DNA: Mumbai: Friday, November 24, 2017.
An RTI applicant
was denied information about the occupation certificate and ground floor plan
of a ward office by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) stating that
it will be a threat to security.
While denying
such information, it cited an order from former chief information commissioner
which was itself corrected after much hue and cry as it blocked giving away
details of buildings under RTI.
Girish
Mittal, Borivli resident, had filed an RTI application with the R/Central
(Borivli) ward office, seeking details of reason along with file notings on why
only one entry gate was open to the public for entry, reason for not allowing
public to park in the ward's premises, the DC rules on the two subject, the
occupation certificate and the ground floor lay out.
While
replying to the information, the public information officer cited an order of
former chief information commissioner, Ratnakar Gaikwad's order which stated
that due to security reasons the building plan not be provided. Often alleged
to be the most corrupt department, Gaikwad's order attracted sharp criticism
and a clarification as activists said that terrorists did not need to file an
RTI application to access building details.
Gaikwad then
issued a clarification which categorically stated that parking, cross section
of building, occupancy certificate, and other relevant details be provided
under RTI except internal details of the building.
"It is a
classic case of officers being well aware of all the negative orders that block
transparency and little that promote it. There was a clarification on this
order," said Shailesh Gandhi, former central information commissioner.
"There
is no question that such information cannot be provided. What they cannot
provide is internal detailing. That is what was decided in the technical
advisory committee of the BMC which decides what to give under RTI," said
Bhaskar Prabhu.
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