The Times of India:Monday, January 02, 2012.
CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC), which is under a cloud over irregularities in recruitments over the past couple of months, has now extended its dubious streak of not being transparent enough. It has reportedly denied information to an RTI petition on the recruitment of assistant directors of the Town and Country Planning department despite two orders from the high court and two directions from the state information commission since 2008.
R Shivakumar of Choolaimedu filed the petition under the right to information (RTI) Act in December 2008 seeking to find out if the 41 candidates found eligible by the TNPSC actually satisfied the requisite norms. "After 30 years, TNPSC issued an advertisement on February 9, 2008 seeking applications for the post of Assistant Director of Town and Country Planning. It received about 326. After receiving the applications, the TNPSC asked the Directorate of Town and Country Planning to fix eligibilities for the post. I smelt something fishy and filed the petition," Shivakumar said.
Shivakumar had asked for the names of the selected candidates, their qualifications, experience, date of birth and community. The Public Information Officer of the TNPSC said the information could not be provided as the selection process was not finalized. Then, in February 2008, Shivakumar appealed to the Appellate Authority in TNPSC which passed an order saying the information sought could not be furnished and cited provisions of Section 8 (1) (8) and 8 (1) (j) of the RTI Act.
R Shivakumar of Choolaimedu filed the petition under the right to information (RTI) Act in December 2008 seeking to find out if the 41 candidates found eligible by the TNPSC actually satisfied the requisite norms. "After 30 years, TNPSC issued an advertisement on February 9, 2008 seeking applications for the post of Assistant Director of Town and Country Planning. It received about 326. After receiving the applications, the TNPSC asked the Directorate of Town and Country Planning to fix eligibilities for the post. I smelt something fishy and filed the petition," Shivakumar said.
Shivakumar had asked for the names of the selected candidates, their qualifications, experience, date of birth and community. The Public Information Officer of the TNPSC said the information could not be provided as the selection process was not finalized. Then, in February 2008, Shivakumar appealed to the Appellate Authority in TNPSC which passed an order saying the information sought could not be furnished and cited provisions of Section 8 (1) (8) and 8 (1) (j) of the RTI Act.