Upload all RTI info sought by Vira by Oct 31, orders CIC

Times of India‎: Mumbai: Tuesday, October 18, 2016.

Maharashtra chief information commissioner (CIC) Ratnakar Gaikwad has directed all state government agencies involved to immediately upload all the information sought by slain RTI activist Bhupender Vira on their websites.

In an unprecedented order, following concerns raised by RTI activist Shailesh Gandhi about the safety of RTI applicants, Gaikwad directed all concerned public information officers (PIOs) in the city to release at the earliest all information Vira had sought through his RTIs.

"I want PIOs to immediately upload them on their respective departmental websites. The objective of this order is to make information officers understand the gravity, responsibility and sensibility with which they have to handle RTI applications," Gaikwad told TOI immediately after issuing the order.

Gaikwad also directed chief secretary Swadheen Kshatriya, additional chief secretary (home) K P Baxi and police commissioner Datta Padsalgikar to immediately conduct a thorough probe into Vira's murder and take the investigations to their logical conclusion to send a strong message to anti-socials targeting RTI activists.

Issued under section 18 of the RTI Act which empowers the CIC to inquire and summon, Gandhi in his application before the CIC termed the cold-blooded murder the 'most despicable'. "Request the police to arrest the culprits immediately, release all information sought by Vira and ensure security to the family of the victim," Gandhi said in his application before the CIC.

Gaikwad has also asked BMC commissioner Ajoy Mehta to act. "The municipal commissioner should review Vira's all pending applications with various information officers in the BMC during the last one year and ensure all the information is put on the BMC website before October 31 without fail. General Administration Department's additional chief secretary should review other pending RTI applications of Vira," the order issued by Gaikwad stated.

"It is serious that RTI activists who play major role in effective implementation of RTI Act have to face violence, intimidation and resistance from unscrupulous and corrupt elements. It is the duty of the government and public authorities to safeguard them to support transparency and accountability. Hence the gruesome murder needs to be probed as top priority and the guilty should be punished without loss of time, to send a strong message," Gaikwad said in his order.