NBRA Bill has shocking RTI provisions

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SUBHASH CHANDRA AGRAWAL

22 February, 2010

The National Biotechnology Regulatory Bill has unusual chapter on 'Right To Information' provisions whereby, the second and final appellate authority for NBRA will be an authority within NBRA itself rather than Central Information Commission.

IT REFERS to the shocking news about forthcoming bill to constitute National Biotechnology Regulatory Authority (NBRA) by Department of Science and Technology has unusual chapter on ‘Right To Information’ provisions whereby, the second and final appellate authority for NBRA will be an authority within NBRA itself rather than Central Information Commission.

Such a provision will be contrary to provisions of RTI Act itself and may set a dangerous trend for other public-authorities to demand likewise. It may be recalled that even Supreme Court recommended such a provision to keep itself out of purview of Central Information Commission in very initial days of implementation of RTI Act in the country when it faced very first petition-number CIC/WB/A/2006/00171 at Central Information Commission.

Union government must not trigger any protests from civil society and media by incorporating any such provision to keep National Biotechnology Regulatory Authority out of purview of Central Information Commission.