Working Group Set Up To Review Official Secrets Act

The United Front (UF) government belatedly acted on its promise of reviewing the Official Secrets Act yesterday by setting up a working group to examine the feasibility of enacting a Right to Information Act.

According to the common minimum programme , The Official Secrets Act will be reviewed and amended in tune with the need for openness and transparency in governance. A Bill on Freedom of Information will be introduced within six months to give people access to information at all levels.

Official sources said that a nine-member working group had been formed with H D Shourie, chairman of Common Cause, as its head. The group has been called the Working group on Right to Information and Promotion of Open and Transparent Government. It has been asked to submit its report in two months. Apart from representatives from the ministries of home, railways, and the departments of legal affairs, posts, telecommunications and personnel and training, the group includes Soli Sorabjee, former attorney-general, and S Narendra, principal information officer.

The group has been constituted to widen the area of easy access of information to the common man in all areas of government functioning except in regard to matters concerning internal security and defence. It will examine the feasibility of a full-fledged Right to Information Act or its introduction in a phased manner, the sources said.