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India’s National Nuclear Safety Authority Bill aims to hide nuclear information

The government also intends to amend the RTI law to exempt the proposed nuclear energy regulator – the National Nuclear Safety Authority – from the ambit of the transparency law….the bill seeks to amend the RTI law to prevent seeking of information on the grounds of “the larger public interest”..
New laws to get around Right To Information act, Chetan Chauhan, Hindustan Times New Delhi, October 17, 2011 India’s transparency law – the Right To Information Act – will not change but the government wants to restrict its applicability to some areas of sports and nuclear safety through other laws.

Two new draft laws – the National Sports Development Bill  and the National Nuclear Safety  Authority Bill – have specific provisions prohibiting disclosure of information in addition to the exemption clauses already in the RTI law

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had on Friday wanted a “critical look” at the exemption clauses and examination of possible changes in the light of whether they serve “the larger (public) good”.

Law minister Salman Khurshid on Sunday ruled out any changes in the RTI law after the PM’s statement evoked strong reactions from National Advisory Council member and RTI activist Aruna Roy…..  the ministry believes it will be able to get the cabinet’s nod to place the legislation in Parliament.

The government also intends to amend the RTI law to exempt the proposed nuclear energy regulator – the National Nuclear Safety Authority – from the ambit of the transparency law.

The draft nuclear safety authority bill approved by the cabinet intends to list the authority among government bodies such as the Central Bureau of Investigation, which are to be taken out of the purview of the transparency law.

In addition, the bill seeks to amend the RTI law to prevent seeking of information on the grounds of “the larger public interest”.

The RTI law provides for waiving exemption clauses if there is evidence to claim that providing information would be in the public interest…

http://www.hindustantimes.com/New-laws-to-get-around-Right-To-Information-act/Article1-758139.aspx

October 18, 2011 - Posted by | civil liberties, India

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