RTI activists peeved at ‘selective revelations’
Jeeva, TNN, Nov 19, 2010, 03.42am IST
CHENNAI: Y Aruldoss, a right to information (RTI) activist in Ayanavaram, was aghast when he received an order from the Tamil Nadu State Information Commission last week saying he could not ask for details affecting the functioning of a public authority. The commission, in the order, also advised him to ask for only the "required information".
He was understandably agitated because the RTI Act does not limit the number of queries that can be raised in an application. The applicant had filed an appeal with the commission after the Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board (TNSCB) had failed to reply to 10 of 42 queries about slum eviction in the city.
"The TNSCB denied me the details by misrepresenting section 7(9) of the Act. I moved the commission asking it to direct the board to disclose the complete information I had sought. But the commission passed the order which only goes against the spirit of the law. The commission did not even mention the legal provision under which it upheld the rejection of my application,'' said Aruldoss, who is also the youth coordinator of National Alliance of People's Movement, which has been working for the cause of slum-dwellers.
The commission passed a similar order last week to another RTI application, which he had filed with the Public Works Department relating to slum eviction and construction of elevated highways in Chennai. V Gopalakrishnan, another RTI activist in KK Nagar, has the same complaint. "I wanted a reply from the revenue authorities to seven queries about the distribution of flood relief of `2,000 per family in nine residential colonies in my area in 2008, but I did not get the reply. I moved the commission, which in turn said I should ask only limited information under the RTI Act,'' Gopalakrishnan said. He then moved the commission for a second time, seeking a full-bench hearing. He said the appeal has been pending for over a year now.
Many RTI campaigners pointed out that several public authorities reject applications by wrongly interpreting section 7(9), which says that "an information shall ordinarily be provided in the form in which it is sought unless it would disproportionately divert the resources of the public authority or would be detrimental to the safety or preservation of the record in question."
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Vendors cashing in on shortage of stamp paper
Vendors cashing in on shortage of stamp paper
Jeeva, TNN, Oct 22, 2010, 02.59am IST
CHENNAI: Thangaraj, a resident of Thirumangalam, has not been able to prepare the rental agreement for his tenant for over three weeks now, for want of a stamp paper. Although he approached several stamp vendors in the city, he was unable to procure the commodity.
Shortage of stamp papers, particularly in the denomination of Rs 10, Rs 20 and Rs 50, has been affecting the execution of agreements and filing of affidavits in various tribunals in the city now. Consequently, many stamp vendors sell papers for 10% to 20% more than the face value.
"The shortage has been acute since the beginning of this month. Only on Monday, we could buy the Rs 100 stamp paper, but still we are unable to buy papers of lower denominations," said advocate P Venugopal, practising in the Madras high court. Many lawyers said they needed to keep a stock of stamp papers for their business needs, to execute various different kinds of agreements and affidavits in judicial forums like Intellectual Property Appellate Tribunal and to get certified order copies. However, they are struggling to acquire the papers.
Besides, there are complaints that licensed vendors are selling stamp papers and court fee stamps for more than the value printed on them, even if there is no shortage. "If we want to buy ten court fee stamps of Rs 10 each, the vendors charge Rs 120 instead of Rs 100. I have already complained to the authorities. Action should be taken against the violators. The state government should consider selling stamp papers and court fee stamps through banks and post offices so that there won't be any opportunity for such complaints,'' said V Gopalakrishnan, a Right to Information ( RTI) activist and resident of KK Nagar.
Officials at the district treasury office in Broadway said they had to source the stamp paper from Nasik and Hyderabad and there was some delay in receiving the stock. "The papers have just been delivered and we are in the process of distributing them," treasury officials said.
On complaints against licensed stamp vendors for charging a higher rate, Inspector General of Registration, D Sabitha told The Times of India that stamp vendors were getting the papers at a discount and they should not be selling it for more than the face value. "People can complain about such irregularities. Even if there is no evidence to support their complaints, we will still warn the vendors that such violations will lead to their licence being revoked,'' Sabitha said.
Jeeva, TNN, Oct 22, 2010, 02.59am IST
CHENNAI: Thangaraj, a resident of Thirumangalam, has not been able to prepare the rental agreement for his tenant for over three weeks now, for want of a stamp paper. Although he approached several stamp vendors in the city, he was unable to procure the commodity.
