Vaivasvat Venkat, TNN, Oct 31, 2010,
LUDHIANA: Pulling up the health department for its lackadaisical attitude in dealing with appeals coming to the officers under the Right to Information Act (RTI), state information commissioner (SIC) has directed the principal secretary, health and family welfare, Punjab to sensitize first appellate authorities in the department regarding the rights of the people under the Act.
The direction from state information commissioner Kulbir Singh on Thursday came in the wake of an appeal filed by RTI activist Rohit Sabharwal against the civil surgeon in Ludhiana, who happens to be the first appellate authority.
Sabharwal had sought information by filing an application on April 8, 2010. It was provided on August 16, 2010 after being ordered by the commission.
Commission has issued a show cause notice to the civil surgeon seeking explanation for the delay in providing information, why a penalty may not be imposed for the delay and as to why complainant should not be compensated for the harassment and financial loss suffered by him in getting the information. The civil surgeon has been directed to file an affidavit before the next date of hearing. SIC has also observed in the order that as first appellate authority the civil surgeon did not take any action on the appeal of the appellant and did not act as per the mandate of the RTI Act 2005.
'This action on the part of the first appellate authority needs to be depreciated and it is hoped that authorities entrusted with statutory duties under the Act show more sense of responsibility and respect for rights of the citizens,' reads the observation.
In yet another case against the civil surgeon Ludhiana filed by Sabharwal before SIC a show cause notice on similar lines had been issued on Thursday.
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