New Delhi: The Lok Sabha on Monday passed the Right to Information (Amendment) Bill, 2019. Speaker Om Birla announced that the Bill was passed with 218 ‘yes’ votes as against 79 ‘no’ votes.
The Bill seeks to empower the Centre to make rules to decide the tenure, salary, allowances and other terms of service of Information Commissioners of the Central Information Commission and also of State Information Commissions.
Replying to a debate on the bill, Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Dr Jitendra Singh, said the amendment will in no way dilute the provisions of the RTI Act.
The Bill states that the functions being carried out by the Election Commission of India and the Central and State Information Commissions are totally different.
The Election Commission is a Constitutional body. On the other hand the Central Information Commission and the State Information Commission are statutory bodies established under the Right to Information Act, 2005.
Several members of opposition including from the BSP and the TMC opposed consideration and passage of the Bill and called for a division of votes.
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Ms Kalinga