New Delhi:
Cabinet briefing by Union minister Kapil Sibal on crucial changes to the Right to Information Act to block political parties from being covered under RTI.
Here are the highlights of the briefing:
- We understand our responsibilities and obligation
- We have to make greater efforts to ensure that we bring about a change so that this problem that we are confronted should be resolved as quickly as possible
- Seems to be an impression that political parties are not accountable
- Not a fair appreciation of our responsibilities and accountabilities
- Political parties are not co-operations, they are not companies, nor trusts. It's a voluntary association of persons
- In order to fight elections we have to register ourselves
- Even though political parties are exempted, we still have to file returns
- Any donation received by a political party beyond 20,000-25,000 has to be declared to the IT
- It is not as if political parties operate under a veil of secrecy. This information should be known to the public
- More needs to be done to ensure greater transparency in the political system
- We are willing to have a dialogue with all political parties
- Unless we bring a law it is going to be difficult for us to not comply with the order
- We don't want to keep moving courts, we want a quick resolution on this
- Political parties will not be able to function if everyday somebody asks, 'Why did you take this decision?'