IB to inquire causes of delay in providing info under RTI: CIC

[ganpat1956]

New Delhi, Jul 20 (PTI) The Central Information Commission (CIC) has directed the Intelligence Bureau (IB) to inquire into the delay in responding to an RTI application which had sought details on allegations of corruption against one of its officials.

CIC's order came in respect to IB's five-month-long delay in replying to an information request of Delhi-resident Hemraj Singh inquiring into actions taken on his earlier complaint against an official of the rank of Assistant Sub-Inspector for allegedly misusing his government accommodation.

Intelligence Bureau, which appears in the second schedule of the RTI Act, is an exempted organisation and can only be proceeded against in cases pertaining to allegations of corruption or human rights violations.

Taking cognisance of the fact that the allegations levelled against its official pertained to charges of corruption, Chief Information Commissioner Wajahat Habibullah has directed IB's Deputy Director to inquire into the causes of delay and put up an explanation on the same within 15 days.

"We find that the complaint of unauthorized drawal of HRA by Chander Pal (ASI, IB) would indeed have constituted a corrupt practice worthy of application of RTI invoking proviso to section 24 (1) [referring to allegations of corruption]," the Commission observed.

Singh had on December six, 2005 filed an application with Director of IB seeking information on its action in respect to his earlier complaints against its official.

IB's response, which came five months thereafter on May 11 last year, had said that its ASI Chander Pal as per an order of Directorate of Estates was found 'ineligible' for enjoying government accommodation for his remaining period of service. PTI