New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the people should have the right to question the government, adding that it is vital for democracy.
“We need to give importance to the questions. When I was in Gujarat, I realised that the questions put up by the MLAs are very important. The process to access information should be transparent, timely and trouble free,” said Prime Minister Modi.
“The right to information is not only about the right to know but also the right to question. This is how faith in democracy increases,” he added.
Prime Minister Modi described the ‘Right To Information’ Act as a tool through which the common man has got not just the right to know, but also the right to question those in power.
He said that the Union Government’s ‘Digital India’ initiative is complimentary to RTI because putting information online brings transparency, which in turn, builds trust.
In his remarks at the 10th annual convention of the Central Information Commission ( CIC), the Prime Minister mentioned the auctions of coal blocks, spectrum and FM radio licenses, and said that information should be given out proactively to people.
Prime Minister Modi also called for an end to the silo-approach in the government.
He said administrative processes should be run based on trusting the people, rather than doubting the people.
The Prime Minister said RTI has become a tool for good governance.
He also described how the PRAGATI platform developed in the PMO has become a vibrant platform for monitoring progress of projects. (ANI)