Parliament will decide on RTI amendments: V Narayanasamy

NEW DELHI: Parliament will decide on amendment sought in the Right to Information (RTI) Act to keep political parties out of the ambit of Right to Information Act, Union Minister V Narayanasamy said here today.

A Bill seeking to amend the transparency law in order to give immunity to political parties has been introduced in Lok Sabha by the government.

The move came after the Central Information Commission (CIC) in June this year held that six national political parties--Congress, BJP, NCP, CPI-M, CPI and BSP-- are public authority under the RTI Act as they are substantially funded.

The Union Cabinet had on August 1 given its nod to the amendment.

"The CIC has given a judgement. The Cabinet has in its wisdom taken a judgement to go for amendment seeking that political parties are not public authorities. Now, it is for Parliament to decide...

"I am convinced that political parties are not substantially funded by the government of India therefore Parliament in its wisdom will decide on it," said Narayanasamy, Minister of State for Personnel, Public grievances and Pensions, at the sidelines of a function here.

The order of the CIC had evoked sharp reactions from political parties, especially Congress which has been credited with bringing in the transparency law.