[mpisgmedia] RTI request re GATS (wrt PR dt 07.11.05 / forthcoming Parliament session)

Shri Sudhakar Dalela,
Deputy Secretary, DoC
Central Public Information Officer (for Trade Policy
related issues like WTO, UNCTAD, DFID-DOC Project,
TRIMS, TRIPs etc)

Dear Sir,

Kindly refer to our prior correspondence, at:
http://mail.architexturez.net/+/MPISG-Media/archive/msg00628.shtml
wherein I had requested publication u/s.4 of RTI Act,
2005, of information relating to sector / sub-sector
level consultations leading to sector-specific
commitments in India's revised offer for trade in
services (TN/S/O/1ND/Rev.1) and Issue-Paper mentioned
in press release dated 14.10.05. In reply I was
advised about procedures u/s.6 and in response I had
clarified my reasons for requesting publication u/s.4.
I have not heard further and am also unable to locate
on the website of Department of Commerce the requested
information.

Further, the link in document at
http://commerce.nic.in/wto_counsel_paper.htm to
"commitments that have been scheduled by India so far"
is to an undated document at
http://commerce.nic.in/wto_counsel_paper.htm that is
not the same as the WTO document dated 24.08.05
previously linked from What-is-New section and still
available at:
http://commerce.nic.in/wto_sub/services/SPECIAL%20SESSION/sub_tnsOIND_rev.1.pdf
And sector / sub-sector level thinking is not
explicated also in the latest press release about
letter to trade ministers of 148 countries released by
the Minister at a news conference in London on
07.11.05, at:
http://commerce.nic.in/Nov05_release.htm#h3

Department of Commerce would have consulted at least
some concerned statutory bodies / groups for
sector-specific commitments. However, you would
appreciate that sectors in which commitments are being
offered are not sufficiently well or democratically
organised and since WTO issues in general are also not
debated in Parliament or discussed with States those
consultations cannot be considered adequate unless
Department of Commerce discloses at least identities
of those consulted for anyone interested to seek
further details from / raise specific concerns
through.

GATS does have special import apropos the emphasis of
the latest press release since GATS impinges the
development framework more directly than other WTO
issues and the process of sector-specific formulations
is itself significant for the respective sectors. My
communications, as a qualified development planner,
have been entirely from this perspective. I also
believe it is pertinent that unlike other WTO issues
the decision to give fresh momentum to GATS is solely
of the present government, which has also committed
itself to Right to Information.

In view of press release of 07.11.05, I reiterate my
RTI requests and urge the Department of Commerce to
not only publish sector wise information on the
process of formulations for GATS but also to table the
same in the forthcoming session of Parliament.

Thanking you,

Yours sincerely
Gita Dewan Verma, Planner

cc: for continuing information
Shri J Sri Raman
Shri R Gopalan
Architexturez in-enaction, mpisg-media






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