Questioning the recent verdict of the Central Information Commission (CIC) bringing political parties within the ambit of the Right to Information Act, the Standing Committee of Parliament on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice said that political parties were not “public authorities”.
Disagreeing with the CIC’s decision, the panel approved the amendment to the RTI Act to nullify the order.
Panel Chairman Santaram Naik said the committee agreed with the Government’s argument that political parties were not public authorities since they were neither established nor constituted by or under the Constitution or any other law made by Parliament.
“They are rather registered or recognised under the Representation of the People Act, 1951. and Rules and Orders made or issued there-under,” Naik said.
‘Hamper work’ The panel noted that provisions of the Representation of People Act, 1951 as well as Income Tax Act, 1961, deal with transparency in the financial aspects of the parties and their candidates. “Declaring political parties as public authority under RTI Act would hamper their smooth internal functioning; party rivals may misuse the provisions, adversely affecting the functioning of political parties,” the panel said.
The panel, however, recommended that it would be reasonable if political parties revealed information regarding the selection of candidates at block, district, state and national levels, giving reasons as to why each candidate was selected or not selected. “And it will be again irrational to make exceptions in some matters such as the internal decision-making process once political parties are brought within the ambit of public authority,” Naik said.
The CPI and the Biju Janata Dal, however, supported the spirit and tenor of the CIC order. “By and large, the political parties are in favour of transparency in their financial matter in larger public interest, which already exists,” the panel said.