Why RTI reply delayed: TNSIC to archives official

Times of India: Chennai: Saturday, October 05, 2019.

The Tamil Nadu State Information Commission (TNSIC) has sought a written explanation from the public information officer (PIO) of the TN Archives for delay in providing documents on an RTI query.

The case pertains to an RTI application filed by Y Akbar Ahmed in December 2018 for the list of wakfs in the state between 1954 and 1980. The PIO replied that he would provide the information sought, only if proper information is given by the applicant.

Dissatisfied with this, the petitioner filed a first appeal with the Archives department. However, the appellate authority ordered him to pay Rs 158 for 79 pages of the documents he had sought.

Ahmed filed a second appeal with the TNSIC, which took it up for hearing on September 16. During the inquiry conducted by commissioner S Muthuraj, Ahmed said he would not pay the charges as the letter from the PIO was sent after the time stipulated under the TN RTI (Fees) Rules, 2005.

Shailesh Gandhi, retired commissioner of the Central Information Commission, said in such cases, the documents should be given free by the public authority. “The PIO should also be penalised as the fee to be paid by the RTI applicant should be intimated by the PIO within 30 days,” he said.