Common man most hit by corruption

Chief Justice of India Justice K G Balakrishnan on Saturday said the common man 'is hit hard by deep-rooted corruption' in the country and indicated that the public distribution system (PDS) was in shambles.

Corruption's victim was the common man, who had no mechanism to redress his grievances, he said inaugurating the ninth All-India Lokayuktas/Lokpals/Upalokayuktas Conference 2007 here.

"It (corruption) is deep-rooted. We are not able to curb corruption in public life for various reasons," Justice Balakrishnan lamented, adding "beneficiaries" of corruption were blocking efforts to curb the menace.

He said that in some states not a single grain reaches the common man. He asked as to how long will this poverty continue. People should be sensitised and educated otherwise corruption will continue.

He said that good governance is required in the country. "Every citizen is entitled to have good governance. We should have good governance in all walks of life".

"Because of corruption and non-action of police, people have started to take law in their hands," he said.

In a message to the two-day conference, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said his government was committed to the policy of zero tolerance while dealing with corruption.

Delaying tactics under RTI Act

With best intentions, the UPA government passed an unprecedented piece of legislation in the form of Right to Information Act. It is a real step forward in the direction of peoples empowerment , transparency in the working of government offices and the accountability of the bureaucracy . But the bureaucracy has never been in favour of this kind of legislation. They have always thought themselves to be masters not the servants of the people. As a applicant under Right to Information Act we have varied experience sweet as well as sour. We found that in large number of cases they have reconciled themselves and are willing to share information they have. But in many cases we have also noted that they are not cooperating . In some cases they are adopting delaying tactics . Here we are giving some tactics employed by them where wish to stone wall themselves and refuse to accede the request. With more and more incidents of Government officials not acceding to requests under the Right to Information Act or not providing the correct information under the RTI Act, it is high time the state government imposes some more stricter penalties which will make these officials comply. For delaying the information these officials are adopting various tactics to avoid penalty prescribed under RTI Act. Some of the tactics being adopted by them to delay the information are as follows:

1. Documentation charges : Under Section 7(3) of RTI Act documentation charges is payable at the rate prescribed under RTI rules no 4 of RTI Fees and Cost rules . At present documentation charges is Rs 2 per page . It has been our experience in many cases that the obligation on the part of applicant to deposit fee is misutilised by most of PIOs. Some times PIO of a public writes a letter to the applicant just one or two days before the limit period of 30 days to deposit the documentation charges for “X” number of papers on adhoc basis even though the information in many cases are not ready for dispatch. In this process of writing letter and reaching the same to the applicant PIO gets extra time to gather the information thinking that applicant may not come forward to deposit the amount or if he comes then they will start compiling the information. In some cases like MCD once a applicant goes to deposit documentation charges as demanded he or she is asked to deposit fees at a office which is located at different place 4 to 10 kms away from the PIO office..

In some cases PIO will demand a huge amount as documentation charges from the applicant in order to furnish the desired information. In case the applicant demands to see the information before depositing the money in order to verify the contents of information as per his requirement or not it is bluntly refused.

Central Government Employees Welfare Housing Organisation : The interpretation given by PIO CGEWHO to the provision under Section 7(3) is quite different from others and interesting. In its reply to a application the office wrote a letter to applicant to deposit Rs 10600 as cost of collection and collating the information. As per their contention this cost includes the salary of those employees who will be deployed by them in collecting the information. As per their contention the cost of collection of information is in addition to the documentation charges prescribed under RTI Act.

2. Diverting of resources disproportionately: The exemption provision under Section 7(9) is being misused by many public authorities with impunity. If some one demands an information from a public authority for which the authority has to make some extra effort in digging out the information , many public authorities are taking refuge under this provision with a answer that providing of information will divert the resources of public authorities disproportionately. This plea is being taken not by any small company with little resources at their disposal but by big Fortune 500 companies like Indian Oil , BPCL, BHEL etc. In the Act there is no clarity as to what will constitute as diverting of resources disproportionately.

