'Notings Are The Soul Of A File'
'Notings are an integral part of a file, and access to them is crucial ... Why are you rewarding cowardice? ... You are cloaking partiality, irresponsibility and dishonesty'
B.N. Yugandhar is a member of the Planning Commission, and a retired IAS officer who has served as secretary to the prime minister, secretary, rural development, and director of the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration. In a stand sharply at variance with that taken by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), he holds that four of the amendments the government wants to push through to the Right to Information (RTI) Act are "totally unnecessary" and will cripple "an outstanding piece of legislation". Excerpts from an interview with Anjali Puri:
On the government's move to restrict access to notings by officials on government files:
On the PMO's point that the proposed changes exempt only a small portion of file notings from disclosure:
On whether disclosing notings will put officials in an awkward position:
On the move to block information on personnel-related matters—appointments, promotions, transfers:
On the government's proposal to protect the identity of officials who have made inspections, observations and recommendations:
On withholding information on the decision-making process, prior to an executive decision:
On whether the Act lacks sufficient safeguards against misuse, as some of those backing the amendments say:
On what he would say to former colleagues in the bureaucracy, many of whom are said to be hostile to the Act, and behind the amendments:
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