Times of India: Mumbai: Sunday, August 16, 2020.
The BMC on Friday told the Bombay high
court that it will conduct e-hearings on appeals filed under the Right to
Information Act amid the Covid-19 pandemic so that applicants do not have to be
physically present.
The BMC submitted an affidavit to a
bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Surendra Tavade stating that
the IT department, on August 10, was instructed to conduct virtual meetings.
The affidavit added that a circular was issued on Thursday stating that first
appellate authorities shall hear appeals under the RTI Act via
videoconferencing.
The high court was hearing a public
interest litigation by advocate Mayur Faria after the A civic ward executive
engineer insisted on the physical presence of his client to hear his first
appeal against a public information officer's order. On July 31, the judges had
directed the BMC to take a decision on offering online hearing of appeals
during the pandemic.
BMC's advocate said e-hearings would
be a temporary arrangement till the Covid crisis persists. The HC then disposed
of the PIL.
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