3. Commercial Confidence : Exemption under Section 8 (1)(d) gives power to PIO to deny information in the name of commercial confidence . This exemption provision is being misused by many renowned companies like Indian Oil, NTPC etc. Copy of Internal Audit which gives full account of internal deficiencies was denied by NTPC , Indian Oil under the garb of provision of commercial confidentiality . The RTI Act is very much clear on this issue . It states that commercial confidence matters are those papers by which the third party competitive interest is not affected . By disclosing the internal audit reports no third party interest is infringed but still information is denied .

4. Visit to office : In some cases PIOs instead of providing information insist for applicant visit to their office and clarify them the need for information. It is surprising that the same information is being supplied by other authorities without any difficult . This is only delaying tactic which many PIOs adopt.

Above are only few instances of how public authorities adopt delaying tactics in furnishing the information . There are other methods also which are adopted by some authorities to skip the information. Under Section 7 (3) application has to be transferred within 5 days from one public authority to different public authority is case if application is closely related to another. We have found that in many cases application is transferred much after the prescribed 5 days , some times 15-20 days. Irony fact is that transferee public authority again takes 30 days for furnishing the information to applicant where as 15-20 days have already passed.

It has been found that in most of cases Appellate Authority also take the same stand as was taken by their PIOs. After rejection of information of appeal by Appellate Authority the next appeal lies with CIC. Here also it takes months to fix the date of hearing as thousands of application are already pending . In RTI Act there are provisions for deducting penalties from the salaries of errant officials. In very few cases penalty by way of deduction from the salary has been imposed by CIC . Merely deducting of salaries is not sufficient because if one considers the people who are involved or who are being penalized then this is a mere pittance. Either the state government passes a law that if the person continues committing the same offence either dismissal or a jail term. Government officials should be made aware that they have certain responsibilities to the people. That they are government servants and have to be responsive to what the people want. The fact that information is being sought under the Right to Information Act, indicates that something wrong has happened. So it is beneficial to all that the correct information is given immediately and correctly. By providing false information or delaying the process, the government officials are indirectly becoming accessories to that mistake which goes against the Right to Information Act. Therefore it is high time, that the state authorities strengthen the punishment and ensure that once punished these officials do not commit the same mistake again and is a lesson to others not to do the same.

Registrar office works only after RTI application is filed

Mrs. Leena Singh a resident of Delhi wanted to get her property at Rohini freehold.She approached DDA to get the all formalities completed . After making 5-6 visits to DDA and one and half year she was told that her property could not be made freehold because she did not have original leasehold papers which she lost with her . Her repeated plea to freehold her property and ignore the originals which ultimately had to be canceled was not accepted by DDA. She was asked to approach Sub Registrar to get a certified copy of lease papers. After that she made 3-4 visits to sub registrar office at Kashmere gate but of no avail. The officials told her that they were not able to trace the papers and are making all efforts to trace the papers. She understood what they wanted. She had decided that she would not pay a single paisa as bribe. After wasting two months she decided to file a application under RTI to know the status of her request. After one week only when her application reached the correct place she got a telephone call from registrar office asking her to collect the papers the same day. She went next day and collected the papers . Now she is thanking RTI Act which came to her help ultimately. She also got her property freehold without paying a single rupee as bribe but after a gap of nearly two years . Patience in such matters always pays.

Use SDJ RTI bank to combat corruption

For those who want to use the Right to Information (RTI) Act but are unaware about procedures, Society for Development and Justice (SDJ) a NGO plans to set up an RTI help desk for providing all relevant help to the prospective applicant. Due to increasing awareness on RTI, there is a growing urge in people to use it. But many are unaware of the process. SDJ is opening a RTI Help desk which would be a ready reckoner for such prospective applicant

SDJ is also planning to start a RTI Bank and keep the copies of all applications filed under RTI and keep the all information so collected under one roof for the information and use by others. It would also provide the names and addresses of PIOs , appellate Authority and assist the applicant in writing and submitting the application. SDJ will guide them in knowing the process of filing applications. It will also keep the applicant informed about the progress in their respective cases if application so filed through SDJ .

