Speakers query on inquiry report

[ganpat1956]

BHUBANESWAR: The Orissa Assembly Speaker, Mr Maheswar Mohanty, has reportedly sought clarification and opinion of the Lok Sabha secretary general on the issue of whether an enquiry commission report which had not been tabled in the House could be made public.

Reliable sources said the matter related to the Sorono police firing incident, which had taken place in 1999.

The commission had submitted its report to the government but it has not been made public as yet nor has it been placed in the assembly.

Mr Biswapriya Kanu-ngo, a social activist, had moved the state information commission under the RTI seeking a copy of the report and after several hearings the commission had directed the government to provide the same to Kanungo.

However, the state government moved the Orissa High Court and obtained an interim stay on providing the report to Mr Kaunugo.

Meanwhile, the state government sought the views of the Assembly Speaker Mr Maheswar Mohanty who in turn has referred to the matter to the Lok Sabha secretariat.

Orissa India

[ganpat1956]

Govt's flip-flop on PK Tripathy Commission report

BHUBANESWAR: Refusing to comply with the Information Commission’s order to furnish a copy of the Justice PK Tripathy Commission report on Sorono police firing of 1999, the state home department had said it was unable to do so since the same had not been placed in the Assembly as yet.

It cannot be made public until and unless it is placed before the Cabinet, along with the ATR, approved and then submitted in the Assembly, was the argument put forth by the home department before the Information Commission. The government went up to the extent of moving the High Court in this connection.

Yet, yesterday, the same government mandarins disclosed that recommendations of Justice PK Tripathy commission had been accepted by the Cabinet and then went on to even refers to some of the recommendations and findings.

The Commission maintained that the firing was justified; a comprehensive legislation was need for the Chilka and rights of fishermen and non-fishermen needed to be protected.

The question that now begs an answer is that whether this does not form part of breach of privilege as was being contended by the government in front of the Information Commission and the High Court. How recommendations were made public when the report and the ATR were still to be placed in the Assembly?

In fact, the Information Commission had earlier overruled the pleas of privilege and related contentions and directed the government to provide a copy to Mr. Biswapriya Kanungo who had sought for it under the RTI Act. Mr. Kanungo had contended that it could be provided to him and also pointed out that strictly going by the Commission of Inquiry Act and rules, the government ought to have tabled the report within six months of submission by the inquiry commission.

The Information Commission had served several show-cause notices on the officers concerned asking them why they should not be penalized for the delay in giving the report to Mr. Kanungo. It was only after this that the government had moved the High Court. But after yesterday’s disclosure, the inconsistency of the government and that too in a department headed by the CM has raised eyebrows here.

Orissa India (June 03, 2007)

[karira]

Typical case of left hand not knowing what the right is doing.

[karira]

Probe report protest

Bhubaneswar, June 3: Leaders of Chilika Matsyajibi Mahasangh, a body of over 3 lakh traditional fishermen living around 145 villages located around Chilika lake, today rejected the report of PK Tripathy Commission, which justified the police firing at Sorana in May 1999.
Earlier, the government had refused to make the probe report public, despite directives from state information commission, on the plea that it had not yet been placed in the Assembly.
The leaders further alleged that the administration and police had resorted to firing out of “vendetta” after the traditional fishermen demolished the illegal gheries built by prawn mafia.

The Telegraph - Calcutta : Frontpage