Times of India: Thrissur: Sunday, 28 July 2024.
The state information
commissioner has warned the RTI appellate authorities within different
organizations against casual handling of RTI appeals.
Commissioner K M Dileep has made it clear that the commission would be forced to take penal actions if appeals are not disposed of within stipulated time. He made the observations in an order directing the RTI appellate authority in KSFE to dispose of an appeal by an RTI activist ‘without giving room for further complaints’ and in accordance with the RTI Act, within 30 days.
Meanwhile, RTI activist Anil Chendranthil has filed a complaint before the Thrissur East Police station house officer demanding action against the KSFE’s RTI appeal official for violating BNS section 199.
Chendrathil had submitted an application seeking various information related to the alleged ‘investment scam’ linked to the KSFE staff cooperative society, on Sep 18, 2023. He had made it clear that he was seeking the information to approach the enforcement directorate for a reinvestigation into the scam under the BUDS Act.
He, however, filed an appeal before the RTI appellate authority in KSFE on Oct 23, 2023, saying that the replies given by the RTI official at the company were either incomplete or wrong. In his complaint filed before the state information commissioner later, he alleged that the appellate authority in the KSFE did not respond to his first appeal.
The commissioner in his order said that not disposing the RTI appeals within the stipulated time frame is violation of the RTI Act.
“The designated authorities must dispose of appeals filed under the RTI Act in a time-bound manner, and not treating those appeals with the seriousness they merit is tantamount to deprivation of the relevant information and documents to the applicant. The commission views this as a very serious issue,” the order said.
Commissioner K M Dileep has made it clear that the commission would be forced to take penal actions if appeals are not disposed of within stipulated time. He made the observations in an order directing the RTI appellate authority in KSFE to dispose of an appeal by an RTI activist ‘without giving room for further complaints’ and in accordance with the RTI Act, within 30 days.
Meanwhile, RTI activist Anil Chendranthil has filed a complaint before the Thrissur East Police station house officer demanding action against the KSFE’s RTI appeal official for violating BNS section 199.
Chendrathil had submitted an application seeking various information related to the alleged ‘investment scam’ linked to the KSFE staff cooperative society, on Sep 18, 2023. He had made it clear that he was seeking the information to approach the enforcement directorate for a reinvestigation into the scam under the BUDS Act.
He, however, filed an appeal before the RTI appellate authority in KSFE on Oct 23, 2023, saying that the replies given by the RTI official at the company were either incomplete or wrong. In his complaint filed before the state information commissioner later, he alleged that the appellate authority in the KSFE did not respond to his first appeal.
The commissioner in his order said that not disposing the RTI appeals within the stipulated time frame is violation of the RTI Act.
“The designated authorities must dispose of appeals filed under the RTI Act in a time-bound manner, and not treating those appeals with the seriousness they merit is tantamount to deprivation of the relevant information and documents to the applicant. The commission views this as a very serious issue,” the order said.
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