SDJ will file all the documents and save the copies under one roof like a bank. The citizens can have access to these documents to know the important information relevant to them . This will also help in reducing duplicity of queries. This will save people and administration’s time and energy as applications of similar nature would reduce. This could result in faster disposal of applications. In fact, having catalogues like a library would help people in locating the required records faster.
SDJ has already collected some of the important information such as details of projects/works/events undertaken ,Details of Work outsource including AMC/ housekeeping /installation,Details of expenditure on Road Carpeting/ Repairing/ Maintenance/ cleaning/ Horticulture/Road Divider(in the middle),Details of expenditure on Consultancy/Survey/ Experts/Professional services hired,Details of application received for grant/financial support to NGOs/individuals/groups/ companies ,Details of Expenditure on Advertisement/Publicity/Exhibition,Details of Expenditure on major welfare /educational /health scheme , details of expenditure/service provided on customer/Audit party/ Ministry officials/ Ministers/Ministerial staff,details of works order /Purchase order issued without inviting tender etc. from various PSUs , government departments and kept them under one roof. These information so collected can be seen and analysed by general public without paying a paisa. The information so collected is being analsed by SDJ team itself for taking further necessary action. It is requested to all law abiding citizens to see and analyse these information kept at SDJ office and help SDJ in digging out true information from these authorities. It will be a great help for a noble cause . Some of the important information so collected have been scanned and shown on website of SDJ http://rti.sdjindia.org . SDJ can be contacted on phone 011-43023127 or email rti@sdjindia.org

Smells like a scam: ONGC dealt with 14 firms secretly

In a application filed under RTI Act it became known that ONGC the public sector corporation entered in with 14 different client / firms for allegedly "dubious" gas deals .The Central Information Commission and has pulled up the Navratna giant, Oil And Natural Gas Corporation which sold gas to 14 consumers or companies between 1985 and 1992 without taking sufficient financial security.The CIC is miffed because the ONGC declined to name these 14 companies, despite these owing ONGC a principal arrear amount of Rs 16.18 crores. The interest between 1992 and 2004 has gone up to a whopping Rs 55.04 crores.Thus the total that the companies owe to the ONGC is a staggering Rs 71 crores. In a strong judgment, CIC has also blamed the corporation for making no earnest effort to recover the money."There seems to be a willful default by these companies and lack of effort on part of ONGC to recover the loan,” said Information Commissioner MM Ansari.An appeal filed by an individual called S K Jain was upheld by the CIC where he had demanded the names of these 14 defaulters be made public along with the amount they owed the ONGC separately.The commission sees no reason as to why these names should not be disclosed. This is perhaps for the first time that a public sector big name is facing the wrath of the CIC.This judgment by the central info commission should be seen as a wake up call for all those public sector companies who have displayed laxity while dealing with public money. Clearly it's the larger issue of accountability and responsibility concerning public sector companies which is on the information commission's radar.

Asks Governor to withhold his consent

The Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) while describing the Right to Information (Amendment) Bill of 2007, adopted by the two houses of the state Legislature, as ‘half-hearted effort’, has urged Governor, Lt Gen (Retd) S. K. Sinha, to withhold his consent on the plea that the Bill had a number of lacunae.

The State Legislature has made some amendments in its existing Right to Information (RTI) Act, claiming to make it at par with Central Act. However, the rights body stresses that the amendments need lot more amendments.

In a communication to the Governor, the Human Rights body has requested Sinha to withhold his consent to the Bill under section 78 of the state constitution.

"The amendments to the RTI bill were inadequate and do not provide citizens seeking information from the public bodies in Jammu and Kashmir the same guarantees and protection available to people in other states,” the rights body remarked.

It has also been requested the Governor to withhold his assent till the state Legislature makes the Bill at a par with the central act passed in 2005.

Panel pulls up IFCI for dodging RTI Act

When a Mumbai-based lawyer filed a request with the Industrial Finance Corporation of India (IFCI) under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, a response wasn't forthcoming.

Industrial Finance Corporation of India produced a certificate from the government that said it wasn't a ‘public body'. Therefore, the company argued, it was outside the purview of the RTI and did not have to respond to the request.

