RTI task force seeks protection for whistleblowers

New Delhi:A special task force set up by the government to ensure effective implementation of RTI has sought protection for whistleblowers.

It has asked the government to frame laws and devise mechanism to protect RTI activists across the country.

"A meeting will be held later this month with the representative of the Ministry of Home Affairs," an official of the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), the nodal agency for implementation of the transparency Act, said.

The move assumes significance as there has been a spurt in incidences of violence against RTI activists.

The task force, created by DoPT, aims at seeking ways for effective implementation of Section 4 of the RTI Act, which aims at bringing in more transparency and accountability in governance.

Under Section 4 of the RTI Act, a public authority-including ministries, departments, PSUs-is duty-bound to maintain all its records duly catalogued and indexed and put it in public domain.

"We have asked the government to provide security for RTI activists. It will encourage whistleblowers and others to work for bringing in transparency in the system," said Ajay Dubey, an RTI activist.

The Task Force will finalise its recommendation by July 31 and submit it to the department for consideration.