The Right to Information (RTI) Bill would be presented to Parliament on March 8.
Deputy Minister of Parliamentary Reforms and Mass Media Karunarathna Paranawithana told The Island that the RTI would be placed before Parliament next Monday for the first reading.
Deputy Minister said the government had incorporated as many amendments as possible into the Bill.
“The document finalised by the Attorney General was placed before the Provincial Councils for their suggestions and further improvement,” Paranawithana said.
Having received consensus from all the Provincial Councils everything was in place to present the Bill before Parliament, he said.
Dates for the debate will be fixed on that day or later.
The provisions for right to information on specific grounds on which access might be denied, establishment of the Right to Information Commission and the appointment of Information Officers were the salient features of the proposed legislation, the Deputy Minister pointed out.
The Bill had been prepared after studying similar Acts in other countries and that would further ensure the openness of the present government, he said.
By Subashini Samaranayake The Island