Notice to GMCH dean for violating RTI Act

Times of India: Nagpur: Wednesday, August 23, 2017.

Dr Abhimanyu Niswade, dean of Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) has been found in violation of Right to Information (RTI) Act. State Information Commissioner Dilip Dharurkar has issued a show cause notice to Niswade asking why disciplinary action should not be recommended against him.

The notice came on a plea filed by a doctor from GMCH Akola Arun Humne who was previously working at GMCH Nagpur. Dharurkar issued notice on August 4 and gave 15 days to Niswade to file his reply.

Dharurkar said, "Dean, who is first appellate authority under the RTI Act, did not even hold hearing on the appeal filed by Humne. It has also come to fore that required information has been not given to Humne intentionally. It is violation of Section 19 (6) of RTI Act."

Humne has been struggling to get information under the RTI Act from GMCH Nagpur for 15 months. He filed an application with GMCH public information officer and administrative officer Arun Dhurve on May 4, 2016, seeking information about directives of Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER) to GMCH between December 17, 2015 and March 28, 2016. Humne did not get the information in 30 days so he filed an appeal with Niswade on June 20, 2016.

Humne got some information on July 14, 2016, from Dhurve. It was mandatory for Niswade to hold hearing on Humne's appeal but he neglected it. Humne approached state information commission (SIC) on October 1, 2016. Dharurkar held hearing on April 10, 2017, in which Niswade and Dhurve were present. Humne informed he did not get any information from GMCH in the hearing.

Dharurkar ordered Dhurve to provide required information to Humne within three days of the order. Sources from SIC told TOI further action on Niswade will be decided by Dharurkar after receiving reply.