Govt reduced need to file RTI application through proactive disclosures: Amit Shah
New Delhi: The objective of the Modi government is to proactively put out as much information as possible in public domain to reduce the need for RTI applications, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Saturday.
The success of a government does not lie in the high number of Right to Information (RTI) applications, Shah said while addressing the 14th annual convention of the Central Information Commission (CIC) here.
"Low number of RTI applications in spite of convenient avenues to file them means the government's work is satisfactory. Large number of RTI applications does not represent the government's success.
"We want to introduce a system where people do not feel the need to file an RTI application to get information," the home minister, who was the chief guest at the event, said.
The dashboard system introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has ensured that everyone gets information about ongoing schemes online without filing RTI applications, Shah said.
"Through the use of dashboard, we began a new transparent era. One can go to the dashboard and see how many toilets have been built. Using the dashboard, one can check when one will get electricity connection under the Saubhagya Yojna. Any illiterate woman can click the dashboard and get to know when she will get a cooking gas cylinder," he said.
Asserting that RTI should be there, Shah said the government has gone two steps ahead of the law in ensuring transparency.
"The government has made the administration's work so transparent that there is minimum requirement to file RTI applications. The system should function in a way that we don't need to file RTI applications," he said.
"I have a request to the CIC, that you not only dispose of RTI applications but also inform people about the steps that have been taken to ensure that we do not need to file RTI applications," the home minister said.
Shah said during the last 14 years, the country has been successful in fulfilling the intention of framing the law. The fundamental thought behind the RTI Act is to build the trust of the public in the system, he said.
"The system runs on the four corners of the Constitution. The core objective of this law is to create trust among people that the system runs according to the Constitution.
"When this trust awakens about the Constitution and the system, the participation of people increases automatically which takes the country forward. But when there is mistrust, participation of people takes a back seat," he said.
In a country like ours, it is important that trust and involvement of people in the rule and system are strengthened, the home minister said.
"We came out of a very long colonial rule when the objective of the administration was not the welfare of the people or treating them equally. The objective of the administration at that time was to fulfil the wishes of their masters. Because of this a gorge of mistrust developed between the people and the adminstration," he said.
The mistrust was so deep that it seemed difficult that people will be able to come out of it, Shah said.
"During the last 14 years, we have been able to fill gap of mistrust using the RTI. The trust of the people in the administration and the system has awakened," he said.
Calling the transparency law a major milestone in the democratic journey of the country, he said that "we can give good governance only through transparency and accountability, and the RTI has helped us a lot in improving transparency and accountability".
"When we assess the results of the RTI, we find that transparency has been increased, corruption has been reduced and the speed of governance has also been increased due to the RTI Act. We are heading towards a digitally empowered society," the home minister said.
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Kerala polls: Vijayan, Revanth Reddy trade barbs as campaigning ends
Kannur (Kerala)/Hyderabad (PTI): A war of words between Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his Telangana counterpart Revanth Reddy turned acrimonious on Tuesday, the final day of campaigning for the April 9 Assembly polls.
The two leaders sparred on the virtual world as well, exchanging letters on their respective social media handles.
The escalation came after Vijayan, responding to Reddy's earlier remarks, used Malayalam expressions considered nearly derogatory, signalling strong disapproval of the Telangana CM's comments.
Reddy, campaigning for the UDF in Kollam district, hit back swiftly, likening Vijayan to PM Narendra Modi.
He said he would take any personal remarks from the senior leader as a "blessing" considering his age, but objected to what he described as insults directed at the people of Kerala. "But you cannot abuse our Kerala people," he said, hours before campaigning drew to a close.
The controversy began after Reddy had said "nee po mone Vijaya" by invoking a famous dialogue from superstar Mohanlal's blockbuster movie "Narasimham" while referring to Vijayan on April 1 during a UDF campaign roadshow in Nemom constituency.
Earlier in the day, while reacting to Reddy's earlier remarks, Vijayan said a CM must maintain basic standards of conduct and questioned whether such dignity was being followed.
In his response to a query, Vijayan used Malayalam words that were seen as nearly derogatory for Reddy, signalling his strong disapproval of the remarks made against him.
Sharply reacting to the CM's objectionable remarks, Congress leader V D Satheesan said Vijayan appeared to have "completely lost composure" and warned that any further deterioration in his conduct would have brought "greater embarrassment" to the state.
After the critical remarks during the press meet, Vijayan wrote on his 'X' handle that political differences are natural, but expressing strong disagreement through personally insulting remarks is an attitude that he rejects. Reddy's statements lacked factual backing.
In a detailed letter attached with the 'X' post addressing the Telangana CM, Vijayan said the experience of the people of Kerala was "vastly different" from what Reddy had portrayed.
He clarified that he did not intend to engage in a debate over the performance of the Telangana government, stating that it was for the people of Telangana and political parties there to assess their government.
Referring to Reddy's comments, Vijayan said the LDF government has been consistently publishing progress reports over the past 10 years on the implementation of its election promises, underlining its commitment to continuous accountability.
He also rejected the allegation of "selective appropriation" of Kerala's achievements, including its top ranking in the NITI Aayog SDG Index, and said such criticism was misplaced.
Dismissing claims of industrial stagnation, Vijayan said Kerala has made significant strides in the startup ecosystem and ease of doing business, adding that these achievements have been widely acknowledged.
He also alleged that key infrastructure projects in Kerala, including the Kochi Metro and Vizhinjam Port, faced delays under previous Congress-led governments at the Centre, while long-pending promises such as a railway coach factory remained unfulfilled.
Vijayan further accused the BJP-led Union government of discrimination against Kerala and said the state has been actively resisting what he described as "anti-federal and undemocratic" policies through legal and political means, including approaching the Supreme Court.
He also rejected Reddy's criticism that the LDF was not vocal enough against the BJP, asserting that Kerala has been at the forefront of defending constitutional values.
Concluding his letter, Vijayan reiterated the state government's commitment to building a "Nava Keralam" and moving forward as a model for others.
On April 1, while addressing party workers in Nemom, Reddy used the popular Malayalam film dialogue "Nee po mone Vijaya". He adapted it to target Vijayan, saying "Nee po mone Vijaya".
Reddy went further, claiming that Vijayan's "time is over" and that his "expiry date has passed".
Responding to these allegations, Vijayan had said that the Telangana CM was "misinformed" and accused him of "ridiculing" Kerala and its people while trying to hide the weaknesses of his own state.
In a later response, Reddy defended his remarks and said that many of the statistics cited by Vijayan were taken from the NITI Aayog SDG Index 2023 24, arguing that the data was already outdated.
Reddy in his letter questioned the veteran Marxist leader's claim that Kerala would become the first state to completely eradicate extreme poverty by late 2025 had been achieved. Further, he chooses to conduct himself respectfully and gracefully in his criticism of the Kerala government's performance, whereas Vijayan opted to use language of poor taste.
Reddy, in his letter on X, said that while he respects NITI Aayog's corruption rankings, he wants to know why the infamous gold smuggling case, linked to individuals connected to the CMO, remains unresolved, and why 4.5 kg of gold allegedly misappropriated from the Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple has not been accounted for.
