Times of India: New Delhi: Tuesday, June 26, 2018.
The CIC has
come down hard on the labour ministry for its refusal to share complete
information on an RTI plea filed by a 90-year-old woman, a relative of PM
Narendra Modi, whose house the ministry has been renting since 1983.
In a scathing
order, information commissioner Sridhar Acharyulu said, “How can (the) state
behave like a cantankerous tenant? They should have respected the
nonagenarian.” The stricture came on a complaint by Dahiben Narottamdas Modi in
Gujarat, a widow, who had rent out her house to the government for running a
dispensary for ‘beedi’ workers.
She had asked
for information on the lease on which she wanted to increase the rent. She
claimed in her petition before the CIC that when she applied for information,
she was not provided the same.
Acharyulu
said the welfare commissioner’s office asked her to produce some documents in
multiple copies, which they could have easily prepared. “Though she is related
to PM Modi, she did not use that to influence the authorities. She sought
information as a citizen and requested for revision of rent or vacating
building,” he said.
Acharyulu
said it was only when her information request was inadequately answered that
she filed a first appeal revealing that she was “chachee/kaakee (aunt)” of the
PM.
“But the
officers in their usual manner ignored the letter and insisted on production of
documents and some papers to be given by the PWD of Gujarat,” he said.
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