Chief Information Commissioner Wahajat Habibullah said if the right to information was important for journalists working in the media to do their stories, right to privacy for individuals who come under the scanner was equally important.
Habibullah said this while interacting with media-persons at a press meet organised by the Press Association of India in Delhi on Friday evening.
He admitted that the new chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah has been in touch with him to update the right to information act and bring it at par with the one operating at the central level.
" Yes, he has been in touch with on this matter. I would be flying to Jammu next week to have a look at various drafts that have been prepared by the government officer," he told rediff.com. He regretted that right to information was not as well publicised as it should have been done.
Habibullah is looking after cases related to the Prime minister's office, President's house, cabinet secretariat, home ministry and several other imporant porfolios and giving his decisions.
He refused to answer whether the judges of higher courts should be asked to give details of their assets. "The matter is pending before the high court and hence we would give our response before the court," he said.
Habibullah said the media alone can ask the government to do its job. He amused the media persons with colourful stories how those training them for the Indian Adminitrative Service were told hide the information as much as possible.
"Entire attempts were made to ensure that no information was given away. And if it was necessary it was given in a manner that the information became useless. I see no reason why the Union Public Service Commission should not give cut off marks of the last exams as the organisation is not going to be harmed in any manner. The matter is now before the Supreme court after the high court rejected their petition," he said.
The CIC had more then 4000 cases pending before he decided to distribute these to other commissioners. He did not agree with the plea that India took 57 years come out with a law like this one. "USA and Britain took longer. Now other countries want to follow our footsteps," he claimed.
A division bench headed by Habibullah would decide on the status of MP's, MLAs, Sarpanch and other officials whether they come under the category of government servants. "We would hear the matter shortly. We already have information and there would be no more hearings. Initially we were to hear the matter on 22nd but now we would prepone the the matter. There are some abiguities in the law but that can be sorted out,"Habibullah said.
Habibullah denied that Khadi and Village industries board has been exempted from the perview of the commission. " If anyone claims that we have ordered that the Khadi board should be kept out, he is not telling the truth," he said.
