Save RTI: Google Hangout with Jay Panda on Aug 23, 5 pm IST

Aug. 22, 2013 - PRLog -- In a first ever amendment to the historic Act, on August 12, the Cabinet decided to table the RTI (Amendments) Bill (http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/firstever-amendment-to-historic-rti-act-tabled-in-lok-sabha/article5015695.ece) that seeks to exempt political parties from the ambit of the transparency law. The Cabinet’s decision had come nearly two months after the Central Information Commission’s (CIC) order of bringing six national political parties – Congress, BJP, NCP, CPI-M, CPI and BSP – under the RTI Act. The CIC held that the six national parties have been substantially funded indirectly by the central government and were required to appoint Public Information Officers (PIOs) as they have the character of a public authority under the RTI Act.

There is outcry from citizens, activists and organisations from all corners of the country at this move to cripple the most powerful transparency tool in the hands of the public of this functioning democracy.  Just last year, 2 million RTI applications were filed under various public authorities in the country.

Join The Alternative (http://thealternative.in/), a media platform for sustainability and social impact, Youth Ki Awaaz (http://youthkiawaz.com/), a platform voicing the concerns of youth in India, the National Council for People’s Right to Information (NCPRI) (http://righttoinformation.info/) members and concerned citizens in a Google+ Hangout on Air with Jay Panda, MP, Indian Parliament on what the proposed RTI amendment means.

Jay Panda is joined by Anjali Bhardwaj and Venkatesh Nayak from NCPRI, Rakesh Reddy, RTI activist and concerned citizens.

Tweet your questions to @_thealternative, @youthkiawaaz or @bhanupriyarao.

Watch live at: www.youtube.com/thealternativedotin