Shortage of stamp papers, particularly in the denomination of Rs 10, Rs 20 and Rs 50, has been affecting the execution of agreements and filing of affidavits in various tribunals in the city now. Consequently, many stamp vendors sell papers for 10% to 20% more than the face value.
"The shortage has been acute since the beginning of this month. Only on Monday, we could buy the Rs 100 stamp paper, but still we are unable to buy papers of lower denominations," said advocate P Venugopal, practising in the Madras high court. Many lawyers said they needed to keep a stock of stamp papers for their business needs, to execute various different kinds of agreements and affidavits in judicial forums like Intellectual Property Appellate Tribunal and to get certified order copies. However, they are struggling to acquire the papers.
Besides, there are complaints that licensed vendors are selling stamp papers and court fee stamps for more than the value printed on them, even if there is no shortage. "If we want to buy ten court fee stamps of Rs 10 each, the vendors charge Rs 120 instead of Rs 100. I have already complained to the authorities. Action should be taken against the violators. The state government should consider selling stamp papers and court fee stamps through banks and post offices so that there won't be any opportunity for such complaints,'' said V Gopalakrishnan, a Right to Information ( RTI) activist and resident of KK Nagar.
Officials at the district treasury office in Broadway said they had to source the stamp paper from Nasik and Hyderabad and there was some delay in receiving the stock. "The papers have just been delivered and we are in the process of distributing them," treasury officials said.
On complaints against licensed stamp vendors for charging a higher rate, Inspector General of Registration, D Sabitha told The Times of India that stamp vendors were getting the papers at a discount and they should not be selling it for more than the face value. "People can complain about such irregularities. Even if there is no evidence to support their complaints, we will still warn the vendors that such violations will lead to their licence being revoked,'' Sabitha said.
RTI cases pile up, state yet to panel vacancies
RTI cases pile up, state yet to panel vacancies
November 1st, 2010
DC Correspondent
Chennai, Oct. 31: Seven posts of state information commissioner are vacant in the Tamil Nadu Information Commission despite a large backlog of RTI applications.
With the passing away of T.R. Ramasamy and retirement of S. Ramakrishnan, the commission has only three commissioners in R. Perumalsamy, T. Srinivasan and Sarada Nambi Arooran. State chief information commissioner K.S. Sripathy heads the commission.
Of the 10 sanctioned posts of information commissioner, only five have been filled since the creation of the commission.
The government has not filled the seven other posts, despite large pendency of RTI appeals with the commission.
RTI activist R. Gopalakrishnan said that with the increasing pendency of the cases, the work burden of the commissioners increases and it also affects their performance. He said the government should immediately take steps to fill up the vacant posts without any further delay. “Rather than filling up the post with retired bureaucrats, the government should give opportunities to RTI activists,” he said. FACT India general secretary T. Retna Pandian said that with appointment of bureaucrats as commissioners, RTI applicants are being denied information by the commission.
He said that now the commission has become defunct with the cases taking years to be heard by the commissioners.
November 1st, 2010
DC Correspondent
Chennai, Oct. 31: Seven posts of state information commissioner are vacant in the Tamil Nadu Information Commission despite a large backlog of RTI applications.
With the passing away of T.R. Ramasamy and retirement of S. Ramakrishnan, the commission has only three commissioners in R. Perumalsamy, T. Srinivasan and Sarada Nambi Arooran. State chief information commissioner K.S. Sripathy heads the commission.
Of the 10 sanctioned posts of information commissioner, only five have been filled since the creation of the commission.
The government has not filled the seven other posts, despite large pendency of RTI appeals with the commission.
RTI activist R. Gopalakrishnan said that with the increasing pendency of the cases, the work burden of the commissioners increases and it also affects their performance. He said the government should immediately take steps to fill up the vacant posts without any further delay. “Rather than filling up the post with retired bureaucrats, the government should give opportunities to RTI activists,” he said. FACT India general secretary T. Retna Pandian said that with appointment of bureaucrats as commissioners, RTI applicants are being denied information by the commission.
He said that now the commission has become defunct with the cases taking years to be heard by the commissioners.
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