But he persisted and went to Sebi, the stock exchange regulator. Because Sebi is a public body that comes under the RTI's canvas, it could be approached for information on another company controlled by it.

Having done that, he also went to the Central Information Commission (CIC) challenging the validity of the certificate issued by the government. In a recent ruling, the CIC pulled by IFCI, declared the certificate it held ‘invalid' and urged government departments and ministries to refrain from issuing such certificates. "Whether an entity is a public authority or not is to be determined only under the RTI Act," it ruled.

In July 1996, IFCI had made a public issue of five types of bonds. It collected about Rs 1,237 crore, including a green-shoe option from the bond issue. In 2003, IFCI decided to exercise its call option and asked bond holders to submit the bonds by a specified date.

State Bank of India cards under RTI net

The Central Information Commission has ruled that SBI Cards -- a joint venture between state-owned SBI and General Electric -- is a public authority, allowing customers to seek any information about the entity under the Right to Information Act.

Disposing of separate applications by SBI Cards customers Arun Kumar Verma and Dileep Ayachit, CIC has directed the SBI to take a decision on setting up a proper information redressal mechanism within 15 days.

The CIC has given SBI the option to either designate its own officers for providing information about SBI Cards or set up a separate mechanism within the subsidiary to provide information under the provisions of the RTI Act.

"...SBI, being a public authority, should ensure that some agency is available to answer the citizens when they seek information about their own cards. It can not wash off its responsibility after having allowed SBI Cards to use its brand name and logo," Information Commissioner Padma Balasubramanian said in his decision.

The card holders filed the application with CIC after SBI and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) turned down their request for information on the ground that SBI Cards was not a "public authority" within the meaning of the RTI Act.

The CIC ruled that SBI Cards was a public authority as SBI owns more than 51 per cent shares in the JV.

Pay zero bribe with the new Rs 0.0 note

Fifth Pillar India, an NGO set up to fight corruption, has printed over 200,000 zero-denomination notes that resemble Indian currency and has begun distributing them around the country. It is asking people to give the notes to anyone demanding a bribe. Fifth Pillar will launch the “zero rupee currency note” campaign in Coimbatore on Saturday.

The NGO launched its 30-day-30-district campaign, called “Freedom From Corruption”, on August 4 in Chennai and will end it on September 9. It consulted leading lawyers in Chennai before printing the “zero rupee note”, which resembles a Rs 50 note in colour and is slightly bigger than a Rs 1,000 note. “Instead of the usual ‘I promise to pay the bearer a sum of x rupees’ pledge on a currency note, the replica will carry the pledge ‘I promise neither to accept nor give bribes,’” Fifth Pillar India president (operations) M. Vijayanand told this newspaper.

As the note is being distributed across the country, the pledge is printed in the respective State languages. “The notes are aimed at sending across the message that enough is enough and we are not willing to pay any more bribes,” he said. A software professional from the city who founded the NGO in Chennai many years ago conceived the idea as he felt corruption was a big issue and the zero currency notes would drive home the message. He is currently working in the US and visits India now and then.
The zero rupee note does not carry any government symbols or emblems. The watermark, which is characteristic of a currency note, is absent and the notes are devoid of the signature of the RBI governor. A distinct circular seal on the notes states: “This is not a currency note.”

The organisation will hold a public meeting at the Government College of Technology campus on August 25 in Coimbatore to launch the “zero currency” and the Coimbatore chapter of Fifth Pillar India will distribute the notes, or mail them to people later. About 20,000 notes will be distributed in Coimbatore in the first phase.

Coimbatore is the 13th district where the notes are being distributed. Some of the other places where the currency notes have already been launched are Thriuvallur, Vellore, Kanchipuram, Vizhupuram, Puducherry, Salem, Trichy, Madurai, Thirunelveli, and Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu. The notes are already in circulation in Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh and in Mumbai. A 24-hour call centre will be set up in Chennai to help people who need assistance dealing with corrupt officials or authorities. The call centre will empower the public to use the Right to Information Act. The service centre will register complaints on corruption and make sure that justice is served, Mr Vijayanand added.

