The Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) held a press conference at Congress Bhavan, Imphal, on October 12 to mark the 20th anniversary of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, highlighting growing concerns over transparency and accountability in governance.
Addressing media, MPCC spokesperson N. Bupenda Meitei criticized amendments to the RTI Act since 2014, particularly the 2019 changes that gave the central government control over the tenure and service conditions of Information Commissioners. He also questioned provisions of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act (2023), which exempt personal information from RTI, potentially limiting public access to data in the public interest.
“There are numerous vacancies in Central and State Information Commissions. At the national level, only two commissioners are in office out of 11 sanctioned posts, making the commission the weakest ever,” Meitei said. He noted that as of June 2024, over 4 lakh appeals and complaints remain pending across 29 commissions.
Bupenda also raised concerns for RTI activists and whistleblowers, calling for full implementation of the Whistleblower Protection Act, and emphasized the need for citizen safety and protection.
At the state level, he said the Manipur Information Commission remains severely understaffed, operating from a single room without its own infrastructure for over 20 years. The MPCC demanded transparent filling of vacancies, longer hearings, online publication of RTI responses, asset disclosure by public officials, and an official website for the Manipur Vigilance Commission.
The press conference concluded with Meitei reaffirming Congress’s commitment to defending RTI and ensuring public access to information as a constitutional right. Summary remarks were also delivered in Manipuri to engage a wider audience.
The MPCC called for immediate reforms, including restoring fixed tenure of commissioners, revising the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, and strengthening citizen safeguards, warning that weakening RTI undermines democracy and accountability.