Today seems to be a good day for me and
Sidmis as we both had excellent success with
RTI today.
The matter of my application was once discussed previously in this forum. Kindly see the link.
Electronic means of RTI Application
Chandigarh has a public-window based system for facilitating the process of making
RTI applications. These public window systems have been put up by Department of IT. Kindly read more about it here.
Payment of fee
Some time back I had filed an
RTI application with through the same window. However the
PIO claimed that my application reached him with a delay of 12 days. I then filed an
RTI application with department of IT to check if the claim of the first
PIO was indeed true. In this
RTI application I also questioned the
PIO as about the emailed copy of
RTI applications which is forwarded to the
PIO. The
PIO repeatedly tried to dodge this query. He would quote various sections and sub-sections from
RTi Act. He would write all kind of non-sense. My repeated attempts to gain an acceptabel response failed miserably. Through his final decision, the
PIO communicated that the e-copy of application has absolutely no relevance at all and that he can not provide any further information on it as it is a policy matter.
Today the hearing on my first appeal was finally held. I was suprised at teh kind of hospitality rendered out to me over there. During the two hour long hearing on the matter, 5 different officers were summoned from various branches of the department. Following were the outcomes of my hearing:
...1: The DoIT will hold an official inquiry into the cause of delay in delivery of my application. The erring official would be fined with the cost of Information which was sought through the application that had been delayed. (cost is Rs. 4500/-)
...2: The Department would check through it's own servers as to whether the
PIO (delayed application) did indeed check his email and had read my application or not (emailed copy).
...3: Advice appropriate action aginst him to the concerned PA.
...4: It has now been made policy that the 30 day time period for delivery of information would start from the time the scanned copy of the RTI Application gets delivered to the CPIOs email address. The Director ordered a circular to this effect to be framed and forwarded to the Joint Secretary Home (Chandigarh) and ask him to forward the same to all PAs comming under Chandigarh Administration.
...5: Issue warning letter to the courier agency for delivery of application (hard copy) same day itself.
...6: Seek comments from officials who were responsible for forwarding the application in time but failed to do so.
This is really great day for me as for the last 3 months I had been trying hard to put a meaning to the e-copy of
RTi applications which are sent to the CPIOs. THe matter had reached up to the Joint Secretary Chandigarh (highest IAS officer in Chandigarh) and he too had refused to comment on the application or pass an order on it. THe matter had appeared in news papers as well.