BJP Amendments Under Fire; Restore RTI Commission’ Independence

Hyderabad, Oct 12 (Maxim News): TPCC chief Mahesh Kumar Goud urged the Union government to reconsider amendments that, he said, weaken the Right to Information Act. He spoke at Gandhi Bhavan on Sunday, marking 20 years of RTI. He demanded that changes to Section 44(3) of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act that affect RTI be reviewed, and that the 2019 changes curbing the commissions’ independence be repealed.

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He recalled key welfare laws of the UPA era. “The UPA government led by Dr. Manmohan Singh, under the visionary leadership of Sonia Gandhi, implemented public interest laws like RTI, MGNREGA, Forest Rights Act, Right to Education Act, Food Security Act. These have become a strong foundation of the country’s democracy,” he said. He added that RTI has helped the poor and the downtrodden. It aided people in getting rations, pensions, arrears, and scholarships. Therefore, he said, its safeguards must remain strong.

However, he alleged that the BJP government has undermined RTI since 2014. He said the 2019 amendments took away the autonomy of information commissions. Then, the Union brought tenure and service conditions under central control. Meanwhile, he argued that the 2023 Digital Personal Data Protection Act made public interest information an exception. He said this move hurt transparency. He also said RTI commissioners now face pressure from the Centre.

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He highlighted staffing gaps. He said the Central Information Commission is working with only two commissioners against 11 sanctioned posts. He added that the Chief Commissioner’s post will fall vacant after September 2025. He called this situation grave. Therefore, he sought urgent appointments to posts in central and state commissions. He said delays erode accountability.

He raised safety concerns. He cited the killing of environmental activist Shehla Masood in Bhopal at her home while exposing illegal mining. He said such incidents have created fear among RTI activists. He called for strong protection for RTI users and whistleblowers. He asked that the Whistleblowers Protection Act, passed by Parliament under the UPA, be implemented. He stressed that it has not been put into force since 2014.

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He urged wider representation in commissions. He said journalists, social activists, and women representatives should find space. Also, he called on citizens to stay ready to defend these laws. Then, he said unity on transparency will strengthen democracy. Finally, he asked the Centre to act fast on vacancies and roll back steps that, in his view, weaken RTI.(Maxim News)

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