New Delhi, April 21
Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee today disagreed with Chief Justice of India K.G. Balakrishnan’s views that the Right the Information Act was not applicable to his office.
“I am not questioning the Chief Justice. He is a high constitutional functionary. But since you ask me, I feel we should not keep anything back from people,” he told reporters when asked about the CJI’s views.
Chatterjee said in a democracy people occupy the central position and insisted that once such information is denied, then “there is scope for speculation which may affect the credibility of the institution”.
Disputing Balakrishnan’s views that Constitutional functionaries are not covered under the RTI, he said, “Everything is under the Constitution or should be under the Constitution. The question is whether people are entitled to know.”
“The Constitutional position of people’s right to know has been recognised under the RTI Act,” he said noting that it has been brought for the purpose of enforcement.
The refrain of the Speaker, who has been forthright in airing his views on judicial activism, was that “we should not keep anything back from people” as they have the right to know in a democracy.
The Speaker said he had allowed giving away of information under the RTI and had even suggested that the proceedings of Parliamentary Standing Committees should be thrown open to the media.
Since there has been no consensus on opening up of Standing Committee proceedings to the media and with the MPs having reservations on it, it could not be done, Chatterjee said.
“Since you are asking me as a Constitutional functionary, I feel nothing should be held back from the people. Except, of course, when it is something related to security,” the Speaker added.
Chatterjee had earlier allowed disclosure of information under the RTI Act regarding the assets and liabilities of MPs, which are furnished to him in a sealed envelope by the lawmakers. — PTI
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