Times of India: Nagpur: Sunday, December 14, 2014.
The collector
office is not providing information related to the Court of Wards despite
orders from the state information commissioner. Right to Information (RTI)
activist TH Naidu has been forced to run from pillar to post for getting
information under the RTI Act for the last 30 months.
Naidu lodged
a complaint with the state information commissioner, Nagpur bench, on December
3, demanding action against the officials concerned under provisions of the RTI
Act.
"I
submitted an application on June 2, 2012, under RTI Act seeking information
about Sonegaon Lake which was under the jurisdiction and also auctioned by the
Court of Wards, Senior Bhonsla Estate. Information was denied citing that the
Court of Wards does not come under the RTI ambit. I went into appeal, in which
deputy collector Nishikant Sukhe had passed an order on April 2, 2013,
directing the manager, Court of Wards, to provide information. But the
information was again denied. I filed an appeal with the state information
commissioner on April 20, 2013. The state information commissioner passed an
order on July 7 directing the collector to provide information within 45 days
from receiving the copy of order," he said.
Naidu added
that he received the copy of order on September 26. "I went to the office
of Court of Wards and came to know that copy of the order was marked as
received on October 21. How can it take a month to move the copy to the
collector office's which is within 1km from the state information
commissioner's office," he asked.
Even if
October 21 is considered date of receiving the copy, it's been over 45 days but
the collector office has not provided the information, said Naidu.
"Central as well as state government take much credit for RTI Act but none
is bothered about compliance of provisions in the act. We have to go into
appeal after appeal to get any information. I am not getting information
despite the state information commissioner's order. Whom should I rely on to
get information," he questioned.
Naidu also
said information sought by him or any other activist is purely for social
cause. "But we have to wait for 30 months," he said.
Collector
Abhishek Krishna told TOI that information will be provided as per the orders.
"Public Information Officer of department concerned is responsible for
providing information. I will go through the order. Appropriate action will be
taken against the officials concerned in case information has been delayed,"
he said.
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