http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=78437
Published On: 2009-03-05 Front Page Scrutiny of RTI bill complete JS body makes no major changes Staff Correspondent The parliamentary standing committee on information ministry yesterday completed scrutiny of the Right to Information Bill-2009 to place its report in parliament in next week for passage of the bill in the current session. "We are not proposing any major change in the bill. If needed, major change can be brought in future," Obaidul Quader, chairman of the committee, told the reporters after its meeting at Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban. The committee chief said he will place its report in parliament on Sunday or Monday as the bill has been finally scrutinised proposing some amendments to ensure right to information of the people. He did not elaborate any change made in the bill, but said all most all the provisions made earlier will remain the same in the right to information ordinance. Media representatives at the meeting suggested the committee for not exempting the organization of intelligence agencies totally from abiding by the provisions of the bill to provide information if any one seeks. The committee assured them of considering their suggestions, meeting sources said. The immediate past caretaker government promulgated the right to information ordinance to ensure peoples' access to information in a bid to ensuring good governance. But the effectiveness of the ordinance ceased to have effect on February 25, as it was not ratified in parliament within the timeframe as per the constitution. Later, the government placed a bill in parliament to enact a law for continuation of the provisions made in the now defunct ordinance with retrospective effect from the date of promulgation of the ordinance. Members of the committee Information Minister Abul Kalam Azad, Sukuumar Ranjan Ghosh, BM Mozammel Haque, Sarah Begum Kabari, Anisul Islam Mandal and Sharier Alam were present in the meeting. Journalists Riazuddin Ahmed, Iqbal Sobhan Cbowdhury, Manzurul Ahsan Bulbul and Sanjida Sobhan, a representative from NGOs, attended the meeting.
