Free
Press Journal: Bhopal: Thursday, 18 September 2014.
The General
Administration Department is trying its best to ensure that it doesn’t have to
part with the papers relating to the appointment of Chief Secretary Antony De
Sa.
RTI activist
Ajay Dubey had sought the information about a year back through an RTI
application. When it was not provided, he filed an appeal in the State
Information Commission on August 13 this year.
The
Commission fixed September 8 as the date for hearing. However, no one appeared
on behalf of GAD on that date. The commission then posted the matter for
September 16. On that date, the GAD submitted its reply. The reply was appended
with an order dated Sep 12, issued by Principal Secretary GAD (Personnel)
Ashwini Rai, disposing of the first appeal. Now, the interesting question that
arise is that why the first appellate authority decide the matter after an
appeal had been filed in the Information Commission? This may create problems
for Rai.
Dube had
filed an application under the RTI on Sepember 18, 2013 seeking the appointment
order of the Chief Secretary. In its reply to the Commission, GAD Deputy
Secretary Anubha Shrivastawa has stated that the reply to the query was given
on 4 March. Here, there is another discrepancy. Dubey had filed an appeal with
the first appellate authority on October 23, 2013 itself, which was disposed of
on September 12, 2014 i.e. almost a year later.
After the
applicant moved the Information Commission, the GAD hurriedly disposed of the
first appeal so that the information can be kept under wraps. In the RTI
application, information on the orders of the GAD appellate authority and rules
governing the appointment of Principal Secretaries and Secretaries in the CM
Secretariat was also sought.
Dubey wonders
why the state government was dithering in providing this information. He said
that once the Commission disposes his appeal, he would move the High Court.
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