Friday, April 24, 2015

Denying RTI info on MG Road eviction: Notice to two officials

Times of India: Kochi: Friday, April 24, 2015.
State Information Commission has issued notices to two revenue officials in Ernakulam for not providing information under Right to Information Act (RTI) on use of land reoccupied in the eviction drive on MG Road in 2007.
The drive against encroachments on MG Road was launched by the district administration while A P M Mohammed Hanish was the district collector.
In an RTI query filed to Ernakulam Collectorate, advocate D B Binu, secretary of Human Rights Defence Forum, sought information on how the land that was reoccupied by the government through the 2007 eviction was put to public use.
Records related to the eviction, including the sketch prepared for the eviction and the directions issued, were sought by the RTI activist.
Further, information was sought as to how many encroachments were evicted on MG Road, from whom all the evictions were made, and for what public use, such as parking, was the reoccupied land used.
State information commission said in its order that then deputy collector EJ Gracy, who was the public information officer, and Kanayannoor additional tahasildar C K Venu failed to provide timely and correct information to the applicant under RTI.
The commission will take action against the two revenue officials as per section 20 of RTI Act, the order issued by state information commissioner MN Gunavardhanan said. As per section 20, the commission can recommend for disciplinary action under the service rules applicable as well as order the officers at fault to pay a fine up to Rs 25,000.
Asking the officials to showcause for not taking action against them, the Commission has ordered the revenue officials to provide the information sought for under RTI within 10 days.