Information & Broadcasting Minister Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday blamed the Opposition parties for spreading false information on the proposed new rules in RTI Act. There is no change “even in a comma or a full stop” in the proposed amendment to the RTI rules relating to word limit and fee from the ones proposed by the Congress in 2012, he said.
“The proposals on the word limit and fee to be paid made in the proposed rules, to be notified and placed in public domain, are exactly the same as proposed by the UPA Government,” Naidu told reporters here.
The verbal dual between the two parties had started after the Centre proposed new rules under Section 27 of Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005 to modify the Act. Naidu said, “Sections 3, 4 and 5 of the Rules notified by the UPA Government (in 2012) and those proposed now relate to word limit and fee to be paid and are the same word by word. There is no change even in a coma or full stop mark.” He added that the Government has also invited suggestions and views from the people over the proposed rules till April 15.
“I demand an apology from the Congress Party for its blatant disinformation campaign against the Government,” the Minister said. Naidu said the proposed rules, on the contrary, contain some provisions which further empower the applicants under the RTI Act. He added that the RTI Rules notified by the UPA Government in July, 2012 are now in force.