Official Secrets Act and RTI are contradictory: Habibullah

18 Oct 2007 THETIMES OF INDIA

NEW DELHI: Central and state information commissions have sought more powers, demanding that their proceedings be considered as equivalent to "judicial proceedings" to deter authorities from withholding information and making their orders enforceable.

Speaking on the sidelines of a day-long information commissioners' conference here on Wednesday, CIC Wajahat Habibullah also pointed out the "clear contradiction" between the Official Secrets Act and the RTI. While OSA, he said, was designed by the British government to protect its rule over India, RTI fulfiled the purpose of a democratically elected government in which the people, in principle at least, are the rulers.

Habibullah also wanted the government to appoint more commissioners to ease the workload. In the past two years, every information commissioner was handling 125-130 cases per month and the entire commission was disposing of about 700 cases per month.

Though not satisfied with this strike rate, Habibullah said information technology and standard procedures had to be utilised to ensure more people, especially those in rural areas, benefited from RTI.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Official_Secrets_Act_and_RTI_are_contradictory_Habibullah/articleshow/2468759.cms

With Thanks from THE TIMES OF INDIA

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