Maharashtra Govt trying to 'kill' RTI Act, Anna Hazare told

An RTI activist Anil Galgali has asked Anna Hazare to prevail upon Maharashtra Government to cancel the new RTI rules in the state.

The new rules stipulate that any request for information must not exceed 150 words, should be related to one subject matter only and if required, separate applications must be made if it relates to more than one topic, Galgali, Chairman of Athak Seva Sangh, said.

Amendments in the state's Right To Information (RTI) rules could give discretionary powers to officials to deny information to the public, Galgali told Hazare here last night.

The 150-word limit on applications may deter a majority of Maharashtra's people, especially the semi-literate and underprivileged sections who lack concise drafting skills, he said.

Galgali said that these new RTI rules would restrict the use of the Act and give the PIOs discretionary powers to withhold information or harass the RTI users, leading to conflicts and increased number of appeals.

He accused the government of including these rules 'secretly', without any public discussion, as mandated by Section 4 (1) of the Act. The government did not even bother to seek views of Hazare, who is a key member of the concerned committee, he said.

Stipulation of a single subject information request mater would give discretionary powers to PIOs to reject applications, result in disputes and delays in getting information, Galgali said.

"I also informed Hazare that the state government was not serious on appointing the new Chief Information Commissioner and Information Commissioner," Galgali said.