[HumJanenge] No Whistleblower bill for RTI Activist : Rajya Sabha informed

The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh took many months to realize that existing laws are "adequate to provide for safety and security to all citizens including RTI activists."  Earlier statements of various leaders and ministers, or even probably of PM were only gimmicks to assuage the sentiments of activists after the murder of numbers of social and RTI activists.

It is a case of backtracking from the promise by the govt.  Till now, PM was saying that the introduction of RTI Act is a big achievement of his Govt. even from the rampart of Lal Quila. Mrs. Sonia Gandhi, Chairperson, UPA has many times exhorted the citizens to use the RTI in a big way.  Now, we can use it to our peril instead of brining transprancy and reforming system. This is another matter that the recent big scams were unearthened because of the RTI Act and govt. may recover millions of millions only in 2G.

Yesterday, Mr. Kapil Sibal, Union Minister said Fear of graft taint stalling decisions. 'Protect Officials From Being Penalized For Honest Mistakes'. 

Recently, there was a statement that a (telecom?) company can be penalized from 0 to 50 crore but the govt. shall penalize it for 50 crore so that the charge of taking graft from the Company can not be made.  It is being present in a way as if imposing maximum penalty is a bad thing.

When in 70s, Jai Prakash Narayan wanted to fight corruption, he had to fight the govt., in 80s, when V P Singh raised issue of commission, he had to fight the govt. and recently.  For fighting against corruption this year, both Anna Hazare and Baba Ramdev have to fight with the govt.  Even, both had to risk their lives by a due to fast and police action at Ramlila ground respectively. All the times, our govt. was headed by the oldest national party of which Mahatma Gandhi ji is  the tallest leader.  Now, he may definitaly be ruing on the conduct of his followers.

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From: lokesh batra <batra_lokesh@yahoo.com>
To:
Sent: Monday, 28 November 2011 10:54 PM
Subject: ALERT : No Whistleblower bill for RTI Activist : Rajya Sabha informed

Note:

 

On 14 Oct 2011, Hon'ble Prime Minister while addressing the 6th RTI Convention had stated :

 

"I would like to mention here our initiative to enact a legislation for the protection of Whistleblowers which would further strengthen the Right to Information. We expect this law to be enacted in the next few months and it would, among other things, help in prevention of violence against those who seek to expose wrongdoings in our public administration."

 

Now, on Nov 24, 2011, the  Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office V. Narayanasamy said in a written statement in Rajya Sabha :

 

"xxxxxx there was no need for a separate policy to deal with such cases as existing laws were considered 'adequate to provide for safety and security to all citizens including RTI activists'."

 

 

You may like to express your views.

 

Go ahead and read IANS story below

 

PM's address of 14 Oct 2011 to RTI convention can be read on Link below:

 

http://pmindia.nic.in/speech/content4print.asp?id=1103

 

 

Best

Commodore Lokesh. K. Batra (Retd.)

Social & RTI Activist

BringChange

 

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IANS story

 

 

http://www.inewsone.com/2011/11/24/states-told-to-act-against-rti-attackers/92441

 

  

States told to act against RTI attackers

 

 

New Delhi, Nov 24 (IANS) State governments should 'promptly' investigate victimization of RTI activists and take action against their attackers, the Rajya Sabha was informed Thursday.

 

Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office V. Narayanasamy said in a written statement that at least nine RTI activists had been allegedly killed so far in the country.

 

'There have been some reports in the media that some persons have been assaulted in the last two years allegedly due to their role as RTI activists,' the minister said.

 

He identified nine such victims: Ramdas Pati Ghadegasonkar, Babbu Singh, Amit Jethwa, Datta Patil, Vittal Gite, Sola Ranga Rao, Arun Sawant, Shehla Masood and Nadim Sayeed.

 

Narayanasamy said there was no need for a separate policy to deal with such cases as existing laws were considered 'adequate to provide for safety and security to all citizens including RTI activists'.

 

He said the central government had drawn the attention of states to media reports about 'the victimization of people who use RTI to expose corruption and irregularities in administration.

 

'States have been requested that if any such instances comes to the notice, it should be properly inquired into and action taken against the offenders.'

 

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Clearly, the govt. does not want to embolden the RTI activists by bringing whistleblowers protection bill.