3 years on, GIC yet to give final order on RTI dispute

Adam Halliday : Fri Jun 18 2010,

Ahmedabad : Nearly three years ago, an appeal was made before the Gujarat Information Commission (GIC) on an RTI application seeking details of tie-up between Dow Chemicals and the state-owned Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals Limited. Now the final order is likely to be out within a month.

Appu Abraham, Administrative Consultant with GIC, said the reply has been delayed because there are many pending cases with the Commission. The last hearing in the case was held on June 23, 2009. Abraham added: “The final hearing is pending. It will be over in a month.”

On July 2, 2007, GACL had notified the stock markets that it had signed an MoU with Dow Chemicals. A few days later, on July 13, 2007, Chennai-based environment activist Nityanand Jayaraman filed an RTI application with GACL, seeking details of the tie-up.

On August 6, 2007, V L Vyas, GACL’s Company Secretary and General Manager (Legal), replied to Jayaraman saying, “we would like to inform you that the provisions of Right to Information Act, 2005 are not applicable to our Company”. Ten days later, on August 16, Jayaraman appealed to the GIC.

On December 17, 2007, Jayaraman sent a reminder to the Commission, in which he wrote: “I have not received an acknowledgment of receipt of the appeal by the Commission. I request you to kindly update me regarding the status of my complaint to the Commission.”

After 15 months, the Commission summoned Jayaraman and the PIO of GACL for a hearing. The first hearing was held on March 3, 2009, followed by two more hearings on June 4 and June 23.

Jayaraman said the June 23 hearing was the last hearing, which was confirmed by GIC Deputy Secretary K S Divan.

Incidentally, on June 11, 2010, senior GACL officials had told The Indian Express that work under the joint venture was in progress and production would start by the end of 2012. The plant proposes to produce chloromethane chemical, which is used as an intermediate in the production of fluorocarbons and fluoropolymers, and as a solvent in pharmaceutical manufacturing and other chemical processing applications.