Chief Information Commissioner Satyananda Mishra today slammed public authorities for failing to comply with the suo-motu disclosure provisions of the Right to Information Act even after seven years of the implementation of the Act.

Referring to Section four of the RTI Act which mandates public authorities to make proactive disclosures and organise records within 120 days of enactment of the transparency law in 2005, Mishra said these statutory provisions have not been complied with even after seven years.

“The RTI has mandatory provision for proactive disclosure of a whole range of information by every public authority. I must say that almost all public authorities have failed to comply with this mandatory requirement even after seven years,” he said at the 11th All-India Lok Ayukta Conference here.

Section four of the RTI Act mandates all public authorities to maintain all its records duly catalogued and indexed, publish all relevant facts while formulating important policies, provide reasons for its administrative or quasi-judicial decisions and publish within 120 days 17-point information about the authority.

Terming the RTI Act as a defence mechanism against corruption, Mishra said, “Well-kept records and indexing” would further help in disseminating information and curbing corruption at all levels.”

Member of the National Advisory Council, Aruna Roy said there was a need for bringing other supportive legislations such as the Whistleblowers’ Bill and the Grievance Redressal Bill, among others, to curb corruption.

“We need a Whistleblowers’ Bill which is already in the Parliament. However, the Lok Ayuktas should also take cognisance of the fallouts of these Bills,” Roy said while speaking on the role of the RTI mechanism bringing in transparency.

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