News18: Bhopal: Wednesday, 30 June 2021.
Madhya Pradesh State Information Commission (MPSIC) has ordered the State Election Commission to upload the list and affidavits of all the panchayat poll candidates on its official website, saying it’s a constitutional right of the public.
MPSIC information commissioner Rahul Singh issued the order while hearing an appeal on an RTI plea filed by a Rewa-based RTI activist.
He said the information should be there in the public domain and there should not be any need to file an RTI application for drawing details on panchayat representatives, Singh told News18.com.
Besides, the Information Commissioner ordered Returning Officers to offer details of the affidavit under RTI within 30 days of filing of nominations. The commission also ordered to make available details of elected panchayat representatives on a single click.
Singh told News18 that drawing information of all the panchayat poll candidates is a constitutional right of public under Article 19 (1). This information being in public domain holds credence further so that there is less crowd in the office of returning officers in the times of Covid-19, for collecting information.
The detailed order mentioned that MP State Election Commission in its gazette notification for panchayat polls show details of the candidates on its official website, district webpage and offices of Returning Officers but the same never takes place. It also added that ROs also deny information saying it’s in the sealed envelopes.
Several states such as Karnataka, Odisha, Bihar and Jharkhand offer this information publicly in portions or whole, so why can’t MP do the same, questioned Singh.
Panchayat polls also require transparency on a par with the same organised for assembly and Lok Sabha, opined the Information Commissioner adding the rural voters also reserve the right to know how much assets their representatives accumulated or how many criminal cases they have registered against them so that they could decide on their vote judiciously.
What was the appeal?
RTI activist from Rewa Shivanand Dwivedi had moved an application under RTI with the tehsildar (RO) seeking information of affidavit of an elected panchayat representative but the RO declined the info saying it was under a sealed envelope in accordance with MPSEC orders and he can’t open it.
In a subsequent probe by IC Rahul Singh under section 18 of RTI act, it emerged that affidavits aren’t kept in envelopes and only ballot papers are stored in sealed envelopes as per norms of the MPSEC. The RTI activist also moved the MPSEC with a complaint that besides Rewa, similar details in other divisions aren’t available online.
Madhya Pradesh State Information Commission (MPSIC) has ordered the State Election Commission to upload the list and affidavits of all the panchayat poll candidates on its official website, saying it’s a constitutional right of the public.
MPSIC information commissioner Rahul Singh issued the order while hearing an appeal on an RTI plea filed by a Rewa-based RTI activist.
He said the information should be there in the public domain and there should not be any need to file an RTI application for drawing details on panchayat representatives, Singh told News18.com.
Besides, the Information Commissioner ordered Returning Officers to offer details of the affidavit under RTI within 30 days of filing of nominations. The commission also ordered to make available details of elected panchayat representatives on a single click.
Singh told News18 that drawing information of all the panchayat poll candidates is a constitutional right of public under Article 19 (1). This information being in public domain holds credence further so that there is less crowd in the office of returning officers in the times of Covid-19, for collecting information.
The detailed order mentioned that MP State Election Commission in its gazette notification for panchayat polls show details of the candidates on its official website, district webpage and offices of Returning Officers but the same never takes place. It also added that ROs also deny information saying it’s in the sealed envelopes.
Several states such as Karnataka, Odisha, Bihar and Jharkhand offer this information publicly in portions or whole, so why can’t MP do the same, questioned Singh.
Panchayat polls also require transparency on a par with the same organised for assembly and Lok Sabha, opined the Information Commissioner adding the rural voters also reserve the right to know how much assets their representatives accumulated or how many criminal cases they have registered against them so that they could decide on their vote judiciously.
What was the appeal?
RTI activist from Rewa Shivanand Dwivedi had moved an application under RTI with the tehsildar (RO) seeking information of affidavit of an elected panchayat representative but the RO declined the info saying it was under a sealed envelope in accordance with MPSEC orders and he can’t open it.
In a subsequent probe by IC Rahul Singh under section 18 of RTI act, it emerged that affidavits aren’t kept in envelopes and only ballot papers are stored in sealed envelopes as per norms of the MPSEC. The RTI activist also moved the MPSEC with a complaint that besides Rewa, similar details in other divisions aren’t available online.
.JPG)
.JPG)
