RTI activists seek Srikrishna panel report details

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/RTI-activists-seek-Srikrishna-panel-report-details/articleshow/7198356.cms

HYDERABAD: Right to Information (RTI) activists in the city have filed a petition under the RTI Act with the ministry of home affairs at the Centre seeking to know the contents of the Srikrishna Committee report. Their stand? Well, citizens and not politicians should be the first to know about the committee's recommendations.

Activists have not only filed a petition but are also mobilising people from districts to do the same and have set a target of 200 RTI applications that they would mobilise. Ten RTI petitions have already been filed from Warangal alone. "We want them to share the contents of the committee recommendations with us before politicians get to look at it," said Rakesh Reddy Dubbudu, activist, who filed his application under the special clause listed under Section 7(1) of the RTI Act. According to the listed clause, any information which has the potential to affect lives and liberty of people at large, must be provided within 48 hours of the receipt of the request petition.

"The committee recommendations definitely concerns the life and liberty of the masses who have been actively involved in the movement. Therefore we, as citizens of the country, are better suited to get a copy of the submitted recommendations ahead of the politicians," said Dubbudu. If the activists do get a response to their petition in 48 hours (by Monday), they plan to circulate the content among the masses.

Filed with an objective to put to rest the speculations about the formation of a new state as is currently doing the rounds, this application can however be turned down by the PIO if he so decides. "If he thinks that this information does not hold enough ground, then it can be turned down, but the onus is on him to prove the same," said another RTI activist. Activists are hoping that the ministry's office will follow the RTI Act in letter and spirit and thereby furnish information under this special clause. Further, they argue that since the committee has worked with public money, it is then justified that people know what the contents of the report are.

RTI activists have also asked non-resident Indians to file similar applications in the Indian embassies located in their respective countries.