I-T dept seeks exemption of RTI Act

The income-tax department has asked the department of personnel and training to amend the Right to Information (RTI) Act to shield itself from unsolicited queries on its investigations.

The RTI Act has exempted the department of revenue intelligence, Intelligence Bureau, Central Excise Intelligence Bureau and the Enforcement Directorate, which are in the Schedule-II of the Act. The Central Board of Direct Taxes has written to the department of personnel and training that its investigation wing should also be exempted as its nature of work was similar to these agencies, a government source said.

“Most of these agencies exchange information with the income-tax department, which could be very sensitive in nature. Since these agencies have been exempted from the purview of the RTI Act, it is logical the income-tax department’s investigation wing should also be exempted,” he said.

The investigation mainly involves search operations to nab tax evaders. These searches, and any other investigation activity, usually involves department’s trusted network of informers, whose information is crucial to cases. These informers could get into trouble if exposed under the RTI Act and could be harassed by the affected parties, the source said.

Recently, the Central Information Commission had turned down an appeal by First Global’s Shankar Sharma seeking details of investigations carried out by the income-tax department. The department had raided the stock broker’s premises in 2001 after the Tehelka sting.

Though the department draws comfort from the decision, it wants to prevent anyone filing an application under the RTI Act to find out details about its investigations. The department has also conveyed its objections against bringing scrutiny under the purview of the RTI Act as the selection was carried out by a computerised system.

RTI in jail: Inmates wake up to their rights, living conditions

For the first time, with the help of Right to Information Act, inmates at different prisons of the state have inquired about their term status, section they have been booked, status of state prisons, jail officials and other details.
Officials said with the involvement of inmates, the communication gap between the inmates and officials will bridge and that would bring in transparency in their work.
Speaking to a reporter Jailor R P Singh said, “Interestingly, the inmates have asked various questions like their term, jail officials etc. We have prepared a record book, in which the queries are noted down. Then it is passed to the concerned official. We try to provide the information as soon as possible.”
Advocate Rohit Kant said that “it is a positive sign that inmates are getting aware of their rights and are using the Right to Information Act”.
Sources said though inmates can also collect the details from the court, but it seemed that they prefer more on using RTI Act.
The provisions of the act give rise to several communication issues. The public needs to be made aware of its right to seek information from the government, and the administration on its part has to be reassured that the act is pro-government in enhancing accountability and bringing people closer to governmental processes, officials in the state Jail Department said.

Millions Rupees spent on flowers decoration.

In a country where more than sixty percent of population is poor,live in villages,where thousands of people die each day because of improper health care and malnutrition , where roads are not available to all and if available are full of serial potholes, where drinking water is not available to all and if water supply is available it is packed with disease, can the expenditure of Lacs of rupees from Tax payer pocket on decoration by flowers in ministers Bungalow and offices be justified.
In a information furnished under RTI it revealed Indian oil spent Rs 4 lacs in a year on such flowers decorations. Ministry of Textile came out with startling figure of Rs. 5 lacs. If we calculate the figures of government offices the figure will be in crores. Can this unproductive expenditure from poor pocket be justified.

Rs 25 lacs wasted on fake NGOs

In a copy of Audit report obtained from Social Justice Ministry it revealed that Rs 25 lacs were sanctioned to those NGOs which in due course of time became untraceable. Effort made by ministry has proved to be futile.
What action ministry is taking against those who proposed and approved such sanctions to these NGOs.

Doctor Held For Allegedly Killing Scribe for demanding information under RTI

17th of August 2007 An orthopaedic surgeon here was arrested for allegedly murdering a journalist who had run up unpaid bills and who tried to get information about the doctor's hospital under the Right to Information Act.

B.P. Singh, who owns the Prayag hospital, allegedly hired goons to attack Mahesh Vats, who died after battling for life at the Metro Hospital in this satellite town of New Delhi.

