Depts pass the buck, clueless on cow cess collection, use

Kuldip Bhatia
Ludhiana, October 21

The state government imposed cow cess from financial year 2016-17 for providing financial assistance to gaushalas and ensuring rehabilitation of stray cattle. But after two years, no consolidated information seems to be available with any state government department about the total collection and expenditure.

In fact, various government departments seemed passing the buck to each other. The Council of RTI Activists, through its president Rohit Sabharwal, filed an application under the Right to Information Act with the Principal Secretary, Finance, on July 3. 2018, seeking information as regards the total amount collected through cow cess and its allocation/expenditure for the intended purpose over the past two years.

The Public Authority (APIO) of the Finance Department, however, forwarded the letter to the Principal Secretary, Local Government, Punjab, on July 13, 2018, with remarks that the information pertained to that department.

The PIO in the office of the Principal Secretary, Local Government, further forwarded the letter to the Directorate of Local Bodies saying the information be provided to the applicant.

The PIO of the Directorate of Local Bodies, in turn, passed the buck to urban local bodies and municipal bodies in towns. Vide a letter dated August 16, the PIO intimated Sabharwal that the cess was being collected by municipal corporations, municipal committees, municipal councils and nagar panchayats across the state at their own level. Therefore, the information sought by him can be obtained directly from the urban/municipal bodies.

Sabharwal has now filed an appeal with the First Appellant Authority, Principal Secretary, Department of Finance, Punjab, seeking the requisite information.

He maintains that the cess has been imposed by the state government and it is collected by various government departments, besides urban local bodies. “Thus consolidated information of the amount collected and its allocation for the purpose of welfare of stray cows must be available on the record of the Finance Department, which should be made available to the applicant,” said the appeal.

Petitioner’s plea 

• The cess is collected by various government departments, besides urban local bodies
• Thus consolidated information about it must be available with the Finance Department and it should be provided to the applicant

Caught in red tape 

• An NGO filed an RTI plea with the Principal Secretary, Finance, on July 3, seeking information as regards cow cess collection and expenditure
• The application was directed to the Principal Secretary, Local Government, on July 13
• From there, the letter was forwarded to the Directorate of Local Bodies for providing the information sought by the applicant
• The PIO of the Directorate of Local Bodies, in turn, passed the buck to urban local bodies and municipal bodies in towns