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| Provide complete info to RTI applicant: CIC to CM's Sectt | | Privileges given to Rana, Gul as CM's ex-advisors | | ET Report
JAMMU, Feb 5: State Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) G R Sufi in his recent orders has directed the Chief Minister's Secretariat to reveal complete information to an RTI applicant from Jullakha Mohalla Jammu regarding privileges given to Devinder Rana and Mubarak Gul while they were serving as advisors to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. The RTI applicant had filed application before the Public Information Officer (PIO) CM's Secretariat last year in July and he received incomplete information from the PIO as well as First Appellate Authority (FAA) who is also the Additional Secretary in the CM's office .
Case details:
A second appeal was filed by RTI applicant Suresh Verma, a resident of Julakha Mohalla Jammu before the State Information Commission (SIC) on 25-10-2013. The appellant had filed an RTI application before Public Information Officer (PIO) CM's Secretariat on 18-7-2013 seeking information with regard to amenities/privileges provided to Davinder Singh Rana, the then Political Advisor to Chief Minister with the status of Minister of State and Mubarak Gul, the then Advisor to Chief Minister who had the status of Cabinet Minister.
The PIO CM's secretariat sought assistance of Civil Aviation Department and Financial Advisor cum Chief Accounts Officer (FA/CAO) in CM's Secretariat for providing the requisite information to the points pertaining to them. The APIO, Civil Aviation Department furnished the information to the information seeker with regard to points related to his Department vide letter dated 7-8-2013. Similarly, the FA/CAO, C.M. Secretariat also furnished information to the information seeker with regard to the points related to his Department. However, the information with regard to various other issues like accommodation, vehicles etc was not furnished to the information seeker as the same was available with other departments such as Estates and State Motor Garages.
The Financial Advisor cum Chief Accounts Officer (FA/CAO) in CM's Secretariat in continuation to his earlier letter dated 26-8-2013 furnished some more information to the information seeker. The information seeker was not satisfied with the information provided to him by the PIO, C.M. Secretariat and filed first appeal before FAA i.e Additional Secretary CM's office. The FAA vide his order dated 26-9-2013 disposed of the appeal. The information seeker was not satisfied with the order of FAA and has filed second appeal before the State Information Commission.
The Commission listed the case for hearing on 24.01.2014 and informed the parties for their appearance before the Commission. Ram Savak, Addl. Secretary-Cum-FAA, Arun Kumar Bajaj, PIO and Vilakshana Singh, Advocate on behalf of Suresh Verma appellant appeared before the Commission (SIC) and were heard. The FAA submitted before SIC that the requisite information has been provided to the information seeker and information which was not available with him has been obtained from other departments and has also been provided to the information seeker. Vilakshana Singh, Advocate appearing on behalf of the appellant, acknowledged that the information has been received by his client. Further, he stated that information with regard to money spent on petrol/diesel by the Security Wing of the Police for security vehicles provided to Davinder Singh Rana, former Political Advisor to Chief Minister to the status of Minister of State and Mubarak Gul, former Advisor to Chief Minister to the status of Cabinet Minister has not been provided to the information seeker.
CIC's order reads as:
"The PIO and FAA have stated that the said information is not available with them and the same is being obtained from the security organization and will be provided to the information seeker. Vilakshana Singh, Advocate has agreed that 30 days time be given to the PIO for obtaining the said information from the Security Wing and made available to the appellant.
The Commission accordingly dispose of the second appeal with the directions to the FAA/PIO to obtain remaining information from the Security Wing of the Police and provide the same to the information seeker within 30 days. The information seeker is advised that in future he should frame points of information clearly and lucidly. PIO is also advised that the information not to be given in piece meal." |
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