SHILLONG, MAR 14: Meghalaya’s RTI activists are happy lots as for the first time they feel that the new Right To Information Act, 2005 slated to be introduced during the current Meghalaya assembly session finally has some teeth as the RTI findings can be taken to the Lokayukta for investigation and prosecution.
The RTI activists have however proposed few amendments and also for issuing of the notification of the new anti-corruption bill as soon as possible.
The new Act will replace the existing Meghalaya Lokayukta Act, 2013.
“Now, whatever findings found through the RTI, people can take up with the Lokayukta for investigation and prosecution,” Meghalaya Right To Information Movement (MRTIM) convener Michael Syiem said even as he informed that finally the new proposed Act resemblances the principle Act (Lokpal) passed by parliament.
Stating that RTI findings so far remained inconclusive due to the fact there is no provision for prosecution in the act, Syiem said, “But now soon we will have a body which will do what people have been wanting to do.” He said the next step to empower the people is through the Lokayukta.”
Syiem said during a news conference on Friday that the RTI activists had made their stand clear earlier that they will never compromise three things with regards to the Lokayukta, that it should have its own investigation wing, prosecution wing and also special courts.
Another RTI activist Angela Rngad also feels that the state will now have a better bill and it is a victory of the people because it should go down in the history of the state that the government never took the initiative to come up with a strong Lokayukta bill till they got the whip of the Congress high command.
Rngad claimed that the state would have got a strong Act much earlier since the new bill is similar to what the civil societies have been suggesting and recommending to the state government all this while.
Demanding its early implementation, Rngad said, “We urged the government that it cannot take time in notifying this bill once it comes through because it has failed to mention in the bill, when it is going to come into effect. We don’t want them to delay.”
Pointing out that some of the provisions the government added were not in line with the principle act, Rngad said that in section 3, the model bill and the Lokpal does not have this provision of having a secretary to the Government of India or Chief Secretary who can be chairman of the Lokayukta. “It is only in Meghalaya they have added this and obviously it is the cunningness of probably these public servants,” she added.
Troubled by the fact that there is a time frame for people to approach the Lokayukta, Rngad said that they feel that whenever there is evidence, relevant documents of an act of corruptions such cases and complaints should be accepted by the Lokayukta.
Rngad however informed that the bill however does not provide for ‘suo-moto’ powers of a Lokayukta and there is a clause where they still threaten a complainant of not just fine but also imprisonment. She said, “I think you cannot keep on threatening a complainant with imprisonment,” urging legislators to discuss on such points for necessary amendments.
Rngad also felt that now the challenge for us civil society members and public is to come up with names of who they think should be people that will best serve as members in the Lokayukta.
She said people should immediately start complaining and also need to look for people and start suggesting names of who they think will do justice to the office of the Lokayukta.- By Our Reporter
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