NEW DELHI, Jun 3:
In a significant order with wide ramifications for the political system in India, the Central Information Commission(CIC) today ruled that all political parties will come under the RTI act.
Chief Information Commissioner Satyananda Mishra delivered the judgement on the petition filed by S C Agarwal seeking directions that all political parties be brought under the ambit of the RTI act to maintain transparency in the political system of the country.
The petitioner also contended that the citizens of the country were entitled to have complete information about the donations received by the political parties and also to know whether such donations were being fully accounted for and being used for the purpose there were received.
The petition was opposed by all the political parties except Communist Party of India(CPI) on the grounds that the number of donors ran into lakhs and it was very difficult to maintain the accounts of all donations received by the political parties.
With today’s order, if not challenged in the superior court, all political parties would have to provide information under the RTI act pertaining to political donations and other political activities. (UNI)
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