3 months after filing RTI query, NGO waits for reply

[sidmis]

3 months after filing RTI query, NGO waits for reply

As Reported by Naziya Alvi, Hindustan Times, New Delhi, June 27, 2008


An NGO that moved several applications seeking information on queries pertaining to various facilities provided to judges and their qualification background has been waiting for the answer for three months. As per the Right To Information Act, it is mandatory to provide information within a month.

All that the NGO has got so far are a few letters from the Public Information Officer (PIO) of the trial court, asking the applicants to appear in person for some clarifications.

"We fear to go and meet them in person after filing RTIs against the judiciary. However, we have written to them on several occasions, saying that they may call up or write to us if something is not clear to them," said Kamal Siddique, General Secretary of NGO Real Cause.

The NGO had first written to the trial courts in April first week. On April 10, it received a letter saying that "we need clarification on the information sought by you and you are requested to visit us."

"We wrote back to the court, saying that we have gone through the contents of our application and am fully satisfied that the queries made are absolutely clear and there is no ambiguity warranting any clarifications," said Siddique.

The NGO alleged that the PIO would deliberately send letters to them on a wrong address. "Every time there were deliberate mistakes in the address written on the letters. However, our NGO is quite known in the area so every time the letters would reach us," Siddique added.

On April 16, the PIO again wrote back to the NGO, stating the same things. Ever since, there has been one more correspondence between the two but the purpose has not been fulfilled.

3 months after filing RTI query, NGO waits for reply- Hindustan Times

[jps50]

This is the best case for filing first appeal with FAA or even lodging complaint with SIC