Chief Information Commissioner of India Rajiv Mathur on Monday called for immediate implementation of the Whistleblowers’ Protection Act, the Lokpal Act and the Lokayukta Act, which would strengthen governance systems further.
“Although progressive legislations such as the Whistleblowers’ Protection Act, the Lokpal Act and the Lokayukta Act have been enacted, the rules for these Acts have not been framed. As a result, neither the Union government nor States are executing these Acts,” Mr. Mathur said, addressing the valedictory session of the Fifth National Convention on Right To Information here.
The CIC paid tributes to RTI (Right to Information) activists who lost their lives in their crusade against attempts to suppress information. According to the organisers of the convention, more than 60 RTI activists have been killed.
“Bureaucracy cannot deny information in the pretext of the Official Secrets Act. They are accountable to the general public,” he observed.
Mr. Mathur said, “The Information Commission is trying to clear pendency on a war-footing. By February 2018, there will be no one-year-old case.”
Mr. Mathur announced that the Commission would analyse second appeals being filed by applicants. “Based on the findings, we would identify the Ministry that is frequently denying information. Subsequently, the same Ministry would be asked to disclose information suo moto,” he said.
