The Brave Pedestrian

RTI Appellants can use Section 18 to improve their chances of  getting Public Information Officers (PIOs) penalized by sacrificing their demand for getting the requested information.   A strictly legal interpretation of this section of Right to Information Act 2005 leaves the PIO and the public authority (and also the Information Commissioner) with relatively less room for escaping. Read section 18(3) with care. It says: “ The… Information Commission… shall, while inquiring into any matter  under this section,  have the same powers as are vested in a civil court while trying a suit under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, in respect of the following matters­” Please note: Sec 18(3) confers the special civil-court-like powers  only while enquiring into Complaints, and not while deciding on appeals under section 19. Check out this detailed comparison of Complaint and Appeal u/s Section 18 and 19: 1. SYSTEM REFORM versus GETTING INFORMATION u  Comp...

Maharashtra's Chief SIC Dr Suresh Joshi issued a stern ultimatum to officials playing the roles of Public Information Officers (PIOs) and First Appellate Authorities (FAAs).    The warning extends to all public officials who play a role in providing information in response to an RTI application. This is in response to information-seekers and RTI activists who have been crying themselves hoarse for stringent implementation of RTI Act 2005. After six rounds of discussions spread over 10 days with all the State's Secretaries, Dr Joshi wrote a letter to Chief Secretary Johny Joseph clearly stating that all the PIOs and FAAs must act strictly in accordance with the RTI Act, or else! This letter,  which has been widely circulated by General Administration Department (GAD) among all state government departments,  may be roughly divided into three components: a)      Lucidly explaining the main points and the intention of the RTI Act b) ...