The Health and Family Welfare Department and the Mohuda Pharmacy College here have failed to provide information sought by an applicant under the RTI Act.
According to information available, an advocate of Brahmapur had applied to the PIO of the State Health and Family Welfare Department in Form-A on May 17 last seeking information pertaining to the formation of the governing body of the college and resolutions adopted by the management of the college on April 23 last.
The PIO (Nodal)-cum-Under Secretary of the State Health and Family Welfare Department on May 31 last replied that information was available in the website of the Ministry, while at the same time, he directed the Principal and Chairman of the pharmacy college to supply the remaining information to the applicant within stipulated time.
Even though the Health and Family Department is the competent authority of the pharmacy college to issue the directive, the latter, however, did not carry it out and refused to disclose the information sought by the applicant on the pretext that the college is a private and self- financing institution and hence, was not obliged to carry out the directives issued to it.
The pharmacy college was started with an initial grant of Rs 4 lakh sanctioned in two installments by the State Urban Development Department through Brahmapur Municipality in 1979 and a similar grant was reportedly received from the UGC by the college library earlier.
Hence, the plea of the college that it is not a public property is absolutely baseless, said the applicant, adding that the college authorities denied information apprehending that the disclosure might invite trouble for them.