No move to dilute provisions of RTI: Govt

The Centre today said there is no move to dilute the provisions of the RTI and proposed amendments to the rules will be finalised keeping in view the public feedback.
In a statement, the government said the proposed amendments to the RTI rules are in public domain for comments by April 15, 2017 and will be finalised keeping in view the public feedback received in the matter.
The comments can be sent both online and in hard copy to the Department.
"The allegation that there is a move to dilute the provisions of RTI is unfounded," the statement said.
The government's reaction came after Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari had accused the Modi government of attempting to subvert the RTI Act by seeking to tweak its rules and surreptitiously raise the bar to make access to information difficult for ordinary people.

The government said "a factually incorrect and misleading news report appeared in a section of the media" that a new set of RTI Rules have been formulated which creates difficulties and hurdles in the right of the citizens to get information from the government.

It said there has been an allegation that the size of the RTI has been restricted to 500 words and a provision of fees has been unfairly introduced in the Rules.
"The facts are totally to the contrary. On July 31, 2012, the central government notified the RTI Rules under Section 27 of the Right to Information Act, 2005. A copy of existing rules is available on the official website of DOPT.

"The Rules provided that an RTI application will ordinarily be not more than 500 words (subject to exception) with a nominal fee being charged from each applicant. These Rules were framed and notified in 2012," it said.
"The key provisions of the RTI Rules, 2012 have been identically incorporated verbatim. No change has been made in the RTI fee structure. The government is committed to ensuring a full and easy implementation of the Right to Information," the statement said.