6 November 2004

Dear    

It is heartening to note the pledge made by the UPA Government, in its Common Minimum Programme (CMP), “to provide a government that is corruption-free, transparent and accountable at all times…” and to make the Right to Information Act “more progressive, participatory and meaningful”. However, as many of you know, getting a right to information law that is both participatory and meaningful, is not an easy task.

The NDA government had got passed, in Parliament, a Freedom of Information Act in 2002. Nevertheless, this Act was never notified and was widely considered to be weak and ineffective.

In my view, any good right to information (RTI) law must exemplify four fundamental principles: minimum exclusions; deterrent penalties; independent appeal mechanisms; and wide and easy accessibility to the public. Interestingly, these are the very characteristics that were lacking in the Freedom of Information Act.

Fortunately, soon after the new government took office, the newly appointed National Advisory Council (NAC) took it upon themselves to suggest to the government extensive amendments to the Freedom of Information Act. These suggested amendments (copy enclosed), which effectively strengthen the Act, were forwarded to the Prime Minister by the Chairperson of the NAC, in the middle of August this year.

The government is currently in the process of examining the suggested amendments and I am writing to you to solicit your support for the strengthening of this very important act, as recommended by the NAC, and for its speedy notification. The two dangers that we must all fight against are the dilution of the recommendations made by the NAC and the delay in the notification of the amended law.

To this end, I would request you to consider writing to the Prime Minister and expressing your full support for immediately placing the amended Act before Parliament, and for its speedy passage and notification.

To my mind the provision of information to the people of India, as a right, is perhaps the most important step we can take in ridding our system of corruption and in deepening democracy and empowering the common man and woman.

With regards,

Yours sincerely,

V. P. Singh