Justice Sawant advocates right to Info from private sector too

| 18 May 1997 21:19 IST

The private sector, including all the multinationals and the business establishments, would be legally bound to disclose all the information to any citizen of India, when demanded, once the Right to Information bill comes into force.

The private sector is becoming a dominant force in the liberalised Indian economy. Indian people at large, in such a situation, must have a right to know what's going on in the private sector, opines Justice P B Sawant, chairperson of the Press Council of India, who has drafted the bill.

If Justice Sawant's proposal is accepted by the H D Shourie committee, which is presently studying the bill on behalf of the union government, India would be then the first country in the World to enact such provision.

Justice Sawant, while talking to the journalists here at a programme organised by the Goa Union of Journalists, seemed confident that the United Front government led by I K Gujral would enact the legislation shortly as it figures in the priority list of its Common Minimum Programme.

Justice Sawant has also incorporated a provision which makes the elected MPs and MLAs more accountable. As per the draft bill, all the Parliamentary proceedings would be considered a public document. "It can't remain property of the House, except the expunged remarks", he says.

Elected members are the agents of the people. How can they hide any information from its rulers, he asks. However, Justice Sawant justifies keeping the judiciary out of its purview, pointing out at the Constitution of India, which does not include the judiciary while defining the State.

As amendment to the Constitution would be required for bringing judiciary under its purview, the Official Secrets Act and the conduct rules for the bureaucrats will also have to be amended accordingly. The Lok Pal will also have to be widen its powers, feels Justice Sawant.

While welcoming the right to information act passed by the Tamil Nadu Assembly, Justice Sawant alleged that an attempt of Madhya Pradesh chief minister to enact such legislation was stalled by the bureaucracy, in collusion with its deputy chief minister and other cabinet colleagues.

Justice Sawant however also made it clear that the central bill, once passed, would be binding upon all the states. In Goa, the journalists along with the NGOs, lawyers and few legislators are planning to prepare a draft, which would be presented as the "peoples' bill".

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