RTI hearing on Merger Agreement on April 15

Hueiyen News Service: Imphal: Monday, April 08, 2013.

Along with admitting the application filed under Right to Information (RTI) for seeking information on the number of Manipuris employed as per the Merger Agreement Article VIII (3) dated 21/9/1949 through India's President, Prime Minister and Home Minister since May, 2012, Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) has finally directed the applicant, Dr Th Suresh Singh, MD, WHO Fellow (Holland and UK) to attend a hearing of the same through video conference at NIC, Imphal West DC office on April 15, 2013 .

However, as the applicant would be leaving Imphal for the all important hearing of the case in Supreme Court on removal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act, he would be attending the same in person at New Delhi.

It may be noted here that Dr Suresh has been trying to get information under RTI with regard to the number of Manipuris employed as per Merger Agreement Article VIII (3) dated 21/9/1949 through President of India, Prime Minister and Union Home Minister since May 2012.The Prime Minister's Office subsequently referred the matter to Union Home Ministry as they are the custodian of the said matter.

From May to August 2012, various sections of the Home Ministry had been referring the matter among themselves and thus not providing the required information.

Consequently, under relevant provisions of the RTI Act, the Ist appeal was made to the First Appellate Authority, the Joint Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, New Delhi on 10th August 2012.In spite of that the information being sought was not supplied within the stipulated 30 days period.

Hence, the 2nd and the last appealed was made to the Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) on 10th September 2012 and the later has fixed a hearing on 15/04/2013 at 12.15PM.In connection with the hearing of the case, Dr Suresh has informed that he would not only urge the CIC to direct the concerned authority to supply the information being sought but also to punish those concerned for not supplying of the information under the provision of RTI Act.