Vats, who had apparently paid Rs.7,000 against a bill of Rs.35,000 for an injury a few years ago claiming that treatment at Prayag was ineffective, was attacked Thursday morning. In June this year, Singh had moved a city court to recover the remaining amount, and the court reportedly directed Vats to pay it up. But Vats instead filed an application under the Right to Information Act seeking information from Noida authorities about illegal construction in Prayag hospital.Vats' family and friends have alleged that the doctor had a long-standing money dispute with him. He hatched a plan to abduct Vats and tried to murder him in collusion with the hired goons, they say. On Thursday morning, an unidentified person rushed Vats, 38, to the Prayag Hospital after a speeding Alto car hit his two-wheeler from behind. The driver of the car managed to flee the spot. After admitting Vats, who writes for Shah Times, in Prayag Hospital, the stranger left the place. When policemen went looking for the injured Vats, they saw Singh treating him in a general ward. When the cops intervened, Vats was shifted to the intensive care unit. The journalist was later shifted to the Metro Hospital and placed on life supporting system. He succumbed to his injuries after few days of his admission in hospital.

Estate dept data is now a click away

Weary of repeated rounds to the local ward office and unsuccessful attempts under the Right To Information Act for knowing the status of a municipal open plot run by a charitable trust? The information will soon be readily available on the click of the mouse.BMC’s estate and land management department has initiated the process of updating the status of all 5,500 municipal properties, most of them located in plush South Mumbai areas and of prime value, on the Internet. This will include 4,176 plots allotted on lease and other vacant properties, acquired and conveyed plots etc. The area of the plot, the name of the owner/lessee, terms of agreement with the BMC, nature of use of the plot, breaches if any committed by the party, ready reckoner rates will also be listed.
Presently, several, affected by the misuse of many such plots, especially those leased to charitable trusts and NGOs, flock to the ward offices or the estate department for information. Many return empty-handed.The system will promote transparency. Not only is a citizen entitled to the Right to Information, it is our Duty to Inform people about the management of these plots

Dubious Promotion nullified : thanks to RTI

Often, tainted government servants, who know how to pull the right strings in the corridors of power in Gandhinagar, get to keep their job despite a vigilance inquiry pending, and are also promoted.

But then, dubious efforts of a public office can be thwarted as has been shown by a commoner who used the Right to Information (RTI) Act to bring this issue to the fore and even nailed some top ranking officers of the health department for helping the tainted official.

Ashwin Patel, who is a drug manufacturer himself, had asked whether the promotion of assistant depot manager of the Central Medical Stores Organisation (CMSO) RS Shah can be considered legal or not. Shah was chargesheeted by his own department and a vigilance inquiry too was pending against him. At the end of the exercise, Shah's promotion was withdrawn on Friday.

CMSO is the nodal body in the health department responsible for procurement of medicines and surgical goods for government hospitals across the state. The issue had come up for hearing before the state chief information commissioner R N Das on July 17. Despite several appeals, Patel was refused information regarding the status of the vigilance proceedings pending against Shah. Das pulled up both the director CMSO Manorama Shah and the principal secretary for persistent denial of information.

What was more appalling, was the fact that even the principal secretary had admitted in a reply to Shah dated September 22 last year, that the promotion given to R S Shah was malafide and irregular.

Patel procured under the RTI Act two letters—- one written by the under secretary dated October 30, 2001 and the other written by a vigilance officer on October 11, 2001, categorically informing the department that it had been decided to initiate departmental enquiry against him. So perturbed were the health department officials that they never allowed Patel to even inspect the files pertaining to Shah's vigilance inquiry under the RTI Act.

Shah's promotion was ordered on February 8, 2002 by the departmental promotion committee (DPC) of the health and family welfare with the recommendation of the Gujarat Public Service Commission (GPSC). Interestingly, on the same day the director of CMSO had issued a chargesheet against Shah.

Three days later, all departmental proceedings against Shah were stalled and on February 21, 2002, Shah was exonerated from the charges.

Das categorically noted that the matter raised by Patel had merit as it seeks to promote transparency in the working of a public authority. On Friday, Shah's promotion was nullified.

Officers denying information under RTI can be jailed

The government will come down heavily on officers who do not respond to applications seeking information under the Right to Information (RTI) Act regarding rural development work.

