The Hindu: Hyderabad: Monday, 8 July 2024.
The RTI activist had sought details of budgetary allocation, expenditure and installation of new transformers in Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation limits
A Right to Information (RTI)
activist was flummoxed after the Telangana State Southern Power Distribution
Company Limited (TGSPDCL), instead of providing data, asked him to explain the
‘public interest’ behind seeking the information.
M.A. Akram, who works with non-governmental organisation Yugantar, sought details of the budgetary allocation, expenditure and installation of new transformers in Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation limits. He also asked for details of their location and copies of project reports since 2014, the year of Telangana’s formation.
In reply, however, the State public information officer and general manager (Medical), TGSPDCL, responded thus: “Though the information seeker is not expected to indicate the reason for seeking information, but he ought to explain as to what is the overwriting public interest in seeking such huge information (sic).”
Notably, the TGSPDCL, while admitting that it was duty-bound to provide information to an applicant, proceeded to say that an applicant “is also required to keep in mind the objectives of the Act” and that it was “not known how these objectives would be met with by seeking such voluminous information”. It also pointed out that state and national information commissions had held that public information officers are not expected to create and generate information afresh.
Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Akram said he was disappointed with the response, which, he said, was reflective of the state of RTI in Telangana. This makes a strong case for the immediate reconstitution of the State Information Commission, he added.
“Successive governments have failed to constitute the State Information Commission on time. The case backlog has been huge for the past few years. The RTI Act provides for physical inspection of files. Secondly, it also provides [for] charging for supplying information. Finally, there have been many instances in which information was provided electronically,” Mr Akram said.
The activist plans to prefer an appeal. “I will go for a second appeal. Information should be made available to the public; I have not asked for any State secret. The department must uphold the values of transparency and accountability,” he said.
In the recent past, the TGSPDCL faced flak from citizens over power cuts in several parts of the city. Moreover, a case was registered against a journalist for a post on ‘X’ after she criticised the power company and its staff.
The RTI activist had sought details of budgetary allocation, expenditure and installation of new transformers in Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation limits
M.A. Akram, who works with non-governmental organisation Yugantar, sought details of the budgetary allocation, expenditure and installation of new transformers in Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation limits. He also asked for details of their location and copies of project reports since 2014, the year of Telangana’s formation.
In reply, however, the State public information officer and general manager (Medical), TGSPDCL, responded thus: “Though the information seeker is not expected to indicate the reason for seeking information, but he ought to explain as to what is the overwriting public interest in seeking such huge information (sic).”
Notably, the TGSPDCL, while admitting that it was duty-bound to provide information to an applicant, proceeded to say that an applicant “is also required to keep in mind the objectives of the Act” and that it was “not known how these objectives would be met with by seeking such voluminous information”. It also pointed out that state and national information commissions had held that public information officers are not expected to create and generate information afresh.
Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Akram said he was disappointed with the response, which, he said, was reflective of the state of RTI in Telangana. This makes a strong case for the immediate reconstitution of the State Information Commission, he added.
“Successive governments have failed to constitute the State Information Commission on time. The case backlog has been huge for the past few years. The RTI Act provides for physical inspection of files. Secondly, it also provides [for] charging for supplying information. Finally, there have been many instances in which information was provided electronically,” Mr Akram said.
The activist plans to prefer an appeal. “I will go for a second appeal. Information should be made available to the public; I have not asked for any State secret. The department must uphold the values of transparency and accountability,” he said.
In the recent past, the TGSPDCL faced flak from citizens over power cuts in several parts of the city. Moreover, a case was registered against a journalist for a post on ‘X’ after she criticised the power company and its staff.