Hindustan Times: Chandigarh: Wednesday, October 02, 2013.
Giving a
dressing-down to the UT electricity department's superintending engineer, MP
Singh, for not giving proper responses to pleas filed under the Right to
Information (RTI) Act, the Central Information Commission (CIC) has directed
him to undergo training for his duties as the first appellate authority under
the law.
The matter
pertained to a plea filed on July 27 last year by Rakesh Sood, a resident of
Panchkula, who had asked the central public information officer (CPIO) of the
UT electricity department for copies of correspondence between the
sub-divisional officer of division 5 (operations), Industrial Area, and the
executive engineer of division 2 (operations) over power lines emanating from a
11KV fire brigade feeder.
The CPIO, on
August 24, 2012, told Sood that due to non-availability of his specific
address, the information could not be provided. Sood then submitted the address
and appealed before the first appellate authority (FAA), that is MP Singh. But
Singh denied the disclosure of information in his order of September 26, 2012,
saying that it was voluminous and also pertained to a 'third party'. Sood then
appealed before the CIC.
In its order
on Tuesday, the central commission stated that the denial of information was
"reflective of complete lack of application of mind or sense of
responsibility by FAA (Singh), who is warned to discharge the responsibilities
ascribed to him under the RTI Act henceforth".
The
commission also directed him to provide the information to Sood free of cost
for the period 2008-12 within three weeks.
As per the
section 19(8)(a)(v) of the RTI Act, the CIC has the power of enhancing the
provision of training for its officials.
Further, the
commission took cognisance of Singh's move to dispose of four similar RTI
applications through a common order on September 26, 2012, which was not the
correct method of disposal. So the FAA has been directed to issue separate
orders for each plea.
Unhappy with
the attitude of the department, Sood had also lodged a complaint with UT
adviser KK Sharma in October last year.
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