DNA: Mumbai: Friday, April 24, 2015.
Mumbai Metro
One Pvt Ltd (MMOPL), a special purpose vehicle that runs the city's first Metro
service between Versova and Ghatkopar, has accepted the public authority tag.
MMOPL is a consortium between Veolia, MMRDA and Reliance Infrastructure
(RInfra). Citizens can now seek information about Metro rail operations from
MMOPL by filing an RTI application with them.
Providing
information under the RTI Act, MMPOL in a covering letter mentioned who the
public information officer (PIO) is. Information is also put up on the website,
which lists the details of PIO, first appellate authority (FAA) and second appellate
authority, which is the state information commission.
Not so long
ago, the state information commission had declared the body as public authority
on a complaint of former central information commissioner, Shailesh Gandhi. The
order was passed on March 19 by joint bench of state chief information
commissioner, Ratnakar Gaikwad and state information commissioner (Brihanmumbai
bench), Ajit Kumar Jain.
Gandhi had
sought information on the safety report given by the commissioner of railways
from MMOPL. MMOPL in its reply stated that the letter was transferred to MMRDA
as it does not come under the RTI. Before Gandhi's RTI application to MMOPL,
dna had sought same information from MMRDA. MMRDA then denied having
information and stated that MMOPL did not share it with them.
In a letter
dated April 17, 2015, MMOPL provided Gandhi the required information he had
sought earlier. However, it is yet to provide any other information under
section 4 of the RTI Act, which makes it mandatory for a public authority to
provide any information, suo motu, that will be helpful to citizens.
The state
information commission, in its landmark order, stated that the body comes under
the RTI. It is now in the category of other bodies that have been held as
public authority by the information commissions.
Gandhi
expressed his happiness at the move, saying: "In a way, I compliment
Reliance for not trying this thing in court unnecessarily. I have filed a
caveat and they seem to have decided not to challenge the information
commission order that declared them a public authority. It is a good way to
tackle things. The government should now raise their conditions in all PPP models
that they are a public authority and come under RTI."
When MMOPL
was asked if they would voluntarily share information as mentioned in the RTI
Act, a spokesperson responded: "MMOPL is following the process and
procedures as provided in RTI Act, 2005."
Where to file
RTI for Mumbai Metro?
Public
Information Officer
Mumbai Metro
One Pvt Ltd,
Mumbai Metro
One Depot,
D.N. Nagar,
J.P. Road, 4 Bunglows,
Andheri (W),
Mumbai 400053
Email:
rti@reliancemumbaimetro.com
Public
Information Officer
Vineet Nadgir, Deputy General Manager
Appellate Authority
Debasis
Mohanty, Director
Second
Appellate Authority
Maharashtra
State Information Commission
13th Floor,
New Administrative Building,
Opp.
Mantralaya, Mumbai