Times of India; Wednesday, August 10, 2011.
NEW DELHI: The Central Information Commission has directed the Delhi government to make public annual returns of all co-operative societies and place the records on its website.
The order came in response to an RTI application filed by Jasvinder Kaur who complained that her name as a member of a cooperative group housing society was not mentioned on the website. Kaur said that she feared her membership has been illegally revoked.
When she filed an RTI application, it was wrongly returned saying the fee should be submitted in favour of the Registrar, Cooperative Societies.
Kaur further mentioned that the website of the registrar does not contain the annual returns, which includes details of audits, inquiries, memberships among others to be submitted by each co-operative society.
She said in the absence of any returns being filed by the co-operative societies and their publication, it is difficult for legitimate members to find out their status and it inculcates mala fide interests and opaqueness in the functioning of these bodies. She said these details should be placed pro-actively as mandated under section 4 of the RTI Act.
Agreeing with the contentions of the applicant, Information Commissioner Shailesh Gandhi directed, "Annual returns of all co-operative societies shall be displayed pro-actively on the website of the department within one month of receipt of the annual returns."
The order came in response to an RTI application filed by Jasvinder Kaur who complained that her name as a member of a cooperative group housing society was not mentioned on the website. Kaur said that she feared her membership has been illegally revoked.
When she filed an RTI application, it was wrongly returned saying the fee should be submitted in favour of the Registrar, Cooperative Societies.
Kaur further mentioned that the website of the registrar does not contain the annual returns, which includes details of audits, inquiries, memberships among others to be submitted by each co-operative society.
She said in the absence of any returns being filed by the co-operative societies and their publication, it is difficult for legitimate members to find out their status and it inculcates mala fide interests and opaqueness in the functioning of these bodies. She said these details should be placed pro-actively as mandated under section 4 of the RTI Act.
Agreeing with the contentions of the applicant, Information Commissioner Shailesh Gandhi directed, "Annual returns of all co-operative societies shall be displayed pro-actively on the website of the department within one month of receipt of the annual returns."
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