No RTI cover for ex-Nagpur civic chief

[sidmis]

No RTI cover for ex-Nagpur civic chief

As Reported by Prafulla Marpakwar in Times of India, 12 Jul 2008, TNN

MUMBAI/NAGPUR: An order under the right to information act passed by information commissioner (Nagpur), Vilas Patil, has sent shock waves in the entire bureaucracy and top police brass.

Patil has asked the general administration department (GAD), headed by chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, to disclose the assets of former Nagpur municipal commissioner Lokesh Chandra and his wife Abha Shukla.
Shukla was additional divisional commissioner of Nagpur. Currently both are on deputation with the centre.

Senior IAS and IPS officers are planning to meet and decide the course of action. As per all India civil service rules, IAS and IPS officers are expected to file an annual statement on their immovable assets to the GAD. These envelopes are never opened, except by court order.

On his part, Lokesh Chandra has sent a letter to chief secretary Johny Joseph, saying the order passed by Patil was not in conformity with the provisions of the right to information act and that it has caused unwarranted invasion of his privacy.

Sunil Mishra had approached the information officer for details of annual property returns filed by Lokesh Chandra and his wife. After his application and first appeal was rejected, Mishra filed a second appeal before Patil, who accepted it.

Lokesh Chandra has pointed out that not only the central information commissioners, but even Maharashtra chief information commission had rejected such applications in the past.

He quoted an order passed by central information commissioner, M M Ansari. In the case, Ansari had observed that the information sought was personal, the disclosure of which may have caused undue invasion of privacy.

Chandra has attached several orders passed by the CIC to support his contention. Chandra also pointed out that as civic chief, he had initiated action against Mishra and institutions controlled by him for illegally occupying NMC building. "Mishra’s intention for seeking information was malicious," Chandra pointed out. Now he expects the CS to step in to resolve the row over the order passed by Patil.


No RTI cover for ex-Nagpur civic chief-Nagpur-Cities-The Times of India

[karira]

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Shield for corrupt *****, netas soon

[sidmis]

HC stay on order to reveal babus' assets
As Reported by Vaibhav Ganjapure,TNN, 19 Jul 2008

NAGPUR: The Nagpur bench of Bombay high court on Friday granted a stay on a June 25 order passed by the state information commissioner for Vidarbha Vilas Patil asking for declaration of assets by bureaucrats in the state.

Patil had directed the general administration department (GAD), headed by chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, to disclose the assets of former Nagpur municipal commissioner Lokesh Chandra and his wife Abha Shukla, who was then additional divisional commissioner of Nagpur.

Patil's order, passed under right to information (RTI) Act, stirred a hornet's nest in entire bureaucracy and police machinery.

A single-judge bench of justice Arun Chaudhari stayed the order saying that "motive behind demand for disclosure of assets was not clear" and issued notices to the respondents - state chief secretary, chief information officer, information officer for Vidarbha, public information officer of GAD and Sunil Mishra.

The court asked respondents to file reply in two weeks before fixing the next date of hearing after four weeks. C S Kaptan represented the petitioner, while advocate N Khubalkar appeared for the state.

According to Kaptan, all civil services officers, including IAS and IPS, have to compulsorily file information and annual statement regarding their immovable assets every year to the state government before January 1. The information is to be submitted to the government's GAD in an envelope.

Generally, the information in envelopes is never open to the public, except if directed by the court.
Mishra, a convict in Nagpur University's fake marksheet and revaluation scam, had asked for annual property returns filed by Chandra and Shukla.


HC stay on order to reveal babus' assets-Nagpur-Cities-The Times of India

[sidmis]

HC quashes info commissioner's order against Chandra
as reported by Vaibhav Ganjapure, 9 Oct 2008, ,TNN

NAGPUR: In a victory of sorts for former Nagpur municipal commissioner Lokesh Chandra, the Nagpur bench of Bombay high court on Wednesday quashed the order passed by information commissioner of Vidarbha, Vilas Patil on June 25 under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.

Patil had directed the general administration department (GAD), headed by chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, to disclose the assets of Chandra and his wife Abha Shukla, who was then additional divisional commissioner of Nagpur. Patil's order had stirred the hornet's nest in the bureaucracy and police machinery.

The court also referred back the case to chief information commissioner (CIC) saying that "while passing the order under RTI, the commissioner had not listened Chandra's side." The court has directed the CIC to hear Chandra before November 17 and decide the issue before December 31. CS Kaptan was the counsel for petitioner.

Chandra in his plea informed that all officers coming under civil services, including IAS and IPS, have to compulsorily file information and annual statement regarding their immovable assets every year to the state government before January 1. The information is to be submitted to the government's GAD in an envelope. Generally, the information in envelopes is never open to the public, except if there are directions by the court.

However, Sunil Mishra, one of the key convicts in Nagpur University's fake marksheet and revaluation scam, had approached the information officer under Section 6 of RTI Act for details of annual property returns filed by Chandra and his wife.

HC quashes info commissioner's order against Chandra -Nagpur-Cities-The Times of India