RTI to no avail, disabled waits for PESCO info

[ganpat1956]

The Indian Express(Monday, 09Apr2007)


Sanjay Kumar, 28, a resident of Dandota village in Haryana, has been awaiting reply from PESCO (Punjab Ex-Servicemen Corporation) for the last six months under the Right to Information Act (RTI). All he wanted to know was the number of people they had employed under the Disability Act, 1995, which has a provision for three per cent reservation in government offices for people with disabilities.

But Sanjay, disabled with polio, says PESCO has not responded to his query since last November.

Burning Brains Society, an NGO that advised him to file an RTI application with CITCO and PESCO to find out if they had filled up all posts under the Disability Act. Though initially CITCO was not forthcoming with the information, he got the information after an appeal was filed with the Department Appellate authority.

But PESCO tried to stall it by saying Sanjay would be required to pay the fee of Rs 10 for the RTI application to be processed, even though those living below the poverty line are exempted from paying it.

This was done despite a copy of his family's ration card having been attached to the application, which clearly stated that he falls under the BPL category. But PESCO argued that as ration card was in his father's name and since he was seeking exemption from paying the RTI fee, unless he got a ration card made in his name, they couldn't give him the information.
Hemant Goswami, of Burning Brains Society, said, "We paid fee but are yet to get a reply from PESCO. We plan to file a complaint with the state information commissioner."

RTI to no avail, disabled waits for PESCO info<br>