J-K govt defends changes in RTI Act citing 'anomalies'

"The recent amendments to the J&K Right to Information Rules-2010 were aimed at removing anomalies in the execution of the act by bringing it at par with the central RTI Act of 2005 and rules framed there under," an official spokesman said in a statement here.

Civil society, political parties and even the Chief Information Commissioner G R Sofi reacted sharply to the changes, claiming the fresh amendments had rendered the State Information Commission a "toothless body".

"In first place, there was no reason to come up with new rules, which have taken soul out of the RTI Act," Sofi had said.

In fresh amendments in the RTI Act 2010 made public last month, rules spread over 27 pages stands discarded. Instead, new rules are on only six pages.

Opposition PDP also criticised the government for the amendments in the rules, saying it was an attempt to demolish all the instruments of accountability and transparency in the public life.

"The government's latest move on the RTI was part of the organised attempt by the coalition government to demolish all instruments and institutions of transparency, accountability and probity in public life," PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said.

The spokesman said that there were certain discrepancies between the rules and the RTI Act-2009 as the mandate of the Act in the earlier rules was exceeded in respect of certain provisions which made it vulnerable to avoidable litigation.

He said the provision regarding initiation of criminal proceedings by the Commission was ultra vires the provisions of RTI Act-2005. It was an error which had to be corrected, the spokesman added.