RTI forum demands state probe into complaint against CIC

TNN, Nov 16, 2010,

LUCKNOW: The RTI activists have now risen against the "improper behaviour" of the UP chief information commissioner ( UPCIC). The national RTI forum had sent a complaint against Ranjit Singh Pankaj, CIC of Uttar Pradesh about his supposed improper behaviour with one Pawan Agrawal of Moradabad during hearing of appeal number S-1-16 C/2009 and appeal number S-1-750 C/2009 on June 10, 2010.

"I have not heard anything about an inquiry being conducted in the matter, so far,'' said Nutan Thakur, convener of the forum. Thakur was instead sent a letter dated November 2, 2010 from Ram Chandra Yadav, deputy secretary of the administrative reforms department of state government about this complaint.

The state government letter said that as per the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005, government has no right to intervene in matters that are pending before the information commission. Hence, the government cannot give any directions to the information commission in this regard. The letter has been sent by the government to the secretary of the commission to take necessary action.

"Could it be possible for the secretary of the commission to inquire into a complaint against his own CIC?" said Thakur. The forum has now requested the governor to retrieve the letter from the secretary of the commission and get it inquired at his end.