Indian Express: Kochi: Friday, May 19, 2017.
The Central
Information Commission (CIC) has ordered the National Environmental Engineering
Research Institute (Neeri) to provide the final report of the environmental
study on the proposed Kerala High-Speed Rail project.
The Delhi
Metro Rail Corporation has been entrusted with preparing the Detailed Project
Report for the project.
The CIC was
responding to an appeal by M T Thomas, member of National Campaign for People’s
Right to Information (NCPRI), after Neeri failed to furnish the information on
an RTI query by the former.
In its order
on May 5, the CIC has asked the Central Public Information Officer (CPIC) to
hand over the study report within 20 days to Thomas.
Neeri, Nagpur,
had completed the environmental study on the proposed Rs 1,65,000-crore Kerala
High-Speed Rail project between Thiruvananthapuram and Kannur.
“Though an
RTI application was filed with Neeri for getting a copy of the report, it was
not furnished on flimsy grounds. Despite the first appeal with the appellate
authority of Neeri, it was not provided to me,” Thomas alleged. He said the
second appeal filed with the CIC, New Delhi, on September 30, was disposed of
within seven months.