No property statements of officials on websites

[karira]

As reported in thehindu.com on 16 November 2008:
The Hindu : Other States / Orissa News : No property statements of officials on websites

No property statements of officials on websites

State Information Commission’s order not followed

BHUBANESWAR: Orissa government has failed to make public property statements being reportedly submitted by government officers on the website despite a direction to do so.

Responding to an appeal under the Right to Information Act, first appellate authority in General Administration department Ganesh Prasad Parida asked its public information officer (PIO) to take steps to post details of the property statement the departmental website within 10 days.

The first appellate authority had passed the order on October 31, 2008. But after 15 days the website continued to remain un-updated.

All started with the seeking of information by rights activist Biswapriya Kanungo about property statements which were to be supposedly submitted by officers under GA department according to Orissa Government Servant Conduct Rule 1959.

PIO of GA department had then asked the information seeker to refer to departmental website.

Mr. Kanungo said he searched the property statements of officers in vain as website was not updated.

Despite the prodding up for update, the GA Department website says, "this site is under construction and the data is made available on an experimental basis to all users. The data in the system is available only from 1998-99 onwards. While all efforts have been made to make this database as authentic as possible, General Administration Department will not be responsible for any loss to any person caused by any shortcoming, defect or inaccuracy in the information available on website."

The rights activist is now planning to move to State Information Commission as he has been denied the information.

This was not for the first time when government departments had come up with “strange” replies in response to information on property statements.

“The supply department had earlier told me that there was no gazetted officer in the department in its attempt to deny the information. But when I pursued the matter in higher-level, they came up with an answer that they had 137 gazetted officers,” Mr. Kanungo said.

He alleged that the health and family welfare department also made similar attempt.

“When I asked for status of property statement of doctors, the department said doctors’ community comes under exempted category as per RTI Act,” Mr. Kanungo charged.

Earlier Revenue and Disaster Management (RDM) department said it had no information about punitive actions initiated against officers who violated Orissa Government Servant Conduct Rule 1959 by not submitting compulsory property statements.

Moreover, police officers are also not submitting property statements.

[taurus]

There appears to be a competition among the various Govt Offices as to which Department will deny info to the public. What a contribution to transparency in Govt!