'We will not spare any officer found erring when it comes to giving information under the RTI Act,' Minister for Rural Development Raghuvansh Prasad Singh said here .'Such officials will go to jail.'
The minister's comments came when it was pointed out to him that a politician-bureaucrat-contractor nexus in Assam was harassing people who sought information on rural development work under the RTI Act. He was addressing a press conference on his ministry's ongoing projects in Assam. When told that most of the District Rural Development Authority (DRDA) offices in Assam have got the reputation of being corrupt, the minister said, 'Whenever such cases come to our notice, we will take strict action against the officers concerned. We are also launching awareness campaigns in rural areas so that people know their rights.'

To another question on contractors taking up work under the Indira Awaas Yojana (IAY), a government-housing scheme for people below the poverty line, he said, 'There is no provision whatsoever for IAY work to be allocated to contractors. Strict action will be taken against anybody found doing so.'He clarified that, under this scheme, the money goes straight to the beneficiary's bank account and there is no scope for middlemen to swindle money.'Each family gets Rs.22,000 under IAY, and in the hill areas, the amount is Rs.27,000,' he added.Singh also stated that, to ensure transparency in rural development work at the grassroots level, the government is giving special attention to village level vigilance committees.

CIC wants paperless info flow under RTI

Filing and receiving information under the Right to Information (RTI) Act could soon be a paperless affair. The Central Information Commission (CIC) has proposed ‘e-ministration’ of government departments so that public records are accessible online and can be used to provide information under RTI. When implemented, this would mean that a person can file an RTI application online. The department’s public information officer will be able to access government records on the internet and send a reply, also online, cutting down on delays and increasing transparency within the system. At present, CIC is the only agency that receives online appeals under RTI. Bihar took a step in this direction recently by accepting RTI applications on phone. Though the RTI Act has been in operation for three years, applicants continue to face delays in receiving rudimentary information. A proposal to harmonise the government’s computerisation plan with the RTI roadmap has now been sent to the PMO.
The stumbling block in this process could be the fee that is required to be paid when an applicant asks for large amounts of information. While the CIC will be working with central government ministries and departments, state information commissioners will be asked to work in consonance with district and panchayat-level administration for online access to records at the grassroots level.The RTI watchdog will be meeting state information commissioners in October to discuss the issue further.

IPCL divestment: CIC asks for more information

The Central Information Commission (CIC) has directed the government to disclose to an information seeker details pertaining to the sale of petrochemicals major IPCL to Reliance Industries. Information Commissioner M M Ansari has asked Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers to furnish a copy of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) as entered between the government and the successful bidders in the privatisation process of Indian Petrochemicals Corporation Ltd (IPCL).The decision comes in wake of a Right to Information application filed by Mumbai-based resident Ganshi Devraj Visaria, who had sought from Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals information regarding IPCL's privatisation. The Commission will, however, decide on the question of allowing disclosure of the ministry's correspondence with other parties in a later hearing involving the Ministry of Disinvestment. Visaria in his application had also sought details on the government's disinvestment policy and the minutes relating to AS & FA Committee besides other details of IPCL sale. The Commission has asked Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals to allow inspection of all relevant records and files by Visaria within 15 days.

Big companies violate building by law

Big business, sadly, happen to be the violators of building bylaw in the city.The names are: Tobacco major ITC, owners of Coffee Day, and a company of R N Shetty group. The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has admitted that these companies have taken up constructions sans the commencement certificate (CC). In fact, many of the constructions are in the final stages.
A senior journalist had sought under Right To Information (RTI) Act, in September last, copies of commencement certificates and occupancy certificates issued by JDTP between January 2005 and September 2006. It took seven months for the Palike and a rap on its knuckle from the Karnataka Information Commission (KIC) to produce result.And the Palike had to admit that it was not seriously implementing the building by law. In March, the applicant shortlisted 27 ongoing constructions in the city and demanded documents on them. JDTP furnished the information in two instalments.

On April 28, he gave 10 CCs and on May 5, he furnished seven more. When asked about the remainder, Topagi said that it should be ‘understood as not issued’. But why cannot BBMP enforce its own building bylaw? ‘‘We work under tremendous political pressure,’’ he said