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Mistake by UPA regime by exempting CBI from RTI Act be undone to end controversies

Recent happenings in affairs of Central Bureau of Investigation CBI resulting in big controversies even involving Supreme Court judges are result of great mistake done by earlier UPA regime by unlawfully putting CBI under second schedule of RTI Act for exempting the premium Investigating Agency out of purview of RTI Act under section 24 of the Act through DoPT notification dated 09.06.2011. Section 24 was incorporated in RTI Act for exempting intelligence authorities and not the investigating agencies. File-notings reveal that CBI was exempted from RTI Act on uncomfortable queries of CBI taking sudden U-turns on probes involving former or the then existing Chief Ministers according to requirement of the then political rulers.

Even CBI at that time demanded only partial exemption from RTI Act which was also not needed because ten subsections of section 8(1) of RTI Act takes sufficient care for information not be disclosed even for organisations coming under purview of RTI Act. Presently CBI challenges CIC-verdicts directing for information relating to corruption and human-rights-violation which is to be provided even by organisations exempted from RTI Act.

Present BJP-led central government should undo the mistake made by earlier UPA regime by removing CBI from second schedule of RTI Act and bring it again under purview of RTI Act to induce transparency in affairs of CBI thus putting a complete full-stop on undesired controversies in affairs of premium-most investing-agency of the country.

 

MADHU AGRAWAL

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