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The Right to Information (RTI) Prosecutors’ Assembly and the RTI Knowledge Meet underscored the need to use the Act more effectively to ensure transparency and also called for measures to widen the scope of the 10-year-old landmark legislation for the benefit of the public.

“Currently, most of the government departments and those which indirectly controls the government are out of the purview of the RTI Act. I do not subscribe to the view that certain departments should be kept out of the purview of the RTI Act,” said Minister for Forests Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, who inaugurated the RTI Prosecutors’ Meet.

“As in the case of direct control over the government, indirect control is also of great importance and the citizens have the right to know about them as well,” the Minister said.

He called for constructive debates to further strengthen the RTI Act and to widen its scope, while supporting the argument that political parties should be brought within the ambit of the Act.

“Government departments are supposed to post all the latest information on their respective websites, frequently. Unfortunately, it is not happening. The administrators have evolved a strategy of evading RTI queries, rather than providing information to the public,” said the former Additional Chief Secretary.

By Premji