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Sunday, January 3, 2010

Gen Grover pronounces another important path-breaking decision on the RTI Act

Regular readers may have read about Lt Gen P K Grover on this blog earlier.

Besides the Public Cause Research Foundation (PCRF) which had listed the General as one of the best Information Commissioners in the country, the Hindustan Times had also declared him as a Hero of 2009 on 30 December 2009.

Gen Grover has pronounced a path-breaking order which shall go a long way in settling the law in this regard. Gen Grover and Mr R I Singh, Punjab’s retired Chief Secretary, as members of a division bench of the Punjab State Information Commission, have ruled that when there is a way other than the RTI Act to access information, it is the prerogative of the citizen which road to choose and that Public Authorities have no right to dictate to an information seeker as to which method he or she should select.

The ruling comes as a great relief to those information seekers who have faced this problem when asked by Public Information Officers to apply for documents or information under separate procedures prescribed by a particular office, organisation or establishment with a separate fee structure. The Commission has again reiterated that the RTI Act would override other laws governing this aspect.

The complete decision can be downloaded and accessed by clicking here.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Some of the civilians are frequently seeking plethora of information on unit run csd canteen . does urc comes under RTI Act 2005?

Anonymous said...

For getting information about the reasons for denial of promotion to an officer, by the Promotion Board of the Army HQ,whom should we address the petition,under RTI Act?
Please throw some light on this interersing subject?

Anonymous said...

Can we use RTI to find out details of our accounts/dues from CDA(O) in cased they did not furnish those details inspite of writing to them a number of times.

CDA(O) paid us arrears of pay conquent to revosion of pay post SPC.They are required to send due drawn statement to enable us to know our dues and payments made.The same has not been furnished despite written request.

Col P B

Anonymous said...

Pension disbursing banks seem to be arbitrarily deducting income tax...how does one seek these details...

Anonymous said...

@ anon 10:55
i think information on urc can be denied in rti

Anonymous said...

@ 11:30 and @ 1:02

why don't you file an rti application and see. based on what will army deny board recommendations? and cda is any way open to rti.