Balochistan Assembly adopts RTI bill amid uproar
Staff Reporter :
Amid the uproar, the Balochistan Assembly on Monday adopted the Right to Information (RTI) bill to give access/empower the people to get information about government departments. The session of the Balochistan Assembly resumed here with speaker Qudoos Bizenjo in the chair. The opposition and treasury members also exchanged hot words during the tabling of the bill.
Bushra Rind, the parliamentary secretary on the information presented the bill before the house. She said the government had decided to empower the masses through this bill to get information.
Refer RTI bill to the standing committee: opposition demands
However, the opposition legislators demanded to refer the RTI bill to the standing committee for analysis before tabling. “The first study, then table the bill”, Sanaullah Baloch, the opposition legislator from Balochistan National Party (BNP) said. “This is curb information rather than right to information”, Mr. Baloch lamented.
Information commission established to address grievances of masses: Buledi
However, finance minister Zahoor Buledi said the bill will empower the citizens to get information about government departments. He informed that information officers in all departments will be providing information to the masses. The minister said the 2005 information act replaced by the RTI bill 2021 and established an information commission to address the grievances of the people.
Mr. Buledi however said information that causes harm to national security would not be provided.
The opposition legislators Nasrullah Zarai and Hamal Kalmati also objected to the tabling of the RTI bill. They also demanded to refer the bill to the standing committee for discussion before bringing it into the house. “Refer this bill to the standing committee for discussion”, Nasrullah Zarai demanded.
Government fixes a system of reward and punishment regarding information: Buledi
The finance minister Mr. Buledi however assured that the government has fixed a system of reward and punishment with regard to the provision of information to citizens. Subsequently, the chair put the bill for voting and the house adopted it.
The house also discussed a number of issues relating to Balochistan. The chair thus adjourned the session till February 4 on Thursday.
Balochistan Assembly adopts RTI bill amid uproar
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