India Today: Chandigarh: Tuesday,
April 11, 2017.
The Punjab
State Information Commission, has declared two Gau Sewa Samitis in Ludhiana as
public authorities, thereby qualifying them to come under the ambit of the RTI
Act.
Two cases
were filed in the commission by Dinesh Jethi of Sham Nagar in Ludhiana,
contending that Gau Sewa Samiti, Partap Singh Wala, Hambran Road and Gobind
Gaudham, Partap Singh Wala, were getting regular grants from Ludhiana civic
body and as such they qualify to be designated as public authorities with
resultant obligations under RTI Act, an official spokesperson said.
After
reviewing the documents, the commission said every year more than Rs one crore
is being given to the societies from public funds for its functioning, which is
more in the nature of a public duty.
"As the
societies in question are being substantially financed by a body of the
government... we accordingly declare these as public authorities with the
direction... to part with the information asked for within 30 days to the
appellant and take simultaneous action as envisaged under Section 4 and 5 of
the RTI Act," State Information Commissioner Yashvir Mahajan ordered.
The argument
of the respondents that they were only discharging a contractual obligation
with the government by charging a fee of Rs 30 per cattle was of no consequence
when seen in larger perspective, the spokesperson said.
It is
indisputable that the society is charging more than Rs one crore annually, 2010
onwards for attending to more than 1,000 heads of cattle from the Municipal
Corporation, he said. PTI CHS NSD.