As the PM was speaking during the session, some activists held staged a protest outside the venue
Prime Minister Narendra Modi with chief information commissioner Vijai Sharma at the inauguration of the 10th Annual Convention of Central Information Commission, in New Delhi on Friday (Photo: PTI)
New Delhi: The Right to Information should empower every citizen to question those in power, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday, urging that RTI applications be processed in a timely and transparent manner.
Addressing the inaugural session of the Central Information Commission’s convocation, that also marked the 10th anniversary of the RTI Act, Mr Modi said the foundation of democracy was such that even the most ordinary citizen had the right to question the government.
The convention was boycotted by many top RTI activists, including Aruna Roy. As the PM was speaking during the session, some activists held staged a protest outside the venue. The main grudge was that several were not invited to the function, as the government cited security reasons.
The PM said, “It is correct that in RTI even the most common person has the right to know. But it should not be limited to that. He should have the right to question those in power, and this the foundation of democracy.”
He stressed on “proactively” bringing transparency in the government’s working, saying the faster “we move towards transparency” the stronger will be the people’s faith in democracy. Mr Modi also stressed the process of getting information should be transparent, timely and trouble-free.
( Source : deccan chronicle )
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