The judicial interpretation found reflection in a wide-spread public movement demanding statutory provisions for such a right. The spirit behind the movement for Right to Information was summed up in pithy slogans like;“hamara paisa, hamara hisaab hum janenge, hum jiyenge .”The process, conceptually, was initiated when Parliament enacted the Freedom of Information Act, 2002. This was followed by the present Act that came into force on 12 October 2005. Its legislative intent was to empower the citizen to promote transparency and accountability in the working of every Public Authority, reduce the gap between the information provider and the information seeker, enhance efficiency in administration of public authorities, mitigate corruption and promote good governance.There can be little doubt that this is one of the most empowering and progressive legislations passed in the post Independent India. It is often said that India’s RTI Act is one of the world’s best law with an excellent implementation track record. It has salient features such as clear, time-bound implementation schedules with penal provisions for non-compliance, a minimal exceptions clause, and a well structured appeals system. These provide for better governance, and impact on the very nature of governance itself. I...

RTI is a Powerful tool that Strengthens Democracy and Promotes good Governance: Vice President

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