Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: On the occasion of Right to Information (RTI) Day, Goa Congress president Amit Patkar launched a sharp attack on the BJP-led government, accusing it of systematically diluting the RTI framework that once served as a vital tool for democratic accountability.
Patkar credited the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government for enacting the RTI Act, describing it as a “lifeline for citizens” that empowered people to demand transparency from the administration. However, he alleged that since 2014, the BJP government has steadily undermined the Act through amendments and administrative changes, making it harder for citizens to obtain crucial information.
Patkar said the original purpose of the RTI law was to ensure open governance and empower ordinary citizens to question those in authority. “Over the years, the BJP has weakened this foundation by curbing access to information and restricting the independence of Information Commissions,” he said.
Echoing his remarks, South Goa MP Viriato Fernandes highlighted several instances where critical data has been withheld, including details of the Prime Minister’s travel expenses, COVID-19 fatalities, and information related to the PM CARES Fund. He said the common man today faces growing hurdles even to secure information that directly concerns public welfare.
To mark RTI Day, the Congress party unveiled a set of proposals aimed at strengthening the transparency law and restoring its effectiveness.
The demands include restoring the independence of Information Commissions by reversing the 2019 amendments, ensuring a fixed five-year tenure for commissioners, reviewing the Digital Personal Data Protection Act to prevent it from overriding RTI provisions, filling all vacancies in Central and State Information Commissions through a transparent process, enforcing performance standards for case disposal, and extending full protection to RTI users and whistleblowers.
The party also called for greater diversity in Information Commissions by including journalists, activists, academics, and women to better reflect public interest.
Patkar asserted that these measures are essential to revive the RTI Act’s original purpose as a tool of empowerment and accountability. “The RTI Act remains one of the most powerful legacies of the UPA era. Congress will continue to push for reforms that uphold citizens’ right to know and defend transparency in governance,” he said.
