Other Acts should be invoked or cited with RTI in public interest matters: Ratnakar Gaikwad, on his last day as state info chief

DNA: Mumbai: Wednesday, May 31, 2017.

On his last day of office on Monday, state chief information commissioner, Ratnakar Gaikwad emphasized that information commissioners should now increasingly look to invoke or cite various Acts along with the RTI Act in their orders, whenever there is a public interest application.

Speaking to DNA as he prepared to demit office on Monday after a five year tenure, Gaikwad said,"In all public interest matters, other Acts like Public Records Act, legislation on delay in file movements etc should be clubbed in the orders. That will help in development and achieve greater transparency," said Gaikwad.

Gaikwad's stint saw some landmark orders like ministers' offices coming under the RTI ambit, Reliance Metro being declared a public authority, FIRs and police manual being brought under RTI Act, among others. He also issued show cause notices to senior officials under IPC sections and defined powers of a chief information commissioner that were upheld by court. Application of RTI Act that sought reasons for government decisions if controversial transfers were made further ensured that several provisions of RTI Act were in use.