Trade Mark Registry officers lacks RTI knowledge

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The Central Information Commission (CIC) has directed the Trade Marks Registry to impart training to its officers to help them understand the proper implementation of Right to Information Act.

The Commission's direction came after the Registry, which comes under the Commerce Ministry, expressed its difficulty in handling applications filed under the RTI Act due to inadequate training.

"I direct the information officer (of TM Registry, Mumbai) to put up a proposal before the highest authority in their organisation so as to take necessary action for providing training to its officials in consultation with the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT)," Information Commissioner Padma Balasubramanian said in a recent order.

The order came on an application filed by Mumbai resident P S Pandya who had approached the CIC after not being satisfied by the response of the Registry regarding his query on recruitment rules of its officers.
During the hearing before the Commission, the Registry's Central Public Information Officer (CPIO) submitted that its officers were not conversant with the provisions of the RTI Act.

It was said that inadequate training of its officers had resulted into a lack of understanding of the proper implementation of the two-year-old legislation.

Earlier, the applicant brought the matter before the Commission after the Registry's CPIO expressed its inability to provide the details stating that he did not have access to the information. Its response was also delayed beyond the stipulated time frame.

NEW DELHI: 18 Nov, 2007, PTI
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