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After receiving a letter from the Central Information Commission (CIC) over the “failure” of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in implementing the Right to Information (RTI) Act, Lieutenant Governor (L-G) Vinai Kumar Saxena has directed Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar to take corrective actions to be taken as per rules at the earliest, said officials from the L-G house.
According to information shared by the L-G house officials, CIC Commissioner Uday Mahurkar in a letter to Saxena pointed out that the AAP government failed to implement the RTI Act in its departments and it had been reduced to a “lame duck act”.
Departments such as revenue, Public Works Department (PWD), health, power and bodies like Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC) were mentioned in the letter, said officials.
Officials said Mahurkar also highlighted that these departments either refuse to give information or give “misinformation” to people and hold back information sought relating to irregularities and corruption.
“It has also been pointed out that the PWD, cooperative, health and power, besides bodies like Delhi Subordinate Services Selection Board (DSSSB) and the DSIIDC, which directly deal with the ordinary people, either hold back genuine information with ulterior motives, refuse to share legitimate information with the appellants seeking information or provide them with misinformation with an aim to mislead. He (Mahurkar) also pointed out that public information officers (PIOs) are not remaining present and sending their clerks and lower level personnel to appear before the Commission,” said the officials.
Officials added that the letter from Mahurkar attached specific replies from the above-mentioned departments pointing out stonewalling of information and false and misleading information. Considering the seriousness of the issue, the L-G Secretariat directed the chief secretary to take the required corrective action as per rules in place to address the matter at the earliest, said officials.
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