Sandesh Prabhudesai
18 December 1997
Goan journalists have won a battle. But they are not in a mood to withdraw from the battlefield, over the issue of Right to Information.
The anti-media clause, against which Goan mediapersons and NGOs had waged a war for last five months, has been deleted. But the legislation has been diluted, providing reprieve for the government officers disseminating false information.
Following Tamil Nadu's footsteps, Goa - the second state in the country to bring a "revolutionary" legislation - has also ultimately converted it into a mere eyewash.
Bowing down before the public pressure, the obnoxious clause has been deleted, which provided punishment for the user, if he publishes the information "in any manner".
After governor's conditional assent to the bill, it was brought before the House yesterday with amendments, which include deletion of clauses regarding offences as well as making the offence cognizable.
The clause also included a sub-section, which was providing for a penal provision to the concerned officials, who give false information to the applicant.
The penal clause has been now accommodated in another clause, which provides for a penalty under the service rules by a disciplinary authority for not supplying the information.
"It is in line with our policy of bringing total transparency and accountability in the government administration", claims chief minister Pratapsing Rane. But agitating journalists refuse to accept the argument.
"They have defeated the whole concept of right to information by deleting the major penal clause meant for the competent authority, who supplies false information.", comments Prakash Kamat, president of the Goa Union of Journalists.
Flavian Dias, a veteran freedom fighter, journalist and president of Citizens for Right to Information, also expresses serious doubts about its implementation. "It's a mere whitewash. People have to continue their fight for further changes", he feels.
State opposition leader Kashinath Jalmi, who had strongly justified retention of the obnoxious clause against the media, feels otherwise. "The situation would change drastically now and the government should prepare its machinery to provide all kinds of information", he says.
The journalists' body however has also appealed to the people to be alert and keep on sending applications, asking for information. "It will expose all the loopholes in the act while also checking whether the government is really transparent", adds Kamat.
Meanwhile, the House also supported amendments to exempt dissemination of information regarding correspondence between centre and the state and the state and the governor.
The legislators have also taken care of matters pertaining to privileges of MLAs, which would be now diverted to the legislature department, instead of disposing directly.
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