RTI Happenings: Maharashtra: Interim relief to Co-op Societies from RTI Act

[karira]

As reported by R s Agrawal in lawetalnews.com on 23 August 2011:
http://www.lawetalnews.com/NewsDetail.asp?newsid=4597

Interim relief to Co-op Societies from RTI Act

The Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court has ordered notice to various respondents in LPA’s filed by labour co-operative societies challenging a judgment of a single judge of the court directing the appellant societies to disclose information under the RTI Act.

Hearing the appeals Justice Sharad Bobde and Justice MN Gilani in an interim relief directed that the societies need not disclose information beyond balance-sheets and Profit and Loss Accounts under the RTI Act.

Earlier the single judge had dismissed a writ petition against the orders passed by authorities below directing these societies to provide information under the RTI Act. According to the appellant-societies, they do not come under the purview of the RTI Act and also contended that do not fall under the scope of section 2(h) of the Act.

It may be noted that earlier too on 17 February 2009 a division bench of the High Court through Justices Nishita Mhatre and Bhushan Gavai had passed an order at Aurangabad directing that co-operative societies and urban banks are not bound to disclose any information other than balance sheet and Profit and Loss Account to the general public under the RTI Act.

Advocate Purushottam Patil appeared for the appellants. Additional GP Bharati Dangre waived notice for the state.