Highlights 

• The RTI Act replacing the erstwhile Freedom of Information Act,2002  was enacted to enable citizens to secure access to information under the control of public authorities, to promote transparency and accountability in the working of public authorities, and to constitute a Central Information Commission and State Information Commissions.
• The Amendment Bill only intends to empower the Central government to decide the tenures, salaries and allowances of the Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) and Information Commissioners (IC) of the Central Information Commission and State Information Commissions through delegated legislation without taking away or weakening the powers of the CIC or ICs.
• The Bill was deemed necessary because the existing provisions of the Act do not have an express provision regarding the salaries, allowances and other terms and conditions of service of the CIC and ICs. Section 13(5) and 16(5) of the Act equates the salaries, allowances and other terms and conditions of service of the CIC and ICs to that of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and Election Commissioners (ECs), respectively.
• The salaries, allowances and other terms and conditions of service of the CEC and ECs are in turn equal to a judge of the Supreme Court. Therefore, the CIC, ICs, and State CIC become equivalent to a judge of the Supreme Court in terms of their salaries, allowances and other terms and conditions of service.
• The Bill does not intend to make any fundamental changes to the RTI; instead, it will make the RTI Act more transparent by way of providing express provision for salaries, allowances and other conditions of service of the CIC and ICs.

Source: The Hindu