Government movements to cut the wings of Information Commissioners, amendments are coming to the RTI Act

New Delhi, October 17, 2019, Thursday

The central government is amending the RTI Act which is said to be aimed at changing the tenure and appointment of the Chief Information Commissioner and other Information Commissioners.

According to the amendments to the RTI Act, the Right to Information Commissioner will no longer be the term of the Chief Information Commissioner for five years. Currently, the wages of these people are equal to that of the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners. The Cabinet Secretary's salary will be equal to the government's plan to reduce his term of office. In technical terms, the plan is to reduce the Information Commissioners' Table of Presidency.

Prepared by the Ministry of the Interior of the Table of Presidency Center on the basis of seniority and rank of that officer. Earlier, Information Commissioners were considered equal to the Chief Electoral Officer and Chairman of the Central Lok Sabha Commission. According to the amendments made by the Central Government in the RTI Act in July this year, the positions of Chief Information Commissioner and other Information Commissioners will now be considered equal to that of Cabinet Secretary and his term will now be three years instead of five. The amendment will be sent to the Prime Minister for approval. With approval from them, they will be implemented.

Presently, Information Commissioners get salary 34 rupees, free housing, free electricity, water, telephone free bills up to 1500 rupees and extra pension benefits after retirement.