MC website in need of updates

Khushboo Sandhu ; Indian Express ; Sun Sep 12 2010 ;

Chandigarh : Outdated information pertaining to nodal officials for RTI queries on display

The website of the Municipal Corporation has not been updated for a while now. The names of officials to be contacted for information under the Right to Information Act listed on the website are those who were transferred out from the civic body two years ago.

The website mentions the names of Talwinder Dhingra and S K Chadha as Central Public Information Officers and H S Kandhola as the Appellate Officer. None of these officials are working with the civic body at present. While Kandhola was repatriated to his parent cadre around two years ago, S K Chadha and Talwinder Dhingra have not been with the civic body for almost three years now.

An RTI activist R K Garg says the information provided on the website is obsolete. “It is against the spirit of RTI: the basic information itself is incorrect. The purpose of having the website is lost if people cannot rely on the information being provided. When a large amount of funds have been spent on revamping the website, the information being provided should also be updated,” he said.

Sachin, a resident of Sector 21, says that while he has complained a number of times to the civic body, there has been no improvement in the system. “The website is an example of wastage of public money. People rely on the Internet as an important source of information. We expect such information to be correct. Not everyone can know that these officers are no longer with the Municipal Corporation. It is only when one visits the office of the civic body that he/she comes to know that these officials are not present. We feel harrassed when we do not know whom to contact with complaints in case information provided by the MC is not sufficient,” he said.

The lists of the ward committees are also yet to be updated, despite these being formed a couple of months ago. The residents also complain that they rarely get replies to the e-mails they send to the officials.

Councillor Pallav Mukherjee says the website has been a complete waste. “There is a need to update the information. The website is in a state of disarray. It should also be ensured that prompt replies are received when communication is sent through e-mails. This is not being done,” he adds.

The officials meanwhile say the process of updating the website is going on. Joint Commissioner-II Kamlesh Kumar says: “We will update the information on the website. It has been decided that instead of giving names of officials concerned for getting information under RTI, their designations would be displayed on the website. The process of updating the website is going on. In the coming days the changes would come up.”