All-party meet today on parties under RTI Act, SC order
Headlines 10:42
New Delhi, August 13: With political parties agitated over plans to bring them under the ambit of RTI Act and the recent Supreme Court judgement on disqualification of lawmakers, govt has called an all-party meeting on Tuesday to firm up a view on the contentious issues.
The meeting convened by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath is also to facilitate early passage of the Food Security Bill.
The Bill is currently under consideration of the Lok Sabha and there is a plan to bring it before the Rajya Sabha next week.
Asked whether the controvery over Telangana could cast a shadow over the passage of the Food Bill, party spokesperson Renuka Chowdhary replied in negative saying though what was happening in Andhra Pradesh was a very emotive issue, she does not think it will impact the Food Security Act, which is a "commitment to feed the nation".
A bill was today introdued in the Lok Sabha today to keep political parties out of the ambit of the RTI Act and negate a Central Information Commission (CIC) order to this effect.
The Right to Information (Amendment) Bill, 2013 seeks to insert an explanation in Section 2 of the Act which states that any association or body of individuals registered or recognised as political party under the Representation of the People Act, 1951 will not be considered a public authority.
The CIC order had termed Congress, BJP, BSP, NCP, CPI and CPI-M as political authorities.
In an all-party meeting called before the beginning of the monsoon session of parliament, parties cutting across ideologies had opposed the 10th July verdict of the apex court that had struck down a provision in the electoral law that protects a convicted lawmaker from disqualification on the ground of pendency of appeal in higher courts.
Government is working overtime to negate the order by seeking a review and even trying to bring parties on board for a constitutional amendment for this.
The meeting convened by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath is also to facilitate early passage of the Food Security Bill.
The Bill is currently under consideration of the Lok Sabha and there is a plan to bring it before the Rajya Sabha next week.
Asked whether the controvery over Telangana could cast a shadow over the passage of the Food Bill, party spokesperson Renuka Chowdhary replied in negative saying though what was happening in Andhra Pradesh was a very emotive issue, she does not think it will impact the Food Security Act, which is a "commitment to feed the nation".
A bill was today introdued in the Lok Sabha today to keep political parties out of the ambit of the RTI Act and negate a Central Information Commission (CIC) order to this effect.
The Right to Information (Amendment) Bill, 2013 seeks to insert an explanation in Section 2 of the Act which states that any association or body of individuals registered or recognised as political party under the Representation of the People Act, 1951 will not be considered a public authority.
The CIC order had termed Congress, BJP, BSP, NCP, CPI and CPI-M as political authorities.
In an all-party meeting called before the beginning of the monsoon session of parliament, parties cutting across ideologies had opposed the 10th July verdict of the apex court that had struck down a provision in the electoral law that protects a convicted lawmaker from disqualification on the ground of pendency of appeal in higher courts.
Government is working overtime to negate the order by seeking a review and even trying to bring parties on board for a constitutional amendment for this.
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