The Supreme Court on Friday issued notice to the Centre on a PIL seeking compulsory implementation of Section 4 of RTI Act, mandating public authorities to voluntarily disclose vital information relating to their functioning.
The PIL, filed by K.C. Jain, said the provision is the soul of RTI, without which it remains an ornamental law.
It was alleged by the petitioner that a Department of Personnel and Training Office Memorandum for mandatory third-party RTI audit of public authorities remains poorly implemented. The PIL said that those who undertook the same, returned poor results.
The petitioner apprised the Bench that there were three writ petitions pending before it, which sought effective implementation of various provisions of the RTI Act.
It was clarified by the petitioner that iSection 26 of the RTI Act provides a mechanism that every public authority should go for third party audit.
The Bench comprising Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice M.M. Sundresh issued notice to the Centre.