Activists slam PM's suggestion to limit RTI

A day after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh batted for limiting the Right to Information Act, 2005 to “protect privacy”, RTI activists on Saturday strongly opposed any move by the government to dilute the existing provisions in the Act.

The Prime Minister on Thursday had expressed concern over “frivolous and vexatious use of the Act in demanding information, which can not serve any public purpose” but “encroached on someone’s privacy.” He had also argued that public-private partnership enterprises should be kept out of the purview of the RTI to encourage more private participation in government projects (PPP).

Both the arguments of the Prime Minister came under heavy fire from the activists who have used the RTI to expose corruption and malpractices in the government.