Times
of India: Raipur: Tuesday, 02 September 2014.
In a
significant decision, Chhattisgarh State Information Commission has ruled that
proceedings of Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) shall be treated as
non-confidential and open documents which can be supplied to information seeker
under Right to Information (RT) Act.
Allowing an
appeal filed by Sarita Tiwari, deputy commissioner (Development), state's chief
information commissioner Serjius Minj also recommended to state government to
review and re-consider General Administration Department (GAD) circular of 2006
that declared DPC proceedings as confidential.
Tiwari had
filed an application with public information officer of Chhattisgarh state
Public Service Commission (CGPSC) seeking proceedings of DPC but was denied
information on basis of a GAD circular which stated that DPC proceedings are
confidential and it did not fall under the purview of RTI.
After the
first appellate authority also upheld the decision, the applicant preferred a
second appeal with the state information commission.
The state
commission quoted in its order decisions of union public service commission
(UPSC) and Central Information Commission (CIC) to point out that DPC
proceedings shall be treated as non-confidential and open documents and allowed
to be accessed by anybody who seeks it.
Allowing
second appeal filed by deputy commission, the state commission ordered PIO and
first appellate officer of state public service commission to provide relevant
documents as sought by the applicant, free of cost within 15 days. Besides, the
commission also recommended that GAD circular be re-considered for withdrawal
or cancellation.