The Odisha Soochana Adhikar Abhijan (OSAA) has opposed the Right to Information (Amendment) Bill, 2019 and requested President Ram Nath Kovind to withhold assent to the Bill and return the same to the Parliament for reconsideration.

Abhijan State convenor Pradip Pradhan, addressing a Press meet here on Tuesday, said that as per provisions of law, the term of an Information Commissioner was fixed at five years. Further, the salaries of the Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) and Information Commissioners (ICs) (at Central-level) were to be equivalent to the salaries paid to the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners, respectively.

Similarly, the salaries of the CIC and ICs (at State-level) was to be equivalent to the salaries paid to the Election Commissioner and the Chief Secretary of the State Government, respectively, he added. The bill seeks to empower the Central Government to decide on the tenure, salary, allowances and other terms of service of the Information Commissioners of the Central Information Commission and also of State Information Commissions. This would fundamentally weaken the institution of the Information Commissions, he added.

He also stated that the move would adversely affect the ability of the Information Commissioners to function in an independent manner as they would not able to take a decision on their own.

Pradhan said the Abhijan would hold different programmes like silent protests, seminars, signature campaigns and others in every district in the State from August 1 to 7 to aware people and protest against the move of the Central Government.

He also lashed out at the BJD for supporting the move of the BJP Government and alleged that the BJD Government, which put the RTI Act in the cold storage for last 12 years in the State, is hands in glove with the Modi Government for making the RTI Act toothless in the country.