Ahmedabad Mirror: Ahmedabad: Tuesday, 08 July 2014.
Chief
information commissioner holds simultaneous hearing on 270 appeals under RTI
Act by an associate prof of medicine, but dismisses all of them in half an
hour; rights workers cry foul, saying people will lose faith in the Act.
The office of
the chief information commissioner created history of sorts on Monday by
holding simultaneous hearing on about 270 appeals under RTI Act by a person.
But just as the rights activists thought of celebrating the occasion, the CIC’s
office riled them by dismissing them in half an hour. At stake was the career
of a medicine professor who remained suspended for about five years after being
implicated in cases by his superiors who allegedly wanted a share in the consultancy
he was earning by carrying out clinical trials.
According to
RTI activist Paresh Patel, who is assisting Dr Amal Bhattacharya, the aggrieved
party, CIC D Rajagopalan showed extraordinary efficiency by organising a
hearing of such magnitude involving half a dozen offices and 40-50 officials.
“But how come thousands of applications and appeals remain pending with various
offices and departments for so many years if the CIC office is so efficient?”
Patel quipped in sarcasm. Dr Bhattacharya was a professor (ad hoc) of medicine
at Jamnagar medical college and as part of his job used to conduct clinical
trials for diabetes and asthma.
He was paid
for this research by contractual research organisations based in Bangalore and
Mumbai by cheque. According to Patel, his superiors demanded a share in his
remuneration which Dr Bhattacharya refused as he was conducting the trial on
his own and every penny that he was paid was accounted for. Miffed with him,
his superiors downgraded him to associate professor’s rank and transferred him
to the health department in Gandhinagar when Gujarat Public Service Commission
candidates recommended candidates to Jamnagar college.
VICTIMISED
When Dr
Bhattacharya was not paid salary for two months he met the state health commissioner
and apprised him of his victimisation. The commissioner, looking into his case,
transferred him to Vadodara in March 2009. But he was suspended in July 2009.
In the interim, according to Patel, Dr Bhattacharya’s superiors at Jamnagar
college fabricated some documents against him and lodged a complaint with the
police. The doctor, to know the details of the complaint against him and defend
himself, filed a few RTI applications in May 2009.
As either he
was denied replies or was given unsatisfactory replies, he had to file more
applications to get the relevant information. The number today stands at about
270 and concerns the health department, medical colleges, hospitals, vigilance
department, general administration department, Gujarat Medical Education
Research Society and a few more. The information sought pertained to
administration of health department, transfers, medicine and machines
purchased, human rights violations, ragging, doctors who pursue private
practice despite being in government job and abetment of suicide at the medical
college.
All this
information has direct or indirect bearing on Dr Bhattacharya’s case. Unhappy
with no reply or unsatisfactory replies, the doctor went into appeal to the
chief information commissioner in Gandhinagar which held ahearing on them on
Monday. The information sought was so varied that about 40 officials from
various departments had to appear before the CIC. “However, appeals were heard
and dismissed in just about half an hour.
It is
unbelievable: about 270 appeals and dozens of officials, and all over in 30
minutes. They don’t realise that a doctor’s career is at stake,” said Patel. He
alleged that the officers told Rajagopalan at the hearing that Dr Bhattacharya
was harassing them by filing aspate of applications under RTI. The CIC
allegedly told the officials there was no need to provide information sought if
they felt that the complainant was misusing the provisions of RTI Act. When
contacted, Rajagopalan said refused to comment. Ahmedabad RTI Association
president Pankaj Bhatt said 270 appeals were being heard simultaneously for the
first time in the state.
“History has
been created, but it is painful to know that after the appellant authority
denied information, the supreme authority too acted in the same manner. If
officials act in this manner, people will lose faith in RTI Act,” Bhatt said.
“If our officials are so efficient then how come we have thousands of
applications and appeals pending with various offices and departments?” Patel
said. Dr Bhattacharya has been reinstated as associate professor at Bhavnagar
college on June 20.
.JPG)
.JPG)
