CBI and UID should be covered under the RTI ambit

One of the chief architects of the RTI movement in the country, Ms Aruna Roy has demanded that the central agencies such as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India and the Unique Identification Authority of India (UID) should be brought under the purview of the Right to Information (RTI) Act. Speaking at Pune on the topic 'Future of RTI', she said it is highly questionable how these agencies were kept out of the ambit of the RTI Act. This is the biggest disaster looming ahead. She advised that citizens must own this law (RTI) and claim their right through the law. She suggested that a people-oriented research must be carried out on the use of RTI in the country which could be made into a book with best cases and views of people incorporated.

Mr. Shailesh Gandhi, former Information Commissioner at the Central Information Commission, also spoke on the occasion and expressed disappointment with the working of most State Information Commissioners in the country. He said "During my tenure, I noticed that many commissioners do not know the RTI Act properly. This may prove dangerous for the entire system”.