Hari the Hadron

Friday, August 01, 2008

IS THERE ANY REAL RIGHT IN RTI

When Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) had sent a notice for performance audit of Central Information Commission (CIC) the apex authority for regulating the Right to Information Act, (RTI), the CIC had sent a reply questioning the jurisdiction of CAG to conduct such an audit and also whether such an audit is ever permitted.

So when the apex authority regulating the RTI itself is apprehensive about its performance record, so much so that it is trying to avoid any kind of test on its performance, this whole drama of transparency being played by the parliamentarians under the robe of RTI seems nothing more than a sham.

When there is no transparency permitted at the regulation work done by the Regulatory authority of RTI, one can well imagine the quality and transparency of information available to the user of RTI. Add to that cases of blantant refusal, by those bound by the RTI Act, to give the information sought for. So what is the sanctity of an application made under RTI and what is the accountability to those governed by the Act.