MCG backs RTI pleas, but finds them too 'cumbersome' to answer

Times of India: Gurgaon: Wednesday, 10 September 2014.

Much as the MCG might claim it favours RTI applications, the fact of the matter is it doesn't care much for the rationale behind and dynamics of the Right to Information Act. While the Act mandates that information be provided within 30 days of application, in many cases it takes more than four months to do so.

Recently, the MCG also trashed an application saying the question asked was too "cumbersome" to answer. On several occasions, the state information commission has reprimanded the MCG for failing to respond within the stipulated timeframe and also asked it to compensate applicants. Residents, on the other hand, complain that most RTI replies sent by the municipal corporation are vague and officials often shift the onus to other departments like HUDA or the deputy commissioner's office.

"The MCG never provides information on time. On many occasions, the RTI application gets automatically forwarded to the first appellate (the MCG joint commissioner) because the officials, who are supposed to reply, keep transferring the application from one department to the other. And many a time, even the first appellate does not respond in time and I have had to go to the second appellate (the SIC) at least 75 times because of this. On at least five occasions the SIC has directed the MCG to compensate me for delay in providing the information," says RTI activist Aseem Takyar.

He said he was forced to file the RTIs because the MCG does not provide basic information on its website. "Things like details about sanitation contracts should be made available on the MCG website. Because of lack of general information, residents like me are forced to file RTIs. Even their grievance portal does not work efficiently," he said.

Though the CIC had directed government departments to appoint a transparency officer, the MCG is yet to do so. Officials acknowledge that there is absolutely no transparency and accountability. "Whenever an RTI application is received by an executive engineer of any department, they have a tendency to mark it to another executive engineer on some pretext or the other," said an official.