Business Standard: Chandigarh: Tuesday, July 03, 2018.
The Punjab
State Information Commission has declared Thapar University, Patiala, as
'public authority' and directed it to provide the required information to the
appellant within 30 days after receiving the order.
Disposing off
an appeal, filed by Bindu Bhardwaj, Chief Information Commissioner of Punjab S
S Channy and State Information Commissioner Yashvir Mahajan, ordered, "As
per seection 2(h)(d)(ii) of the RTI Act we accordingly declare these
institutions as 'Public Authorities with the direction to the university to
part with the information asked for within 30 days to the appellant after
receiving copy of orders ."
A
spokesperson of the commission said that a case had been filed with the
contention that the public information officer of Thapar University, Patiala,
was not providing information under RTI Act on the pretext that university is
not a public authority.
After
reviewing the documents, the commission said, "Thapar University was
established with the efforts of the state government and was substantially
financed by funds provided directly in the shape of recurring and non recurring
grant to an extent of 95 per cent and 75 per cent of non plan and plan
expenditures respectively and indirectly by providing 250 acres of free land
which was acquired at the public expense."
Thapar
Institute of Engineering and Technology was established by the government in
1955 consequent upon entering into an agreement with the Mohini Thapar
Charitable Trust with a view to promote technical education in the state.
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