The Hindu 12.09.2009
Corporation directed to comply with RTI Act
Staff Correspondent
HUBLI: Taking exception to the delay and the alleged negligence of the Hubli Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC) in providing adequate information to an applicant under the Right to Information Act, Information Commissioner H.N. Krishna has directed the corporation to comply with the guidelines and provide adequate information to the applicant within 30 days.
Physician M.C. Sindhur of Vidyanagar, Hubli, had, on April 3, 2009, sought through an application under the Act a copy of a catalogue and list of files maintained as per section 4(1)(a) of the Act, 2005 in electronic format.
However, the corporation failed to provide information to the applicant under the specified 30 days. It was only on June 22, 2009 (after 48 days) that the corporation sent a compact disc (of 1.65 MB) containing 23 files, which, however, did not have complete information. After going through the information provided to Karnataka Information Commission, Mr. Krishna observed, during a hearing on August 13, that, although the corporation had 12 zones in the twin cities, the compact disc provided to the applicant did not have any information on them.
Taking it seriously, he directed the Public Information Officer of the corporation to act according to the guidelines of the Act. The Information Commissioner also directed the corporation Commissioner P.S. Vastrad to direct the Assistant Commissioner (Administration) of the corporation to complete the process within 30 days and provide a compact disc with appropriate information to the applicant within the specified time.
He directed B.S. Sangareshkoppa (Assistant Commissioner-Administration) to be present on the next date of hearing at 11 a.m. on November 12.
