RTI Rules amended in Bihar

Ignoring the repeated appeals by civil society and right to information activists, the State government amended some provisions of the Bihar Right to Information Rule, 2006 framed by the state government under section 28 of RTI Act. Notification to this effect has been issued a couple of days ago amending rule – 5 schedule- I of the Rule. The amendment has made the application under RTI Act, 2005 costlier, because now the applicants will have to pay Rs/- 10 for each of the application and only one information would be made available in the one application.

Previously the information seekers could seek more than one information in one application for which he had to pay only rupees 10. Now after this amendment, the Public Information Officer would have the discretion to treat contents of the application as more than one information and consequently the applicants would be asked to pay extra money for that.

The provision related to supply of information free of cost to the applicants living below poverty line (BPL) has also been amended and according to new arrangement such applicants cannot be supplied more than 10 pages of information free of cost.  The PIOs as well as SIC have been complaining to the government that the applications under RTI have been draining huge resources both in terms of money and manpower, therefore they argued that such amendments be brought in. The RTI activists on the other hand dubbed this change as anti-people. They argue that now on wards obtaining information from government would become more difficult and costly.

 

First anniversary of 26/11

First anniversary of Mumbai attacks

Today is 26/11 i.e. first anniversary of the infamous Mumbai attacks. The families of 163 people who reportedly lost their lives in this dastardly act of terrorism sponsored by Pakistan, the epicenter of International terrorism, are still fighting to recover from the trauma. The brave city has limped back to normalcy very soon and life resumed but the scares are conspicuous on the faces of Mumbaites   and walls of streets in Mumbai. The slain heroes like Unnikrishan, Karkare, Salasker, Apte etc remind us how unsafe our country is becoming. The families of many of them are still fighting to get the reward as promised both by the civil society and government. Stories of many unsung heroes are coming to fore thanks to TV and Print media.

               The political and police establishments claim to have made improvements in all related spheres and fields. Force 1 and all terrain vehicles have been inducted into the Mumbai Police force. Coastal policing has begun. Intelligence networks have been strengthened and intelligence sharing has been made more effective and fruitful.

                       In this backdrop also, every Indian is again asking that whether Mumbai or India as a whole has become safer? Are we better prepared to take on terrorists? Have the loopholes plugged?

                     The New York Times has published a report on the eve of this anniversary, apprehending therein some more similar attacks on Indian soil. The News Paper has deplored the Indian attitude towards terrorism. Lamenting on the Mumbai attacks aftermath, the report says that most of the politicians and police officials who were out after unprecedented public outrage have either been promoted or have been reinstated to their original positions.

                    After 9/11, The USA established a bipartisan commission to look into the attacks, the report of which was made public and become the bestseller in America, but what happened to the reports of the body which was constituted to look into the Mumbai tragedy is known to a very few in this country. We are still to create a homeland security department like institution. The NIA which was created by a Parliamentary legislation is still in infancy and lacks secretarial and logistic infrastructure.

         One year has passed and we have just been able to file charge-sheet against Amir Ajmal Kasab and others. The perpetrators of attacks on our Parliament are still to be hanged. Such apathies and lackadaisical approach towards terrorism have cost us so dearly that we cannot afford this attitude any longer. Our image of soft state must be shed and we must stand erect and tall to ensure that no one dares to raise eyes and brows on us. The standoff with Pakistan can not be made to spill over in the name of inadvertent nuclear war. India is passing through a period of unprecedented security threat situation. The dragon and Moon together have started nefarious game afresh against us. Without adopting an indolent attitude, India must show that it cares and can fight back.