New Delhi, June 2
The apathy towards the Right to Information (RTI) Act by the very same government departments which brought in the law to strengthen the common man has been visible over and over again in various decisions of the Central Information Commission (CIC).

However, this time around it is the office of the very person who took personal interest in bringing around the law which has come under fire from the CIC.

The commission has criticised the office of the Prime Minister for not giving proper replies to the queries sought by common people and “summarily” disposing of applications filed by aggrieved citizens.

Chief Information Commissioner Wajahat Habibullah in a recent decision pointed out that the PMO had not been taking interest in replying to the appeals of the citizens.

On a plea filed by one Vishnu Ratna, Habibullah said, “We find that the disposal of the RTI application and first appeal in the PMO have been done summarily as to make short shrift of an appeal painstakingly prepared by a conscientious citizen exercising what he perceives his right.

This is not the first time that the PMO has come under fire from the CIC. Earlier while hearing the petition of one HB Malhotra, the CIC had said, “It is quite unbecoming of an Appellate Authority of an institution as august as the Prime Minister’s Office for being dismissive about information sought by the RTI applicants.”

In the appeal filed by Ratna, the CIC has again observed, “The reply of Vini Mahajan (a Joint Secretary-rank officer) does not even attempt to address the issue but is summarily dismissed, an action unbecoming of an appellate authority, particularly so august a public authority as the PMO.”

While filing his RTI application with the CIC, Ratna had sought information about the performance of Small Scale Industries Development Organisation operating under the Ministry of Small Scale Industries. He had also sought information on various other aspects of the programmes run by the organisation.

The PMO rejected the application on the grounds that opinion is not the information defined under the RTI Act. Applicant’s first appeal was also “summarily” rejected by Mahajan. The officer at the PMO while rejecting the appeal said the Central Public Information Officer had “followed the prescribed statutory provisions” in the case.

Official at the CIC point out that the reply given by Mahajan was quite similar to previous orders given by former appellate authority at PMO Javed Usmani. The CIC had expressed its unhappiness over the reply given by him, which the commission felt had been passed “without application of mind”.

Usmani, apparently in many cases replied in a similar fashion which said, “It is observed that the Central Public Information Officer of the PMO has followed the statutory provisions and taken action as appropriate in response to your application.”