Source: The Assam Tribune,Guwahati, Friday, August 4, 2006

Social organisations of Meghalaya, spearheading a campaign against the Centre’s decision to amend the Right to Information Act by exempting file notings, today held another protest rally in the heart of the city here denoucing the Government’s move. The Meghalaya Right to Information Movement, an umbrella body of a few social organisations, urged the State Government to exert pressure on the Centre for not amending the Act.

A similar protest rally was held at Motphran here on Tuesday, while a similar one would take place tomorrow. The aim of these meetings were to make the people aware and pressurise the authorities. The speakers expressed opinion that the Centre’s move would dilute the very objective of the RTI Act by compromising the transparency and accountability in administration. Addressing the gathering, forum leader Michael Syiem, said: “We want the State Government to register its strong protest about the Centre’s move if it (State) is really sincere to offer a clean and responsible government.”

Syiem, whose ‘Mait Shaphrang Movement’ has been spearheading campaign on enforcement of RTI in Meghalaya for a decade, apprehended that the move to exempt file notings would enable the ministers and officials to hide the facts. Leaders of other NGOs also addressed the gathering and echosed the demand