Proactive disclosure can check misuse of RTI: Habibullah

Insisting on the need to sensitise Public Information Officers (PIO) to check misuse of Right to Information (RTI) Act, chairman of the National Minority Commission (NMC) today said, "proactive" disclosure can help in preventing exploitation of the Act.
"Right to Information Act can be misused, but a pro-active disclosure can check it. There is a need to sensitise Public Information Officers in this regard," NMC chairman Wajahat Habibullah said during a two-day long state level workshop organised by Sangarsh RTI Movement in association with Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) here.
When asked about the letter written by him to Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expressing displeasure over amendment of RTI Act in the state, Habibullah said the government in its reply stated that people were happy with changes in certain rules.

Raman Sharma, an RTI activist from Jammu, however, flayed the claims made by government and said, "State government is misleading people, amendments made to the RTI Act have weakened it."
Earlier, speaking on implementation of RTI Act in the state, Additional Deputy Commissioner Jammu Rehana Batool said though the Act was people friendly, some were misusing it.
"It has been misused. There have been instances where people have used it to settle their biases," Rehana said.

She, however, assured RTI activists present on the occasion of all possible support in their movement towards transparency.
While appreciating the organisers for their effort of taking RTI to the people, Habibullah urged upon participants to use the Act for public interest.

He also unveiled a book titled 'Your Guide to Using the J-K RTI Act' on the occasion.