Published Paper Details:

Right to Information Act,2005 is a path breaking Statute enabling the Common men to approach the public authorities to seek information. Even the Preamble of the Act expects that the citizens of this nation should be well informed. There is no motive of demeaning public authorities. The Act does not sieve out whether the information sought is in public interest or not. The Right to Information Act has even ruled out the basis of locus standi which used to be there prior to the enactment of this Statute. The seeker of the information need not assign any reasons for seeking the information. The positive use of the Statute definitely outweighs the negative use of the Act which is being resorted nowadays by filing fictitious and frivolous applications. The use of the Act to intimidate the public authorities should be discouraged by penalizing such applicants. It is indeed a matter of concern that precious time of the public offices is being wasted in disposing off the malicious applications under the Statute. The entrepreneurship resorted to through this Act is derogatory to the democratic principles of this great country. The only antidote to prevent this misuse lies in imposition of heavy penalties to these non-serious applicants.