Vigilance seeks RTI exemption

BERHAMPUR: While there is a nation-wide debate on the Central government’s proposal to exempt the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) from the Right to Information (RTI) Act, the state anti-corruption agency urged the government to keep it out of the purview of RTI too.

"We have written to the government urging to exempt the vigilance department from the RTI Act," said the state director of vigilance Anup Kumar Patnaik here on Thursday. "The proposal is pending with the information and public relations (I&PR) department. We hope the government will consider the proposal when the Central government decides to exempt the CBI from RTI Act," he added.

Patnaik was addressing a seminar on ‘Corruption in India and role of RTI law, challenges and strategies for good governance’ here on Wednesday evening. He also inaugurated a fortnight-long anti-corruption awareness programme, organised by a Berhampur-based NGO.

Presently, before charges are framed against a corrupt government employee by the vigilance, he usually manages to manipulate the files and records in his own department after obtaining the information through the RTI Act from vigilance. "Due to this practice, in several cases the actual corrupt persons go scot-free," the director of vigilance said.

The vigilance wing is also demanding that in case of a vigilance case pending against a person, he/she should not be allowed access to any information under the act, Patnaik said.