Marked 'confidential' on website, GOs were accessible under RTI

The New Indian Express: Hyderabad: Saturday, June 22, 2013.

Is the state government trying to hide information from the public or is it that officials themselves are not aware of the stipulations about disseminating information?

In a move that can raise eyebrows, the home department has sent information on government GOs in response to a right to information (RTI) query even though the website does not furnish the same, classifying it as ‘confidential’.

The GOs in question, numbered 770 (dated 25/3/2013) and 1523 (dated 27/82013 and 13/9/2011), which spell out details of the police budget regarding the COP-11 and other expenses, were sought by RTI activist Sai Prasad who received it on May 27 this year. He said that if the information was available even under RTI, it should at least be stated on the site, where it was  marked as ‘confidential’.

Corroborating his observation is Section-4, Part-2 of the RTI Act which reads: “It shall be a constant endeavour of every public authority to take steps in accordance with the requirements of clause (b) of Section-1 to provide as much information suo motu to the public at regular intervals through various means of communications, including internet, as possible so that the public has minimum need to resort to the use of this Act to obtain information.’’

Sai Prasad said, “All the departments that come under the RTI Act’s ambit must and should provide copies of the GOs on their websites.” He said he would meet chief secretary PK Mohanty on Saturday.

Other RTI activists expressed similar views but added that it was not possible for government departments to put up everything on their websites and that such issues should be sorted out.  “Section-4 does speak about giving out information easily to make it easy for the public. Some departments habitually list things as ‘confidential’ but those are actually available. It may also be the case here,” opined Anil Bairwal, national coordinator, Association for Democratic Reforms, New Delhi.

M Lalitha, deputy secretary in the home department, said some GOs which contain general information on topics like the budget, can be provided under RTI. Asked why they have been classified as ‘confidential’ even though they are accessible, she explained that it was done on he orders of the higher-ups and it was no issue at all.

COP-11 SECURITY: GO No. 1523 (marked confidential on the website), dated 27/8/2013, provided to Sai Prasad, has revealed that a staggering amount of Rs 54.13 crore was sought as additional amount  from the state government for bandobast  during the Convention of Parties (COP)-11 held in Hyderabad from October 1 to 19 last year.

Of that, Rs 48.50 crore was accorded administrative sanction to the DGP for expenses such as allowance/dearness allowance, duty allowance to Home Guard  etc.  An amount of Rs 23.16 crore was spent by the DGP, Rs 16.62 crore by the Cyberabad police commissioner and Rs 8.71 crore by the additional DGP (Intelligence). Another other GO, numbered 1523 and dated 23/3/2013 which was also sought by Sai Prasad, revealed that the home department sought another Rs 4.28 crore towards works for completion of police staff quarters taken up in 2008-09 in Visakhapatnam, Hyderabad-II and Warangal divisions. But Rs 5 crore was provided by the government for the work estimated to cost `4.28 crore.