Times of India: Nagpur: Sunday, 28 September 2014.
Established
89 years ago, the Court of Wards for Senior Bhonsla Estate has been brought
under the Right to Information (RTI) Act ambit. The state information
commissioner DB Deshpande (Nagpur Bench) pronounced the verdict on the appeal
filed by RTI activist TH Naidu. The decision comes 27 months after he submitted
the application.
On February
12, 1925, the then Central Provinces and Berar government had constituted the
Court of Wards as caretaker to the hundreds of acres property belonging to the
city's royal family. Properties of Raje Bahadur Raghuji Rao Bhonsle, Kunwar
Fattesingh Rao Bhonsle and Kunwar Jaisingh Rao Bhonsle were brought under its
jurisdiction.
Naidu had
submitted an application on June 2, 2012 under RTI Act 2005 seeking information
about Sonegaon lake which was under the jurisdiction and also auctioned by the
Court of Wards. It was turned down as the Court of Wards did not come under the
RTI ambit.
In Naidu's
first appeal, deputy collector Nishikant Sukhe had passed an order on April 2,
2013 directing the manager of Court of Wards to provide information. But the
information was again denied. The Court of Wards office said that the
information could not be provided as it had been barred by Raje Raghujirao
Bhonsale and Raje Mudhojirao Bhonsale.
In his order,
Deshpande directed collector Abhishek Krishna to provide information to Naidu
within 45 days. "Information sought by applicant seems to be in public
interest. Property related to which applicant sought information comes under
collector's jurisdiction. Government is payable of taxes related to this
property. Therefore, RTI Act 2005 is permissible for Court of Wards," he
ordered.
Naidu told
TOI now various issues related to properties auctioned or released giving
no-objection-certificates by Court of Wards can be brought before public.
"Sonegaon lake was auctioned by the Court of Wards on June 21, 1974 in a
controversial manner. No-objection certificate issued by Court of Wards in case
related to Rajiv Nagar, Somalwada was also controversial. NMC had to lose the
precious land due to it. Many such skeletons are likely to tumble from the
Court of Wards' cupboards," he said.
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